"The Alani were
a people of Asiatic, Sarmatia, or Tartary, living in the valleys of the ancient
Caucasus."
The History of the Mastiff, Wynn, 1886
"Another purpose for which the Romans needed exceptionally powerful and intelligent dogs was for the use in the livestock provisioning camps which served as adjuncts to the numerous military posts set up throughout the far reaches of their empire."
The New Complete Great Pyreenes, Paul Strang
In point of fact, the use of LGDs in warfare is very ancient...
"Its canine lineage is most assuredly mastiff, as it derives from crossing the most formidable of Turkish guard dogs, most of whom were of mastiff descent."
(Anatolian Shepherd Dogs) Canine Lexicon
The Roman War Dogs were imported from various countries, and from various Nomadic Shepherd/Herdsmen Tribes....
"They passed among the Greeks and Latins as barbarians, and joined by the savage hordes of Scythia, under the names of Huns, Goths, Vandals, Alans, Etc., in the third and fourth centuries they runied the empire. The Samrmations usually lived in the mountains without any habitation except their chariots, and existed by plunder and the milk of their flocks."
The History of the Mastiff, Wynn, 1886
With their chariots/waggons their homes on the Open Range of Euro-Asia, intercrosses of their Shepherd Dogs with stationary Mastiffs/LGDs created a Land Race. Because of the vast intercrosses, there is no ancient pure breed of Mastiffs/LGDs. For example, the Ossations of Georgia are decendant of the Alans, and no doubt, their Alaunts were obsourbed into COs. The Spanish/Portugese Empire of America also required livestock....
"These divisions were based on size, coat coloration, and use: by tradition, light-colored mastiffs were used to guard flocks, in the belief that they would not scare the sheep, and dark-colored ones to guard homes and to fight, because they terrorized people. They were not 'breeds,' as they are known today, divided by registries and close adherence to standards."
A Dog's History of America, Derr
White War Dogs were an easy target on the battlefeilds, unless under camo of snow. These white Mastiffs, aka Shepherd's Mastiffs/Mountain Mastiffs were LGDs....
"He recognized them as the mountain mastiff brought from Spain, primarily by the priests, at the time of the Conquests and said they would as easily attack and kill wolves, bears, and marauding dogs - then, as now, the most prolific killers of sheep."
A Dog's History of America, Mark Derr
Remnants of these Mastiffs are still used to guard livestock on farms in South USA, although often called Bulldogs for their use as Fighting Dogs of wolves, bears, and marauding dogs. This ability to fight is why Fighting Dogs of America are called Pit Bulls....
"Its current use as a fighting dog is not primarily as a pit dog, although there are scattered reports of occasional staged matches between American (Pit) Bull Terriers and American Pit Bull Dogs. Instead these dogs are used in the South, where breeders see a need for a powerful, aggressive dog to aid in the slaughter of packs of wild dogs that cause damage to livestock."
The World of Fighting Dogs, Dr Carl Semencic, 1984
Bulldogs are often touted for a multitude of funtional use, as are any good Mastiffs/LGDs....
"Although the original work of the Great Pyrenees was to protect livestock, the breed is highly adaptable and can be used for nearly anything."
The New Complete Great Pyreenes, Paul Strang
LGDs, like The Middle Asian Ovtcharka and the Kuvasz are used for Hunting Big Game....
"He is well adapteted to the heat and scarce water conditions of Central Asia. Because of his strenth and bravery he is sometimes used in hunting boar or snow leopards."
The Atlas of Dog Breeds of the World
"Hunting, however, was never this Hungarian working dog's primary funtion. In Hungary, the Kuvasz is the formost guardian of flocks. Its size and strength, which were advantages in its boar-battling days, were equally applicable to its role as flock guardian."
Canine Lexicon
The Kuvasz is belived by some to be decended from the War Dogs of Attila the Hun, intercrossed with the original Shepherd Dogs of Hungary. Bulldogs of America were developed from various intercrosses of imports, and is why such a vast variation exists today, however, the very old white type Bulldogs called Old White English are still mainly used as LGDs....
"Still another ancient document, found in the archives at Fuxeennes, related that in 1391, following a treaty of succession to Gaston Phobues, Comte de Foix, King Charles VI decided to go pay a visit to his cousin who was waiting for him in his castle at Mazeres:
Before getting to Mazeres the King rode through a region stocked with huge white cattle wearing silver bells about their necks. Knights disguised as shepherds were running in all directions trying to get the herd out of the way. Enormous mountain dogs with thick long coats were engaged in helping them. Suddenly a bull charged the King! One of the shepherds attempted to catch it by the horns and pull it to the ground, whilst the dogs, hanging onto its ears, dragged it back to the herd and so saved the King!
