Alano Espanol Information & Dog Breed Facts

The Alano Español can trace its origins as far back as the 5^th century. The breed is thought to be descended from dogs that were brought to Spain, after the Roman Empire fell, by the nomadic Iranian tribes, who called themselves Alani, hence the breed’s name.

The Alano Español is also known as the Spanish Bulldog. The breed was traditionally used for all kinds of purposes, including herding wild cattle, bullbaiting, hunting, guarding, and holding deer and wild boar. Molosser types of dogs, just like the Alano Español, have traveled with the Spanish explorers and were also employed by the army forces during wars. The dogs require a lot of mental stimulation and exercise because they were developed to best suited to the rural environment. The breed became dominant and widespread in the Iberian Peninsula, and in the countries nearby. The first written reference and depiction of the Alano Español was written in the middle of the 1500s, by Alfonso XI, the ruler of Castile, Galicia, and Leon. He wrote about the bravery, and about the breed’s beautiful physical appearance in the Libro de la Montería de Alfonso XI, the Book of the Hunt by Alfonso XI in English.

By the 19^th century, the Alano Español became a well-esteemed companion for the nobility too in Europe. In 1816, etching made by Francisco Goya, in his series on La Tauromaquia, depicted the breed in the bullfighting rings, as they were used. This artwork clearly indicated that the dogs’ ears are uncropped, thus they were only used for bull-fighting purposes, not for dogfighting. Later in the 1880s, bullfighting was made illegal, thus the Alano Español’s population numbers started to decrease, and the dogs’ duties and works also transformed a lot. Even though the breed’s popular role got banned over time, many specimens remained in the rural countryside in Spain and in Portugal working on farms as herding dogs. By 1963, the Alano Español was considered practically extinct. However, during the early 1980s, a group of Alano Español enthusiasts made serious efforts working towards the goal of discovering and studying the exact demographic situation of the breed. During the studies, they learned that many specimens disappeared from Spanish ranches and farms, and from the wild boar hunting expeditions.

However, the search had proven to be a great success, for the reason that they found a couple of dogs in Castille, and in Extremadura, moreover, a stable and large population consisting of about 300 Alano Españols in the Encartaciones Valley in the northern part of Spain. This discovery was unique in the sense that these specimens were the same Alano Español dogs that had been used for centuries to handle and herd the half-wild cattle. The restoration of the breed began with these Alano Español specimens. The Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Cordoba analyzed and studies their DNA in order to ensure the authenticity of the breed. Eventually, the breed standard got restored, and the Alano Español was saved from the brink of extinction. Nowadays, the breed is mostly used for hunting and herding cattle. The breed still depends on its own legendary powerful bite during work. The dog's jaw became legendary because of the fact that it can extend the grip back to molars steadily and maintain the bite for a long period of time, yet also released on command. The Alano Español can also be a great family companion if trained and socialized properly from a young age.