Mastiff (Header) or Bulldog (heeler)

The term 'Mastif' was first introduced to the English by Norman invaders in 1066. This was in reference to the mixing of alaunt types as practiced by the French, as well as others, however, it was the French term for the practice that was adopted by the English. These alaunt types were protectors of cattle, farm and family. The mastiff protected the livestock and family, thus is called an estate guard. 

"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 violent past is what has made the mastiff breeds such stable and formidable guard dogs. The 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 grazing lands, water, and their families. The mastiffs were required to be gentile with livestock as well as the children of the herdsmen. Through this cruel lifestyle, only the best and most stable were 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

The bulldog is a mastiff breed that controls unruly cattle as well as protects. While in England, the mastiff has been reduced through crossbreeding to a show dog as well as the bulldog. In other areas of the world, the two breeds, (mastiff and bulldog), are still closely related. Mastiff sized pups are still born in WEB litters in the southern US. It is interesting to note the working temperaments of both the WEB and the Spanish Mastiff of today.

"Still found guarding cattle and sheep in the hills of Spain, this dog, (the Spanish Mastiff), is a powerful, protective animal with infinite color variance. As is true of many large animals, he does not feel the need to show his obvious strength. He is alert, but calm and unruffled. The stock guardian sounds the alarm to the shepherd, then becomes quiet and attentive, not attacking. The Spanish Mastiff is gentle with other animals, even cats, and loving to his owners. He enjoys being with his family and doing a job for them."  The Atlas of Dog Breeds of the World

The Alaunt was one breed of varying types; a very ancient breed said to be THE progenitor of all molosser breeds, THE original Molosser, if not THE original bulldogge breed. Definition:  In a dictionary dating to 1632 the "Alaunt was defined as being as a Mastiff that served butchers to bring in fierce bulls and to keep them confined.  The Alaunt is a now extinct Molosser dog breed. Many modern breeds are believed directly descended from the Alaunt. The original Alaunt, (Molosser/Bulldog), was a  large, short coated mountain dog of varying type. "In France, Alaunts were separated into three main categories, based on physical appearance and the duties they performed. The lightest type was the Alaunt Gentil, a greyhound-like dog, which eventually became assimilated into the local hunting breeds with the Alaunt Veantre. The heavier mastiff variety, known as the Alaunt de Boucherie, was crucial is the development of the fighting and baiting dogs of France. The process was repeated in other countries, such as England which already had very large Mastiffs and these were crossed with the Alaunt to create the bulldog. Spain has  a remnant Alaunt population called the Alano, see WEB vs Alano, and was known as the Bullenbeisser in Germany which was crossed with white bulldogs from England to create the Boxer."  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  right: An early Spanish Alano, an intermediate Mastiff, or Alaunt of the Butcherie; beside a light mastiff, or Alaunt Gentil, a sighthound.

So we've established that the Alaunt was a mastiff of 3 types. From each of these Alaunt types, new breeds arose. It is the Alaunt of the butcherie that the "Mastiffs" as we know them sprang from. It is also the Alaunt of the Butcherie that bull-breeds arose. Basically, Mastiffs and Bulldogs derive from one common ancestor; the Alaunt of the Butcherie. This is true in most all of Europe, not just England. The French, Germans, Spanish, Portuguese, and the English had their own "types" of mastiffs as well as bull-breeds; and all descending from the ancient Alaunt, specifically the heavy Alaunt, the Alaunt of the Butcherie, (large dog of the butcher), as the French called them. They went also by names such as the Butcher's dog in England, Perro del Torro, (dog of the bull), in Spain, Bullenbeisser, (bull-biter), in Germany. Even the Germans had 3 types for their mastiffs / bulldogs, as did most of Europe. In Germany, "The Brabanter Bullenbeisser was the smallest of these dogs, the Bullenbeisser, (Ox/Bull biter), the medium sized, and the Barenbeisser, (bear-biter), and Danziger Bullenbeisser was even called Danziger Barenbeisser.  Molosserworld

