Dogs of War

"The Corsican and Spanish Bulldogs closely resemble the English breed, but are larger. ... It was very gentle, excepting when urged to make an attack, when it's ferocity knew no bounds." History of the Dog W.C.L. Barton 1845

"Those involved in the training of protection dogs will tell you how hard it is to find a dog which will actually attack a human being. It is thankfully rare to find a dog that will kill another dog, without being carefully bred and incited to do so. The mastiff breeds of today are famous for their relaxed attitude towards children, and quite remarkable tolerance of them, their stable temperament, faithfulness with their own family, natural instinctive guarding qualities and steadfastness when provoked. As guard dogs they rarely bark and seem to have an innate ability to distinguish between acceptable visitors and unwelcome intruders. For dogs with their violent past to emerge with such tolerance, trust and restraint is a telling commentary on their inherent qualities." The Mastiffs, The Big Game Hunters, Col. David Hancock  This is the White English!!

This difficult and violent past is what has actually made the mastiff breeds such stable and formidable guard dogs. Mastiffs developed in central Asia long before written history as dogs that controlled and defended large herds of cattle. Battles were often fought in defense of, or the taking over, of grazing lands, water, and families; thus the advent of the cattle and war dogs. They were required to be gentile with livestock and especially the children of the herdsmen with only the best and most stable being kept. "Even today, dogs of this old type may be found here and there, some recognized as distinct breeds and others lost in the obscurity of unorthodoxy." The Book of the Dog

"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    Right: CWE guarding cattle.

"By the end of the sixteenth century, the Spanish Empire had grown to become one of the largest in the history of the world. The Spanish fort established in 1565 at St. Augustine, Florida, became the first permanent European settlement in the present day United States. From California, Florida, and Mexico to Cape Horn at the tip of South America, Spain's power stood unchallenged."  American History, A Survey

"By 1600, Florida was strictly a military garrison localized in St. Augustine with a few missions running northwards. By 1700, there were names of cattle ranches, their tax payments, and regulations for a slaughter house. In 1702, when the English invaded Florida and laid siege to the fort, cattle from the ranches were driven in to the fort moat and were helpful in weathering the long siege. The real cattle boom took place about 1680-1702. This coincides with the golden age of Spanish Florida, which up to now remains neglected and ignored by historians and archeologists." Cattle Raising in Spanish Florida, 1513-1763 Charles W. Arnade

"To the three greatest obstacles, the elements of nature, Indians, and the Spanish settlers' demoralization, a fourth powerful enemy was added after 1670 when England began to press southward toward the Spanish lands. The immediate result was the construction of a powerful Spanish fort in 1672, which became one of the strongest fortifications in North and Central America, including the Caribbean Islands. Florida, with St. Augustine as the nerve center, became a military garrison per se, and everything was geared to armed defense. In 1702 the first real armed attack occurred, but the English failed to occupy the massive fort. In 1763, Spain gave Florida to England in return for English Havana, captured during the seven years war. English occupation of Florida lasted only twenty years, producing a moderate geographical expansion of actual occupation. Spain regained Florida in 1783 but lost it to the new, energetic Unites States in 1821. This second Spanish occupation was a period of confusion, chaos, and intense frontier struggle among Spaniards, Indians, English, and the United States." Cattle Raising in Spanish Florida, 1513-1763 Charles Arnade

After the conquests in the southern US, the Spanish did settle, bringing livestock and dogs to work. While the Conquistadores brought harsh 'dogs of war' to kill off or control natives in the New World, the settlers required livestock protection dogs, especially in La Florida in defense of those natives and later the English. This need is what gave rise to the White English Bulldog. This breed was developed mainly from the Alaunt type cattle and war dogs of Spain, England, Portugal, Italy, and France as imported by the Spanish. On the subject of English Alaunts... "We also know that this breed went out to Spain, Mallorca, and Cuba between 1556 and 1649."  The Story of the Real Bulldog

The White English is the product of nearly 500 years (1513) of breeding cattle and war dogs in the southeastern US. While the breed's progenitors consisted of alaunt (or mastiff) cattle and war dog stock of varying origins, the modern WE continues to breed true to this old type. "Even today, dogs of this old type may be found here and there, some recognized as distinct breeds and others lost in the obscurity of unorthodoxy." The Book of the Dog

For more information and comparison, check out our WEB vs. Alano and The Spanish Dogs pages.

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