The Alano Espanol

The Alano is a very ancient breed. There are several theories concerning it's origin. Most people relate today's Spanish Alanos to the dogs the Alanos (Alans) brought with them when they invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 406 AC. These dogs did not originate from any breed known today, but instead, was the ancestor of, many of the molosser breeds that are very popular today, such as Great Dane or the Dogue de Bordeaux. There used to be Alano dogs not only in Spain, but in other places across Europe invaded by the Alans, however, only in Spain have they survived for more than 1500 years until the present time. A group of Alano enthusiasts spent a lot of their time in the early 1980's working towards the goal of finding out the exact demographic situation of the Alano. The breed was never in dog shows or bred for beauty. At the time everyone thought the Alano had probably disappeared from most of the wild boar hunting expeditions and cattle ranches of Spain. Carlos Contera and his colleagues thoroughly searched all of rural Spain looking for this legendary molosser, whose decline started when its participation in bullfights was banned in 1883. The search was a success. They found a few Alanos in Extremadura (Southwest of Spain) and Castille (central plateau) but also a large and stable population of about 300 Alanos in the Encartaciones Valley in Northern Spain. These were the same Alano dogs that had been used for centuries to handle a local half wild breed of cows. The restoration of the breed started from the best of these Alanos. Their DNA was analyzed by the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Cordoba to assure their authenticity. The Spanish Alano, in the past, has been used in four basic purposes:

1) Wild or Half-wild Cattle handling.
2) Bullfights (this use was banned by the Spanish laws back in the 19th century)
3) Big-game hunting.
4) Guard and defense.
5) War

Today it is used for cattle handling and hunting only. When working, the Alano Espa�ol depends on its powerful bite, its obedience and its well-balanced personality. The grip of the Alano Espa�ol's jaw has become legendary. It is extremely effective not only because the dogs bite using the whole jaw, extending the grip back to the molars, steadily and maintaining it for a long time, but also because they will release the prey when they are told to do so. The release is as important as the holding when working with the dogs. Some of the Alano's talents include herding, hunting, tracking, watchdogging, guarding, police work, Schutzhund, weight pulling, competitive obedience and agility.

The Alano Espa�ol is a molosser (a large sturdy dog whose origins are in Molossia). It has a primitive appearance whose general physiology fits him specially well for running at high speeds for long periods of time and firmly holding wild game or cattle for a long time when ordered. With a well proportioned body structure, the rib cage is arched, not cylindrical, the chest reaches the elbows level, with strong and solid shoulders and withers. The front legs are stronger than the back ones, and are straight whether viewed from the front or from the side. The paws are generally much larger than those of other dogs of the same size and weight. The profile of the Alano's backbone outline is slightly ascending towards the back end or, at least, straight, but not descending. The muscles in the hindquarters are well developed and the back legs show very well defined angles ending in strong feet. The tail is thicker at the base tapering to a point and is never cropped because it is used as a rudder in the dogs sharp turns and dribbles when hunting or working with half-wild or wild cattle. When the tail is carried low, none of its length rest against the dogs hind area. The belly is retracted inwards giving him a more athletic appearance than other heavier molosser breeds. The neck is strong, powerful and wide, showing two double chins that should never hang to low. His head is brachycephalic (Bulldog type) in shape, squared in appearance and with a serious expression. The muzzle is wide and represents approximately 35% of the total length of the head, with a vertical stop. The nose is large, wide and black with open nostrils. The ears are usually cropped, slightly rounded at the tip. Uncropped ears are medium in size and carried folded over the face. The Alano has very powerful jaws. The teeth are wide, well separated from each other with a very strong and firm scissors bite or inverted scissors bite. An under-bite is allowed if it is 2 mm or less. When walking the Alano has the stride of a sly panther, because of its habit of carrying his head low, slightly and slowly bouncing it from side to side making its strong shoulders more visible. Alanos are tireless molossers that can maintain a constant, graceful, agile trot for a long time. When galloping, they are fast and flexible, fully stretching in and out their whole body in each step. Sorting obstacles with enormous agility, making it look as if they will never get tired even if they were required to maintain the gallop for miles. Coat colors include yellow and wolf gray, fawns and reds (in either light or dark tones), with or without tigering (brindling) and or black mask. Black & tan-always with tigering on the tan markings which is described in the Spanish standard as "negro y atigrado" translating as black & tigered. White markings are allowed, but only on the snout, neck and chest, lower legs, belly and at the tip of the tail, the white should never predominate the body.

The temperament of the Alano is very dominant and serious but very controllable by his master, acting submissively towards him/her. This breed is very affectionate with the family and people they know. It is also extremely patient and good with children. They are reliable, stable, very obedient and bark very little. However, the Alano will watch strangers with suspicion, attacking with little warning, only when the situation requires it. When holding wild animals with it's jaws, regardless of the size, nature, or aggressiveness of the animal, the Alano totally ignores feelings like pain or fear and will not surrender until he is told to do so or until he achieves the orders given. The Alano will fight to the death to follow orders, fighting the wild boar or the bull until the end. They are a fearless, loyal, devoted, hard worker. Well-balanced & stable, self-confidant with a very high pain threshold. Powerful and protective, but not aggressive. These characteristics of the breed are not fully apparent until the animal reaches full maturity, which usually happens when the dog reaches 2 1/2 years old or older. Because this breed is bred to function in packs as a team, he is good and sociable around other dogs. Enjoying a good romp, playing and just having fun. However, the Alano will not back down if challenged by them. The Alano Espa�ol, like all mastiff type breeds, should have a dominant owner. They can climb trees with amazing cat-like agility and are capable of leaping to great heights from a stand-still position. The Alano can be difficult to housebreak, which makes this breed best as an outside dog. Male Alano puppies tend to chew and be more destructive than female Alano puppies.