The Spanish Influence

Colonial Empires in the New World 1700

"Most Georgians know about the role of the English and Gen. James Oglethorpe, who arrived with a band of settlers in 1733 to establish Savannah and the Georgia colony, but they know little about the role of the Spanish, who had a mission on St. Catherine's Island south of Savannah that was active from about 1575 - 1680. There's nearly 200 years of prior European history that had a huge bearing on the later history we attribute to the English. What we're trying to do is give people a healthy reminder of this longer history, which is also pretty interesting history."

The Alano:

"In Central and south America, the Spanish and Portuguese colonists similarly took dogs of various types with them, either as hunting dogs or dogs of war. In the latter category, came the mastiffs." The Mastiffs, The Big Game Hunters, Col. David Hancock

"For the purpose of hunting, he said, the Spaniards introduced pureblood greyhounds, beagles, retrievers, setters, pointers, spaniels, and whippets. The mastiffs, according to the Inca chronicler, was the last type of dog to be introduced and he claims it was used primarily as a watchdog. Some of these dogs were brought to devour Indians, others to guard the thousands of swine that accompanied the expedition. Mastiffs, Garcilaso explains, were greatly esteemed by owners of domestic cattle...these men, as a matter of pride, wished their herds to resemble those of their homeland, (Spain)."  Dogs of the Conquest

"The Corsican and Spanish bulldogs closely resemble the English breed, but are larger. A Spanish bulldog, which we had very recently an opportunity of examining, was certainly the most powerfully formed dog we have ever seen. In stature it was between the English bulldog and Mastiff, but of massive build, with thick muscular limbs, tremendous breadth of chest, and an awesome head. It was very gentle, excepting when urged to make an attack, when it's ferocity knew no bounds."  The History of the Dog by WCL Martin, 1845    Here he distinguishes the differences between the English and Spanish bulldogs, not only in stature but in temperament, noting that the Spanish bulldog was gentle except when urged or commanded to attack. This was written in 1845 just after bull-baiting was outlawed, so his reference to English bulldog is about the baiting bulldog, the Terrier-cross Pit Bulldog; ancestor to the modern APBT. The Spanish bulldog possesses the stature and temperament of the old Bulldog Proper of England that was imported into Spain from England long before bull-baiting was popular in England. The Spanish interbred the old Bulldog Proper into their Alaunts, (which was basically a Bulldog Proper), and developed them into the Alano, Spanish Bulldog, and Spanish Mastiff. These,  The Bulldog Proper, (or Alaunt), are the dogs brought into Cuba and the Americas long before the English arrival in the new world. Modern Alano breeders acknowledge the fact that, They were the dogs that accompanied the Spanish explorers (America)." see reference Spanish Alano history.  The stature and temperament of these dogs coincides with that of the WEB, which are located in what was once a Spanish possession of the Americas. 

see also Spanish Alano history and Authentic Spanish Alano

Regarded by many as the direct descendant of the ancient Alaunt, this Spanish dog is also thought to be the ancestor of the Bullen Baisser dogs, as well as every other bull-type breed in the world. Some authorities view this breed as a living link between the Italian Cane Corso and the English Mastiff. 

"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.

The Spaniards did early discover, explore, occupy, and colonized new land and areas, and in their travels to close and far places they often did bring the Alano Espanol 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 and Ca de Bou from the Spanish islands, the Fila da Terceira from the Azores, Fila Brasileiro, Perro Cimmaron, Dogo Cubano, Cordoba Fighting Dog and Dogo Argentino from the new continent, as well as influence on other Molosser breeds around the Mediterranean.

The South

When the English first brought their bulldogs to the new world, the Spanish had long since established forts, missions, cities and towns throughout Florida, Southern Georgia, the South Carolina coast, and the southern parts of Alabama; exactly the region where the WEB was and still is most heavily concentrated. see Geographic Comparison  The majority of the bulldogs brought by the English into the northern states are the ancestors of today's APBT.

The WEB is a very capable dog for catching wild hogs. Some people keep them specifically as a catch dog for wild hogs. It must be noted that catching wild hogs is a relatively new use for the WEB, as it is a by-product of their original use as a stock dog. Just as in England before the days of bull-baiting; the bulldog was originally used for livestock and protection there. It was the bulldog's abilities at catching livestock that led to the sport of bull-baiting, bearbaiting, etc., until it was outlawed. History is simply repeating itself with the bulldogs of today. The WEB was originally developed as a livestock dog, (just as the original Bulldog Proper); it's abilities have been taken advantage of and used in sport; i.e. hog hunting/catching, (just as the original Bulldog Proper). The process is already under way to have the sport of hog hunting/catching outlawed, just as in England. We do not debate that WEBs are used as catch dogs in hog hunting, they certainly are. However, our debate is the original function of the WEB, it's history and origins.