The New Complete Great Pyrenees, Paul Strang
Gaston Phobues also wrote of the three types of Alaunts of both sides of the Pyrenees. A Nombleman, he enjoyed to hunt of wild boar and bear. Any Mastiff/LGD that fights these predators to guard livestock and shepherds/herdsmen and even Kings, like King Charles VI of the 14th century and King Matthis I of Hungary in the 15th century, are useful on the hunt to fight. Crosses with Hunting Dogs created the Hunting Mastiffs/Alaunts, used also to hunt man by Spain/Portugal in the New World. These Man Hunters were basic crosses of the Irish Greyhounds, used to hunt Big Game, and decending from the Celtic War Dogs that took horse by nose in battle. This gave us the terms Presa/Fila as Holding Dogs aka Bulldogs of South USA....
"They are large, noble, handsome, remarkably quiet, patient, till really provoked, but then truly formidable, their hair standing errect, and they never quit their hold but with certain destruction. They are white, or white with a few black or brown spots."
Gough, 1789 (Irish Wolfhound)
The Irish Greyhounds were also used as Shepherd Dogs of cattle - giving us the term Bulldog for a breed used to fight packs of wild dogs to guard livestock. Other preditor included are wild cats, wild boar, bear, and even man...
"Since sighthounds, mastiffs and flock-guards dogs accompanied these Oriental migrations, all could have contributed to the gene pool."
(Akbash) The Atlas of Dog Breeds of the World
Sighthounds of the Middle East are used to hunt/catch game, including wild boar, as are Greyhounds of Europe....
www.greyhoundinfo.org/?page_id=22
Since Irish Greyhounds (see De Soto's Greyhound from Ireland), Mastiffs (Mountain Mastiffs/Shepherd's Mastiffs and Alanos), and other Flock Guards accompanied the European migrations to America, all could have contributed to the gene pool of the early Bulldogs. Later, crosses of Boxer, Bullmastiff, EBs, St Bernard, etc... gave rise to modern American Bulldogs sold around the world, under the guise of a cover story invented by JD Johnson, that White English were some pure breed from England. See the history of the English Shepherd and English Coonhounds also developed in America.
The History of the Mastiff, Wynn, 1886
"Another purpose for which the Romans needed exceptionally powerful and intelligent dogs was for the use in the livestock provisioning camps which served as adjuncts to the numerous military posts set up throughout the far reaches of their empire."
The New Complete Great Pyreenes, Paul Strang
In point of fact, the use of LGDs in warfare is very ancient...
"Its canine lineage is most assuredly mastiff, as it derives from crossing the most formidable of Turkish guard dogs, most of whom were of mastiff descent."
(Anatolian Shepherd Dogs) Canine Lexicon
The Roman War Dogs were imported from various countries, and from various Nomadic Shepherd/Herdsmen Tribes....
"They passed among the Greeks and Latins as barbarians, and joined by the savage hordes of Scythia, under the names of Huns, Goths, Vandals, Alans, Etc., in the third and fourth centuries they runied the empire. The Samrmations usually lived in the mountains without any habitation except their chariots, and existed by plunder and the milk of their flocks."
The History of the Mastiff, Wynn, 1886
With their chariots/waggons their homes on the Open Range of Euro-Asia, intercrosses of their Shepherd Dogs with stationary Mastiffs/LGDs created a Land Race. Because of the vast intercrosses, there is no ancient pure breed of Mastiffs/LGDs. For example, the Ossations of Georgia are decendant of the Alans, and no doubt, their Alaunts were obsourbed into COs. The Spanish/Portugese Empire of America also required livestock....
"These divisions were based on size, coat coloration, and use: by tradition, light-colored mastiffs were used to guard flocks, in the belief that they would not scare the sheep, and dark-colored ones to guard homes and to fight, because they terrorized people. They were not 'breeds,' as they are known today, divided by registries and close adherence to standards."
A Dog's History of America, Derr
White War Dogs were an easy target on the battlefeilds, unless under camo of snow. These white Mastiffs, aka Shepherd's Mastiffs/Mountain Mastiffs were LGDs....
"He recognized them as the mountain mastiff brought from Spain, primarily by the priests, at the time of the Conquests and said they would as easily attack and kill wolves, bears, and marauding dogs - then, as now, the most prolific killers of sheep."
