The Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog

In December of 2007, at the request of Al Walker of the Animal Research Foundation, we launched an extensive ongoing investigation into the origins of the ABBB. We at the WEBPS feel it necessary to include this information concerning the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog on our site in order to provide a more complete picture of the WEB.

"The Alapaha is not the same dog as the American Bulldog and not to be confused with them or to be crossed with them." Lana Lou Lane

Our first step was to contact John Conner, Lana's breeding partner. My family and I have known John for years; he is a neighbor, close personal friend, and as well, is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to dogs. You have to know a little bit about Johnny before I continue. He has lived his life here in Hawkinsville, Georgia, just an hour's drive from Rebecca. He graduated from high school here and most importantly to this investigation, he grew up with the WEB. His father, Curtis Conner bred and raised them and as a result, Johnny has first hand knowledge and experience of what a true WEB is and what isn't. He has what we at the WEBPS call a solid reference point that only growing up with the WEB can provide. I have heard his many memories of Lana over the years. According to John, she was a real character, somewhat of a rogue, hard-headed and very argumentative. He has spoken of many disagreements the two had, usually about breeding. She may or may not have entertained him or others with questions, yet do as she pleased in the end.

Curtis Conner interview

John Conner interview

Johnny supplied me with a shoebox full of pictures containing well over a hundred photos of many of his father's dogs. The dogs in the photos were WEBs. There were a handful from more recent years that were ABBBs, specifically, one of his best sires, Toby. Clearly seen here are the physical differences of the WEB and the ABBB, specifically the head type.

We must first look back at "Otto", Lana's grandfather's dog, and her inspiration behind the Alapaha. From the photo provided by Lana, and as is presented on her video, Otto was an all white dog that lived during the 1940's in rural south-central Georgia. The accounts of Otto that Lana gives in the first page of her brochure, describe the character of a WEB perfectly. "Very protective of their property, that being whatever their master instructed them as theirs to keep guard over. They were very possessive of their 'family'; also highly intelligent and easily trained." 'They get along well with other dogs. They only show aggression when it's for defense. The ABBB does not have to be restrained with a log chain around it's neck, after all, what good are they for protection to you if they are chained?' Lana Lou Lane A perfect description of a CWE! We know the original "Ottos" were White English Bulldogs. The descriptions of Lana's describe WEBs. The dogs are not kept on chains like the original Pit Bulldogs and even two males can work together. "The Alapaha is a true breed of plantation dogs found only in a 75 - 100 mile radius of South Georgia." Lana Lou Lane Not only did Lana use the White English Bulldog but more specifically she used the Carr White English Bulldog. Lana Lou Lane stated that the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog derived from the Alapaha River Region and more specifically dogs within a 75 to 100 mile radius of Rebecca Georgia. What Lana was telling the world was that her dogs had come from a specific geographic location! However, Lana didn't want to give the whole secret away by telling exactly the location of the origins of her foundation stock. As other breeders would try to duplicate what she was doing in her new breed development. Mr. Jake Carr lived in Hawkinsville, Georgia and bred White English Bulldogs for over eighty years and this location is within the radius Lana specified in her brochure. The photo of Otto shows him to in-fact be a WEB. The photo on the inside of the first page of her brochure is in-fact a WEB. These rural southern farm bulldogs were and still are in-fact WEBs. They were and still are referred to as White English, Old English Whites, or 'bulldogs'. The photo at left is a vintage photo taken IN ALAPAHA, GEORGIA in 1923 of a man with his 'bulldog'. This is a WEB! What was and still is native to this 75-100 radius.

The ABBB is a relatively new breed, despite Lana's history of them. The information she provides about the ABBB is actually what she knew to be true of the WEB, as she had only begun developing the ABBB and had no dogs of any consistency to base her information on. To understand this; first you must understand some of Lana's background. Her father as well as grandfather, (Papa Buck), bred WEBs, not as breeders but to always keep one around. This was and still is a common practice in the south. "My granddaddy, Papa Buck Lane, always had an 'Otto'. " Lana Lou Lane