The WEB was developed from cattle and war dogs during the 17th and 18th centuries, (1600's - 1700's), in northern Florida and southern Georgia by the Spanish cattle ranchers as a cattle dog and property guardian. "Dogs also became essential to the work of Florida cowmen. There were several breeds of cow dogs, but most were mixed-blooded. Some mixes included hound and bulldog." (Throughout ancient history the Alaunt/Mastiff/Alano was referred to as "hound"). The Spanish used the readily available dogs in the area at the time, primarily the Dogo Cubano, (or Cuban Bulldog), and Alano Espanol, (Spanish Bulldog), both of which directly descend from the ancient Alaunt; as well as using the farm/butcher's type English Bulldog, (right), that was also brought by the Conquistadores. (Keep in mind, this English Bulldog was a much earlier type; long legged, swift, and agile with tremendous heart; not the later type known today as the AKC English Bulldog; a short legged, smashed faced, show dog).  After the Spanish defeat in 1819, English colonists began settling in southern Georgia and northern Florida. They made full use of and  propagated the dog developed by the Spanish as an all around farm dog. They crossed in their own bulldogs as well, both the original placid, farm type, (above right), and the terrier cross type from the bull-baiting days. (below right)  *They even made use of the dog as a slave dog, though the Cuban Bloodhound was still the dog of choice. In the southern US, dogs were kept to guard plantations, livestock, and slaves. These dogs were often called "Cuban dogs". During the development of the WEB, the Cuban Bloodhound remained a choice slave dog, as they were "extremely ferocious and savage creatures," while the newly developed bulldog, (WEB), was the choice stock and guard dog. 

The Name "White English Bulldog"

When the English invaded the southeastern region of North America in 1733, they were faced with Alaunts of the older type, (like their own  Shepherds' Mastiff), working cattle and protecting the Spanish forts and missions. Hence, they referred to these old type dogs as White English or Old English Whites, (referring to their own old type Shepherds' Mastiff of England). The Spanish of course brought mainly Spanish Alanos and English Alaunts, which were strains of the same breed - the Alaunt. Owing to the simple fact that the Spanish were ranchers, they mostly brought Alaunt of the Butchers to work cattle. "For the purpose of hunting, he said, the Spanish introduced pureblood greyhounds, beagles, retrievers, setters, pointers, spaniels and whippets...The mastiff, (Alano), was the last type pf dog to be introduced and he claims it was used primarily as a watchdog...Mastiffs, Garcilaso explains, were greatly esteemed by owners of domestic cattle." Dogs of the Conquest  

The Shepherds' Mastiff / Bulldog Proper is where the WEB got it's name; it was a reference to this old dog of England given to the dogs by the English settlers in the southeast. The dogs they saw there were of Spanish descent and not English though, brought and developed by the Spanish; as Spain had their own version of the Shepherds' Mastiff / Bulldog Proper; it was the Alano. 

In Summary

After years of research, we have discovered, based on the many facts in history, (some of which are presented and referenced here), that the WEB is an admixture of select breeds, as all pure breeds are the result of interbreeding for a specific type and or function.  A breed can only be considered pure when it reproduces itself true to type consistently. The WEB has been doing exactly this for at least 200 + years. (When you breed two WEBs you know what you're going to be getting from the litter; more WEBs; not throwbacks to previous breed outcrosses).