A Dog's History of America, Mark Derr
Remnants of these Mastiffs are still used to guard livestock on farms in South USA, although often called Bulldogs for their use as Fighting Dogs of wolves, bears, and marauding dogs. This ability to fight is why Fighting Dogs of America are called Pit Bulls....
"Its current use as a fighting dog is not primarily as a pit dog, although there are scattered reports of occasional staged matches between American (Pit) Bull Terriers and American Pit Bull Dogs. Instead these dogs are used in the South, where breeders see a need for a powerful, aggressive dog to aid in the slaughter of packs of wild dogs that cause damage to livestock."
The World of Fighting Dogs, Dr Carl Semencic, 1984
Bulldogs are often touted for a multitude of funtional use, as are any good Mastiffs/LGDs....
"Although the original work of the Great Pyrenees was to protect livestock, the breed is highly adaptable and can be used for nearly anything."
The New Complete Great Pyreenes, Paul Strang
LGDs, like The Middle Asian Ovtcharka and the Kuvasz are used for Hunting Big Game....
"He is well adapteted to the heat and scarce water conditions of Central Asia. Because of his strenth and bravery he is sometimes used in hunting boar or snow leopards."
The Atlas of Dog Breeds of the World
"Hunting, however, was never this Hungarian working dog's primary funtion. In Hungary, the Kuvasz is the formost guardian of flocks. Its size and strength, which were advantages in its boar-battling days, were equally applicable to its role as flock guardian."
Canine Lexicon
The Kuvasz is belived by some to be decended from the War Dogs of Attila the Hun, intercrossed with the original Shepherd Dogs of Hungary. Bulldogs of America were developed from various intercrosses of imports, and is why such a vast variation exists today, however, the very old white type Bulldogs called Old White English are still mainly used as LGDs....
"Still another ancient document, found in the archives at Fuxeennes, related that in 1391, following a treaty of succession to Gaston Phobues, Comte de Foix, King Charles VI decided to go pay a visit to his cousin who was waiting for him in his castle at Mazeres:
Before getting to Mazeres the King rode through a region stocked with huge white cattle wearing silver bells about their necks. Knights disguised as shepherds were running in all directions trying to get the herd out of the way. Enormous mountain dogs with thick long coats were engaged in helping them. Suddenly a bull charged the King! One of the shepherds attempted to catch it by the horns and pull it to the ground, whilst the dogs, hanging onto its ears, dragged it back to the herd and so saved the King!
The New Complete Great Pyrenees, Paul Strang
Gaston Phobues also wrote of the three types of Alaunts of both sides of the Pyrenees. A Nombleman, he enjoyed to hunt of wild boar and bear. Any Mastiff/LGD that fights these predators to guard livestock and shepherds/herdsmen and even Kings, like King Charles VI of the 14th century and King Matthis I of Hungary in the 15th century, are useful on the hunt to fight. Crosses with Hunting Dogs created the Hunting Mastiffs/Alaunts, used also to hunt man by Spain/Portugal in the New World. These Man Hunters were basic crosses of the Irish Greyhounds, used to hunt Big Game, and decending from the Celtic War Dogs that took horse by nose in battle. This gave us the terms Presa/Fila as Holding Dogs aka Bulldogs of South USA....
"They are large, noble, handsome, remarkably quiet, patient, till really provoked, but then truly formidable, their hair standing errect, and they never quit their hold but with certain destruction. They are white, or white with a few black or brown spots."
Gough, 1789 (Irish Wolfhound)
The Irish Greyhounds were also used as Shepherd Dogs of cattle - giving us the term Bulldog for a breed used to fight packs of wild dogs to guard livestock. Other preditor included are wild cats, wild boar, bear, and even man...
"Since sighthounds, mastiffs and flock-guards dogs accompanied these Oriental migrations, all could have contributed to the gene pool."
(Akbash) The Atlas of Dog Breeds of the World
Sighthounds of the Middle East are used to hunt/catch game, including wild boar, as are Greyhounds of Europe....
www.greyhoundinfo.org/?page_id=22
Since Irish Greyhounds (see De Soto's Greyhound from Ireland), Mastiffs (Mountain Mastiffs/Shepherd's Mastiffs and Alanos), and other Flock Guards accompanied the European migrations to America, all could have contributed to the gene pool of the early Bulldogs. Later, crosses of Boxer, Bullmastiff, EBs, St Bernard, etc... gave rise to modern American Bulldogs sold around the world, under the guise of a cover story invented by JD Johnson, that White English were some pure breed from England. See the history of the English Shepherd and English Coonhounds also developed in America.