The Carr family, residing within this 75-100 mile radius, were no different than this, they were simply known to have the best WEBs around. Many of the local farmers and ranchers would seek out stock mainly from the Carr family and breed accordingly, therefore all WEBs in the local area either descend from or are kept pure Carr. "Most all WEBs in this area trace back to Mr. Jake Carr." John Conner Lana's mother, Mrs. Vivian, raised Colby Pits. According to John Conner; in 1986, Lana had a WEB and Colby cross that accidentally got bred by a neighbor's Catahoula. This WEB and Colby cross was in-fact Roseanna. (I have several handwritten pedigrees on Marcelle IN LANA's HAND, showing TWO, (2), different sires for Marcelle, who was the result of this breeding.) The resulting pups were beautifully colored that sold very quickly. Lana capitalized on this and began producing these dogs on a regular basis. They could not be sold locally as WEBs, as locals knew the difference, rather, they had to be sold under another name; thus the advent of the Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog. Indeed, Otto was not an ABBB at all, but a WEB. It wasn't until the accidental crossing of the Catahoula with a WEB and Colby cross that the ABBB first began in 1986. Lana never crossed ANY "original ABBB" with other breeds as the ABBB did not yet exist. She developed the ABBB from the WEB, Colby Pit and the Catahoula Leopard Cur in the mid 1980's! In the very first sentence of her brochure, under the photo of the WEB, she states, 'The ABBB is the result of many years of effort toward rescuing an almost extinct breed, the old timey 'plantation dog' of the Alapaha River region of South Georgia.' Lana Lou Lane The old timey plantation dog she was referring to was in-fact the WEB, the dogs her PaPa Buck always had around. Also in her brochure, she points out that, 'some are solid white.' In the photo to the left with the tub full of pups, we see a litter of very inconsistent pups, with obvious throwbacks to the WEB and Catahoula. These throwbacks are the result of unrelated genes being put together. The genetics are so far removed that they do not combine to create a new type, rather, the pups are of the separate types used in the mix. Many of you with ABBB's may relate when I say that the heavily merled dogs are typically 'hotter', being more aggressive, more prey driven, more hyper, and harder to train; while the mostly or all white dogs are typically more laid back, less aggressive, and are more intuitive...all classic traits and evidence of the WEB genetics at work. She also states that 'Silver dollars are not rare.' These are quite simply, the pups with dominant genes of the Catahoula. This pup to the left could easily be mistaken for a Catahoula!!

Below are two pictures; to the far left is Lana's Dakota Connor Lane (ARF ABBB484), and the other dog is Arnold's Cody. I spoke with Ed Arnold, who is a neighbor of mine and long-time resident of Hawkinsville, (as are John and Curtis Conner, Lana's breeding partners). Ed is the brother of Marvin Arnold, the breeder of this dog Cody. Both photos are taken on the same day in the same yard. They are exactly the same dog. At the time, Arnold's Cody was NKC registered as an American Bulldog, (as the NKC did not acknowledge the WEB as a separate breed), that Lana got registered with the ARF as a purebred ABBB, by providing the ARF with the NKC American Bulldog papers. This was the advent of Lana's Dakota Conner Lane (ARF ABBB484). Below is a link to an email sent to me by Al Walker of the ARF concerning this dog and the 'mystic' surrounding her origins. Cody email.

Lana's Ike Conner (ARF ABBB483) aka John Conner's 'Ike', a full brother to Cody, above. Another female, Lana's Millie Lane (ARF ABBB485) is also a littermate to Cody and Ike. These 3 dogs were bred by Marvin Arnold of Hawkinsville, Georgia. The 'official' parents of these 3 dogs, Lana's Conner Lane (ARF ABBB481M) and Lana's Cannie Lane (ARF ABBB479M), were MERIT REGISTERED by the ARF. The 'Official Pedigrees for Cody, Ike, and Millie are FALSE!! We have obtained the true pedigrees of these dogs from the source. They are sired by CWE Rad Max-A-Million!!!! Notice the reg. numbers of the dogs above, they are consecutive: 483-484-485. We have discovered, so far, that all merit registered dogs, except Marcelle, NEVER EVEN BELONGED TO LANA!! To date, all of these merit registered dogs were actually WEBs belonging to other people that Lana purchased pups from. We have found STARTLING PROOF of the widespread use of the WEB, specifically the CWE, as a foundation for Lana's stock. We have discovered that many ARF registered dogs with Lana's name never belonged to her either, such as Lana's Frank Frankenstein Lane (ARF ABBB522) was actually a dog that belonged to John Conner, the infamous Frankenstein, and a full brother to Curtis Conner's Toby and Curtis Conner's Rock, all 3 sired by Van Shelton and out of Lana's Dakota Connor Lane (ARF ABBB484) aka Arnold's Cody!!

Thumbing through Lana's brochure: page 2 shows her grandfather, Papa Buck, directly under a photo of a WEB: Page 5 at the bottom is a photo of a Catahoula puppy: in the photo above this are three dogs in the water, (one dog facing front shows a heavy Johnson influence): The bottom of page 7 shows an ABBB watching a WEB swimming, the caption states, 'usually unrelated pairs available', (the definition of a pure breed is that the dogs are related no matter how far removed in the pedigree.): Page 12 in the center is Roseanna, according to John Conner, she was a Colby Pit: and WEB cross. Page 17 at the top is a wash tub of 5 puppies, two of the pups look to be Catahoula, a 3rd cannot be seen well, the other 2 closely resemble WEBs, (this inconsistency is a common occurrence in a crossbred litter): Page 24 is a photo of what appears to be a Johnson dog with a merle coat, it has an obvious basketball head and protruding eyes that point in opposite directions: Page 29 is a photo of Hank with a heavy Catahoula influence.

Based on previous research of the various so-called 'breeds' of bulldogs in the south that were registered and sold to the unwitting public, one look at Lana Lou Lane's brochure proves she had nothing to hide!!

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Separation of Type...Pit Dogs and Stock Dogs

These pups are littermates. The separation of type seen here is astonishing.

The pit dogs are bred for one thing...to prove the illusive trait of gameness. Stock dogs have been bred as two types for as long as any can remember. In the south, they are the Brindle Bulldog and the WEB, which have been traditionally considered and kept as separate breed types. We at the WEBPS firmly believe these two types are of Spanish origins through early imports, (1500's - 1700's). These types are the presa and ayuda. In this photo we see these two types. The obvious difference is the coat color, however, the important thing is the head types.

This is an example of genetic throwbacks, showing that all breeds are an almalgamation of breeds. These pups are in fact Pit dogs, Colby dogs from the 70's.

It is obvious that the Colby line shows strong alaunt traits. Whether this old alaunt type came through genetic throwbacks to the predecessors of the early Pit stock he imported, or whether it came from infusions of alaunt types in the southern US, Cuba, and Mexico, we may never know. These alaunt types are the presa and ayuda. In the southeast, they are the WEB and the BB. These two types are found all over Spain's 'New World'. These two types are seen in the photo of the two pups above. Despite these two types being of the Stock dog phenotype, their geneotype is a very pure Pit stock.

The history of the Colby dogs is intertwined with England's historical accounts of bulldogs, being rather one sided, as most histories are. The fact is, there was no such English word for 'bulldog' until first used in Ben Johnsons play 'The Silent Woman' in 1609, and most historians say 1631, when an Englishmen in Spain wrote home for supplies and a good mastiff dogge and two good bulldogges. In Spain, bull fighting had long been popular, and since England was under Phillip II, King of Spain, who married the Queen of England, bull fighting became popular in England. Meanwhile, in la Florida, Spain started to conquer in 1513, using Alanos, and from 1556 - 1649, Spain imported alaunts of England to Spain, Minorca, and Cuba for the arenas. In Spains historical accounts, they exported a number of Spanish type bulldogs to England, including alanos and perro de torros.

It is possible, through game testing, (a test developed for the new Pit stock), for any line to revert back to mainly alaunt / alano type, for the most part. While JP may have imported all his stock from England, Ireland and Wales, he assumed England was the original source for the wordls fighting dogs, and that these imports contained no outside blood. Other breeders, like Richard Stratton, who stated, "in any case, it is clear that dogs of this breed came from various parts of Europe, specifically Spain and Sicily", see things differently. Even in the history of the US, after the Civil War, control of our nations school history texts are of the north, with little info on southern history. People like JDJ and John Blackwell, like most everyone else, just assumed all the bulldogs in the south came from England, since this is what these history texts tell us. Heres an example of how one sided these histories are. "No country in the world can claim dogs that excel in courage and grit like the United Kingdom; indeed, many of the worlds fighting typ dogs, such as the Presa Canario, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Dogue De Bordeaux, and Tosa, owe what valor they have to the blood of the British fighting dogs that sailed the world over with their Empire - building masters." Colby Book

There is no disrepect inteded towards the Colbys, as their line is quite impressive and probably the best documented line and breed of any. Most of todays fighting dog breed histories that are written in English, are still nearly this one sided. The reality is, the alaunt or mastiff, as a gladiator dog in 550 BC, was meek with bulls but a fighter of tigers long before these dogs entered into Europe. This is the quality we look for in the WEB and the quality Colby described in his best dogs. We can surmise from this that it was in fact not the new English stock that influenced the worlds fighting stock, rather, it was the alaunt / mastiff of Central Asia, (where it originated), that influenced the worlds fighting stock, including England.