The common tendency of humanity is to seize upon the trends, generalizations and assumptions rather than to seek the truth. Many believe and assume that the WEBs were originally bred for hog hunting, and that's not the case at all. In the southeastern US; where the WEB was developed by Spanish cattle ranchers, during the Spanish colonization and during English colonialism, wild game was in overabundance. People allowed their cattle and swine to graze freely on open range. "Much of these lands, especially low lands hereabouts, grew wild oats in profusion, and the more elevated lands were heavily carpeted with wire grass, succulent and desirable to a prospective cattleman. A few older people now living are familiar with the fact that droves of cattle and sheep, numbering thousands, might be hidden from some one searching for them. (The use of the dogs would aid in finding the stock as well). Cattle, hog, and sheep raising was the principle business until the sawmills cut the timber in the 1880's and 1890's. The importance of herding livestock in the Georgia pine belt and the almost exclusive devotion of it's inhabitants to this business is shown in the census reports." Plain Folk of the Old South Frank L. Owsley  pg. 44 They used their bulldogs to locate and round up the stock when taking them to market; to cut out a cow/bull or hog for butchering, medical assistance, castration, etc. The dogs were bred with superb catching and holding abilities, yet with the ability to do so with little to no injury to the stock, as this would have been costly to the owner of the stock. The farmer or stockman would cull the dog that injures the livestock, in fact, should the rancher choose not to destroy these dogs, (which was and still is rare, as most ranchers will destroy the offending dog on the spot), these are the dogs that were and are given to hunters of wild boar. "Outside actual used pastures the hunting of cattle and hogs which had run wild was free to all, and to preserve it's advantages to the people of Havana, the Caceres ordinances forbade the granting of titles to cattle ranges within eight leagues of the town. On the other hand, to protect owners of more or less domesticated herds, all hides offered for sale must carry ears attached; it was customary to brand cattle on the ears and the intention was to make hunters show that their game was indeed wild, i.e. unbranded on the ears. Dogs were not to be used in hunting lest they kill calves and so hinder increase without proportionate profit."  The Early History of Cuba  Irene A. Wright pg. 306  (The livestock and hunting practices employed in Cuba were the same as those employed in Florida during the same time period). "Cow dogs, wiry mongrels with a strong serving of bull dog in them were indispensable in bringing cattle out of the scrubs and swamps. Old time cattle were wild and the cow puncher often had to sic the dogs on the meaner ones to hold them until the roper could arrive."  THE CRACKERS  Gene Barber   Their bulldogs were bred to look to their master for instruction on which animal to separate and or hold, not to rush into the herd, scattering it, slamming into any animal within the dog's reach. That's is the last thing a farmer/rancher wanted in a working dog. (see Bulldog Proper) They needed a dog in which they could put on a specific animal, have it release when told to, to move slowly and deliberately through the stock so as not to scatter and stampede them, risking injury to the herd or master, and or loss of livestock.  Back then, the land was so fertile for crops and so perfect for open range grazing, and with so much wild game readily available, hunting was a past time, not a necessity. "Here they reared immense herds of cattle, which subsisted exclusively upon coarse grass and reeds which grew abundantly among the tall, long-leafed pine, and along the small creeks and branches numerous in this section. Through these almost interminable pine-forests the deer were abundant, and the canebrakes full of bear. They combined the pursuits of hunting and stock-minding, and derived support and revenue almost exclusively from these." Plain Folk of the Old South Frank L. Owsley  pg. 39  "They were genuine herdsman. Livestock grazing was their chief occupation, and hunting and trapping were secondary." Plain Folk of the Old South Frank L. Owsley pg.25 The WEB was a stock dog that, because of it's abilities with stock, is quite capable of catching and holding wild hogs. However, over the past 30-40 years the WEB has been out crossed to various other breeds; the Cur breeds, APBTs, even different hounds, and the result is a fine hunting dog of various types, including the standard/performance/Scott/OSW type AB and the Southern Cur. "The fact is that I bred American Bulldogs into Catahoulas to develop a Southern Cur dog." Alan Scott  The WEB can and will hunt wild hogs, however, the newly developed,(30-40 years), standard/performance/Scott/OSW type AB is a far better dog for this. I would take my ABs hog hunting long before I took any of my WEB's. The WEBs look to it's master for commands. This is not what you want your dog doing when in the woods with wild hogs, allowing a greater chance of injury to you or the dog from a charging boar.  Without command, the AB will charge ahead, slamming into the hog with little to no regard to injuring it. After all, the point in hunting is to kill the hog. In rushing in and slamming a wild hog, it scatters the others around the target hog. This is advantageous for both the hunter and the dogs, running the others, and the danger they pose, away from you. 

Just as in England nearly 200 years ago, the true function of the bulldog has been overlooked, set aside, and taken advantage of. Back then, the blood-sport for public display and entertainment was baiting and pit fighting. (As in crowds gathering to watch). Today it is the catching of wild hogs in catch/bay pens and unfortunately, pit fighting is still widely spread, though illegal. Efforts have been under way for several years to outlaw the use of dogs in catching wild hogs for sport and public display, just as efforts to outlaw the baiting of dogs began in England almost two centuries ago. 

Bulldog Proper

In the picture below, the two White Alaunts display the exact working temperament and character of the WEB. Notice that neither dog has caught the bull, nor do they even have their mouths open ready for a bite. Instead, both await their masters command. The dog running along side the bull is looking back over his shoulder and directly up at his master's face, awaiting instructions, as opposed to rushing in and blindly biting at the bull. This is a Bulldog Proper.