history

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Breed History

The Alano have a long history in Spain. The official history of the breed tells that the Alano came to the Iberian Peninsula in the 5th century together with the Alani tribe, and should thereby be regarded as the direct descendant of the Alaunt. As in all histories of the origin of the different ancient Molosser breeds their origin lays hided in the mist of time, and the different theories about the origins have been presented by modern scholars. Nevertheless, the present of the Alano in Spain can be traced far back in time. As early as the year 1350 King Alfonso XI published his "Book of Hunting", and in the 15th century "Treatise of Hunting", author unknown, there is a detailed physical description of the dog.

The Spaniards did early discover, explore, occupy, and colonizated new land and areas, and in their travels to close and far places they often did bring the Alano Espańol with them. The result of this is that many of the Molosser breeds around the world can count the Alano as one of their ancestors, like the original Presa Canario & Ca de Bou from the Spanish islands, the Fila da Terceira from the Azores, Fila Brasileiro, Perro Cimarron, Dogo Cubano, Cordoba Fighting Dog & Dogo Argentino from the new continent, as well as influence on the other Molosser breeds around the Mediteranean.
The Alano have always been a working dog in Spain, known under different names like Alano Espańol, También llamado Chato de Presa, Chato Salmantino, Perro de Toro, Perro de Presa Espańol, Dogo de Burgos, Mastín de Jabalines, Alano de Carnicero and Mastín de Pelo Corto, all depending on where in Spain the dogs lived and which kind of work they where used for.
There are different opinion on wheater the Alano and the Perro de Toro (Spanish Bulldog) are the same breed, but most people that are involved in the Alano, and the ANCAE (Asociación Nacional de Criadores del Alano Espańol) regards the Perro de Toro as just a heavier version of the Alano, used in the Bullfights of old times.

The 20th century did no good for this old working dog of Spain which began to decline in numbers after Bullfights was outlawed in Spain in 1883. Like many other Molosser breeds that lost in popularity against foreign imported breeds, especially the German Shepherd Dog, the number of Alanos reached a point of nearly extinction. The last pair of Alano Espańol was exhibited in 1963 in the Retiro Park in Madrid and soon after the breed was considered to be completely extinct.
The Alano have never been a subject of beauty contests, like many other dogbreeds, but have always been bred with the working qualities in mind. And it was the working qualities that proved to be the reason that saved the breed from going completly extinct, despite the odds.
In the early 1980's a search for survived Alanos was done by enthusiasts of this legendary dog, especially by Carlos Contera, and the whole of Spain was "combed" for survived speciments. The situation proved to be much better for the Alano than ever expected and hoped for.