“History is written by those who make the wake, not by those who ride on it, nor by those who watch safely from the shore.“ Basically, history is written by those in power, regardless of it's accuracy. Since England was ultimately the conquering empire of the US, we speak, read and write English, therefore, history as we know it and as has been taught by those who have conquered, is one sided, told to suit those in power.

"It is interesting to note that the Bulldog was often referred to as a type of hound in early writings. He also was occasionally referred to as a Mastiff or Alaunt, so it is quite likely that those terms at one time all referred to basically the same fighting strain that varied in size and conformation somewhat throughout the world." RICHARD F STRATTON

Before the word Bulldog entered the English language, the word Mastiff was introduced from the Normans of France in 1066. In fact, the ever popular text " The Master of the Game," written in England describing Mastiffs and Alaunts in 1406 was practically copied word for word from the French text written by Gaston Phebus in 1387.

"Every partisan would like to claim the greatist antiquity for his particular sort of Mastiff as well as to say that all other sorts sprang from it."AKC

"One of the most famous breeders of fighting Bulldogs was Ben White...What is important about Ben White's kennels is that after he moved his business to May Tree Cottage, Kensal Rise, he passed away and his business was purchased by Mr William George (1805-1991), who renamed the kennels "Canine Castle" and set about breeding the best Bulldogs and Mastiffs money could buy.William George was also one of the people who introduced the Spanish Bulldog or "Perros de Torros" to England. In 1840 he imported a dog from Spain that he named "Big Headed Billy," a brindle pied dog of some 90 pounds..." THE STORY OF THE REAL BULLDOG

First one should realize the bull-baiting dog and the fighting Bulldog are completly different blood sports. The Bulldogs of England were already well infused with Spanish Bulldogs before comming to Newbury Port. An outcross to WEB/BB would not be needed to show throwbacks to these breed types. Even more so, which of these breed types shown in the Colby line are correct for APBTs? The fact is, all are correct, as the test is of gameness and this defines the breed.

A bright young man visists my yard that was tutored by Don Mayfeild himself. I explained to him that the genetic background behind game bred APBTs is the best info for breeding all breeds of dogs. He said, "But the Pit Bull is nothing more than a mix of breeds." (Don Mayfeild had taught him well) I informed him, "All breeds are a mixture of breeds."

JP Colby claims the American Bulldog was created from inbreeding the Colby stock. JD Johnson claims the American Bulldog is the original Bulldog from which the APBT decends from. Both are dead wrong IMO.

I also question this statement by Louis Colby from his book; "No country in the world can claim dogs that excel in courage and grit like the United Kingdom; indeed, many of the worlds fighting typ dogs, such as the Presa Canario, Cane Corso, Dogo Argentino, Dogue De Bordeaux, and Tosa, owe what valor they have to the blood of the British fighting dogs that sailed the world over with their Empire - building masters." Colby Book

This statement is amazing to me. No disrespect meant but how arrogant and uniformed. England was the last place conquered and settled by Rome. Rome never did conquer Ireland. When ROme invaded England, (44 AD), the 'English' were still a tribal people, far from being an Empire. Spain and France, (Gaul), had long been part of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire spread east and west from Rome, reaching England lastly. The 'famed pugnaces' of England met by Romans were in fact Celtic dogs brought by the Celts from their homeland near the Danube River. The western border of the Alani peoples was the Danube River. We believe the Celtic war dogs developed independantly of the alaunt but that the alaunt was infused into them and visa versa. Either way, the Celtic war dog served the same purpose as the alaunt, as a war dog and guardian of the home. The Celts were an oral society, not a written one so very little information about their history and way of life remains, being written by the English, as the English did conqeur, war with and rule the Scottish and Irish, (where the Celtic 'diehards' lived), for hundreds of years.

The French, as an Empire, invaded England in 1066 AD and introduced the term 'