The Alaunt is an extinct type of dog which came in different forms,[ (p. 116)]
This type of dog may have been developed by the Alans, and was renowned primarily for its quality as a large-game catch dog, and as a war dog and guard dog.
Features
In
France, the Alaunt as a
dog crossbreed had three distinct types: the
alant veautre,
alant boucherie and
alant gentile.
[Gaston Phébus Livre de Chasse Tillander, G. Cynegetica XVIII Karlshamn 1971 Ch.17 p125] They all were large, short-coated dogs of varying head-types. The former two resembled the
mastiff-type dogs much like the present-day
Dogo Argentino or like the Caucasian Shepherd Dog except with short hair and a mesocephalic head which made them excellent large-game hunters, the
gentile was a large sighthound type.
The Alaunt type may have been originally bred by the
Alans tribes, the nomads of Indo-European
Sarmatian ancestry who spoke an Iranian language. The Alans were known as superb warriors, herdsmen, and breeders of
and dogs. The Alans bred their dogs for work and developed different strains within the breed for specific duties. The type was further developed in
Spain,
Portugal, France,
Germany,
England, and in
Italy.
History
The Molossus belonged to the tribe of the
Molossians, from
Epirus in northern
Greece in about 1200 BC, coming from the north. However, their artifacts did not resemble the Mastiff prototype, as they had a long nose of a narrow type, and a long mane. Varro, however, described a
herding dog of Epirus which was white, large-headed, and slightly undershot, used to defend sheep and goats.
[Fleig 1996, pp. 18–22 (Varro's description of herding dogs)] One group of
Alans arrived in what is now
Albania in the 5th or 6th centuries BC.
[Atlas 1995 p. 30] Molossis of Epirus is located in Southern Albania.
[Fleig 1996, p. 18 "Today Epirus is part of Albania."] It is most plausible the Alaunt gave rise to the fighting dogs of the Molossi,
which were introduced to Britain by
Roman Empire invasion in 43 BC. The Alans provided cavalry for Rome, many of whom were deployed to Hadrian's Wall in the second century AD.
[Hancock p. 28]
In the 370s AD, Hun invasions divided the Alani into the Eastern and Western Alans. The Eastern Alani tribes merged with the Ossetians and other nations, introducing their dogs into the bloodlines of many Balkans breeds, such as the Šarplaninac, Metchkar, Qen Ghedje, Hellenikos Poimenikos and other livestock guardian dogs of the region. The white-coloured Alaunts may be the direct ancestors of the Balkan breeds, which in turn influenced all other white dogs in the Balkans.
The Western Alans joined the Vandals on their raids through Europe, and by the 410s AD, their fierce dogs were influencing many breeds in France, Spain, Portugal, England, and other countries. This spread the use of the "Alaunt" name, which became synonymous with a type of a working dog rather than a specific breed. Through breeding with various and , some Alaunts became valued large game hunting dogs, existing in a variety of types dictated by regional preferences. In AD 1500, Spain was known for breeding the best Alaunts and used them to conquer the New World.[Hancock 2000, p. 22]
In France, Alaunts were separated into three main categories, based on physical appearance and the duties they performed. The lightest type was the alant gentil, a greyhound-like dog. The original mastiff variety, known as the alant de boucherie, may have contributed to the development of the Fighting dog and baiting dogs of France. The French alants de boucherie were known as alauntz o bouchery in England,[James I. McNelis III, The Uncollated Manuscripts of The Master of Game: Towards a New Edition (PhD diss., Univ. of Washington, 1996) p. 222] famously dramatised by Chaucer in his "Knight's Tale" as the mythical hounds of Lycurgus, King of Thrace,
Form
The long, broad, flat head of the Alaunt should never be confused with the modified brachycephalic breeds. The brachycephalic head type is wide in base, but short in length. While the preferred bite is reverse scissor, like the
mastiff,
[ (Mastiff is example of scissors reverse)] and may have been a trait introduced by the
breeds at some remote time in history, skull type and bite type are separate subjects of genetic traits. The dolichocephalic skull is narrow at base yet long in length, so the Alaunt could be referred to as a modified dolichocephalic breed, as mesocephalic is a balance of base to length. Moreover, the Alaunt or mastiff must be separated from the Molossoides in head study, as this term does not separate the Mastiff from the mountain dogs or even the
pug.
See also
Notes
Bibliography