"The Bullmastiff is said to be a cross of the mastiff and bulldog. In his book Dogs of the British Islands of 1878, Stonehenge writes, "The proportion of bull ought to be small, not exceeding one-eighth...a much worst strain in the pedigree of the mastiff is the cross with the bloodhound..."  Col. David Hancock  Now the bloodhound is descended from the Alaunt Veantre, also obviously an Alaunt, yet of another type. The mastiff and bulldog both descend from the one type of Alaunt, the Alaunt of the Butcher. With this common ancestor, the crossing or blending works to a great advantage, whereas crossing in a different type, the bloodhound / Alaunt Veantre, does not work, allowing the genotype of the bloodhound, or Veantre type, to become a recessive ticking time-bomb, giving rise not only to immediate effects and or defects but flaws in type and ultimately in function. "For my own part, I feel that the Mastiff and the Bulldog have sprung from a common origin. The attributes which they still have in common, after so many years of breeding towards opposite points, strengthens me in this belief."   British Dogs by Dalziel 1888 

The mastiff and bulldog was at one time in history the same dog. "By crossing, then, the bulldog with the mastiff, we merely combine two breeds which a century ago were identical." Captain Gamier as quoted by Stonehenge  "In the mid to late nineteenth century, writers such as "Idstone" and "Stonehenge", influential then and now, continued the trend of always referring to this intermediate lighter broad-mouthed dog as a mastiff-bulldog blend and never as a breed-type in its own right. By 1886, Stonehenge was writing in his Dogs of the British Islands, in connection with the Bulldog: ...'the crosses in which he has been used are now established.' Fanciiers of the grosse bullenbeisser on the European mainland would have laughed at such a revelation; there never was a clear distinction between Mastiffs and Bulldogs except by way of size and head. The intermediate form, called the grosse bullenbeisser for centuries, called here the bull and mastiff then the keeper's nightdog and now the bullmastiff, has long been here."  Col. David Hancock   The English are said to have "developed" the bullmastiff. The three English Mastiff types are today, the Mastiff, (the largest), Bullmastiff, (the intermediate), and the Bulldog, (the smallest). "Writers (of the Victorian era), did not have the knowledge to describe three acknowledged forms of mastiff-type dogs: the large (and heavy), mastiff, the intermediate, lighter squarer-jawed dog, and the smaller more heavy headed bulldog."  Col. David Hancock   Even the Germans had 3 types for their mastiffs / bulldogs, as did most of Europe. 

"The Dogue de Bordeaux developed in France, the Bullenbeiser in Germany, the Brabanter Bullenbijter and the Niederlandisher Bolibeisser in the low countries, the Danziger Bahrenbeisser in eastern Europe, the Neapolitan Mastiff and the Cane Corso in Italy, the Perro de Pressa Canario and the Perro de Presa Mallorquin in the Spanish Islands and in due course the Tosa in Japan, the Bajan Biting Dog in the West Indies, the Gran Mastini de Borinquen in Puerto Rico, the Fila Braseleiro in South America and the Boerboel in South Africa. The Cuban Bloodhound had distinct broad-mouthed features and probably descended from the Perros de Presa of the conquistadores." Col. David Hancock

In Germany, "The Brabanter Bullenbeisser was the smallest of these dogs, the Bullenbeisser, (Ox/Bull biter), the medium sized, and the Barenbeisser, (bear-biter), and Danziger Bullenbeisser was even called Danziger Barenbeisser.  Molosserworld The Bullenbeisser was a medium size dog, heavy built, sometimes with clipped ears and tail. The Brabanters were the smaller of the two and was bred and trained to hold in check the fierce aurochs, a wild progenitor of domestic cattle and to obtain a grip on the nose that he held tight, pending the hunter's arrival. An early 1800's German writer wrote that these dogs were hunting and baiting bears, makes good watchdogs, had short noses with black muzzles, protruding lower jaws and was black and yellow striped in colour. In Spain, there was the Spanish Mastiff, (Mastin espanol and the largest), the Alano, (Alano Espanol and the middle sized), and the Perro del Torro de Espana, (Spanish Bulldog, a slightly smaller, yet thicker dog; as was also true of the German and English dogs). *It should be noted that while closely related to the Spanish Bulldog, the Alano is not the same breed, as some might think.*" reference   "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  The Alano is the Spanish "version" of the English Bullmastiff and the German Bullenbeisser. It is very interesting to note that the Alano, Bullmastiff, and the Bullenbeisser all fall between the other two types of each countries respective "mastiff" types; i.e. the medium sized mastiff.  

The Dogue de Bordeaux is the French Mastiff. The Dogue's history is believed to predate the Bullmastiff and the Bulldog. It is said that the Dogue can be found in the background of the Bullmastiff, and others claim the the Dogue and the Bullmastiff breeds were both being accomplished at the same time. Some believe that the Bulldog is the building block of the Dogue, and again, another group believes that the Bulldog was used in the breeding programs further down the line. We do know the Dogue de Bordeaux was used as a guardian, a hunter, and a fighter.  They were trained to bait bulls, bears, and jaguars; hunt boars; heard cattle; and protect the homes, butchershops and vineyards of their masters. There are notions that the Dogue has ties to the Alano, an extinct dog of Spain, similar in many ways to the Bordeaux. It is said that this dog was brought to Europe by the Alans, an Oriental tribe. Dr. Raymond Triquet is quoted as saying: "It is often said that the common stem of all European Dogues was a big dog coming from the confines of India and China, more than 3000 years ago, and by stages would have gone from Thibet to Mesopotamia, there, where begins the history of men, then to Epire, small kingdom of ancient Molosse; then to Rome and from there to Gaule. He would have made this long journey by the side of conquerors, warriors, and merchants. There were three styles of Dogue at this time, (1883), the Toulouse, the Paris, and the Bordeaux.  Our modern Dogue is a mixture of these different types, but is primarily Bordeaux. The Toulouse was a Dogue that had almost every color in its coat, a fawnish tiger (a light brindle perhaps), with a longer body and smaller bones.  Dogues in Paris had a scissors bite, while others had a undershot of almost one inch.  Finally the breeders came together and decided upon the undershot, which is today's standard. One type of mastiff in France was called the Dogues or Doguin d'Aquitaine, which existed in the early fourteenth century and was bred for fighting other big animals (bears, boars etc). There were several variations of the Doguin d'Aquitaine, depending on the region and the jobs they needed to accomplish. As a result, their general appearance was inconsistent. There were various colors and varieties of coat, different jaw/bite patterns (undershot and overshot), and other slight variations. For the most part, however, these dogs were similar in body structure, weight and size. Eventually one type emerged as the preferred dog, "the Butcher's dog" that were used to protect the meat shops and were highly coveted by the French noblemen and wealthy families as guardians. Since the 1400s the DdB has had many jobs: Herding cattle, flock guarding, animal baiting etc. Powerful and surprisingly athletic, the Dogue de Bordeaux makes an excellent guardian. There are contradicting reports that this large dog first existed in Spain as the Alano, an extinct dog whose description resembles today's Dogue de Bordeaux. The Alano was supposedly brought to Europe by the Alans, an Oriental tribe.

"It is better to have a very large animal, whose growls alone are somewhat terrifying, and whose size is bound to impose respect. At the same time, growling is not sufficient; the dog must be able and willing at any time to go in at a nod from his master, and he must take his death, if necessary, when called upon to protect him." Training a Keeper's Night Dog from Dog Training by Wildfowler 1915  The Keeper's night dog was a bullmastiff, which according to Stonehenge, "The proportion of bull ought to be small, not exceeding one-eighth...a much worst strain in the pedigree of the mastiff is the cross with the bloodhound...". He is describing the character of the Bullmastiff of the time, the night keeper's dog. This bullmastiff was a standard dog, larger than the bulldog yet smaller than the mastiff, lacking the pendulous lips and short muzzles, evidence of the greater proportion of mastiff than bulldog. (see picture at right) The Alano was a standard dog, lacking the pendulous lips and short muzzles, larger than the bulldog yet smaller than the mastiff, showing closer type to the mastiff than bulldog.  The Bullenbeisser was a more standard dog than the Brabant Bullenbeiser, lacking the pendulous lips and short muzzles, larger than the Brabant yet smaller than the Danziger Barenbeisser. The WEB is an intermediatel; while showing little of the aggressive "bulldog" character. The mastiffs were and are a calmer type than the bulldog type. The Mastiff will rarely bark, but will defend it's territory and family. The breed is confident, dignified, and gentle-natured. "He seems conscious of his own strength, power and authority and will seldom condescend to lower his dignity by servile fawning, while he appears to consider his services as befitting a trust of the highest importance."  The Field Book; London 1833   "...there is probably no variety of the species which combines so much strength and power of doing mischief with such docility and amiability. The WEB is an intermediate type between Mastiff and a bulldog, though more often showing more mastiff character as well as form. The WEB is a standard dog larger than the bulldog yet smaller than the mastiff, lacking the pendulous lips and short mn a muzzles. The WEB displays the character of the mastiff and bullmastiff as, and hence he is, par excellence, the keeper's dog...every one of experience know that many keeper's dogs, which are fully half bull, are perfectly under control even with severe provocation..."   Dogs of the British Islands of 1878 Stonehenge  This last quote is an exact description of the character of the WEB, specifically, "perfectly under control even with severe provocation...."  These few words define the WEB and is one of the most significant attributes that sets the WEB so far apart from the AB, this cannot be said with any truth in respect to the majority of ABs being bred today. 

The intermediate mastiff types were said to posses "squarer-jaw", while the smaller bulldog was more "heavy headed". This "heavy head" refers to the oversized, somewhat round head that is often disproportionate to the rest of the body of the bulldog, past and present. The bulldogs of England and Spain were and are the smallest of the Alaunt of the Butcherie. They posses the heavy head or round head as do the modern ABs. The WEB possess the "squarer-jaw", while the smaller bulldog was more "heavy headed". The WEB is much more closely related to the intermediate mastiff of varying countries as described by writers of the times. The form and function of these old intermediate mastiffs, specifically the Alano of Spain, fits the form and function as well as temperament and overall character of the WEB. Based on the overwhelming evidence that we've uncovered during our many years of research, it is our firm belief that the WEB is an intermediate mastiff, retaining more of the mastiff character than that of the bulldog. It is also our stand that the WEB is very closely related to the Spanish Alano, the breed acknowledged by Alano breeders and historians, both past and present, and that have been documented as the dogs brought by the Spanish Conquistadores during their conquest of the new world. The first regions of the conquest consisted of Cuba, Florida, and Georgia. 

The character of the WEB as compared to that of the Spanish Alano is one in the same. Remember that the Alano is the intermediate, "squarer-jawed" mastiff of Spain.  Modern Alano breeders describe the character of the Alano, "I realize that we are dealing with an extremely specialized animal. Its primary identity is reinforced by its features: feline in movement, with yellow eyes observing upward from below, almost evil-looking but at the same time captivating, suggesting an unforeseeable mood: I would never try to predict the intentions of an Alano I did not know. They are intuitive and intelligent in their work, calibrating their strengths although without previous experience. Subsequent captures corroborated my opinion regarding the intelligent manner in which these dogs work: biting in places chosen to avoid harm, applying just enough force, refraining from the traditional shaking of the head so typical in other breeds and that only serves to cause unnecessary exhaustion when facing cows weighing so much more, as well as being undesirable for the rancher who tries to avoid hurting his calves, and finally, the very rapid recuperation both physical and psychological.

But all of this tranquility changes abruptly when his territory is invaded. If you run with him, he adapts to your pace without the slightest sign of tiring. All of these characteristics spring from his ties to the rural background, where a dog is needed that respects the challenges of the farm animals, including its companions - with whom he'll have to work as a team. A dog that obeys exclusively his master's voice, that is sufficiently adjusted so as to release its prey on command, that has the physical ability and the temperament to endure hard work with minimum effort; a dog that, in summary, is capable of living with little pampering, and that knows how to dodge the hostilities of who can be his best friend or worst enemy: man."

BY JAVIER PARRA GORDILLO

The character of the Alano is one and the same as that of the WEB!!  As well as it's functions and the settings the dogs are used in; livestock farms.

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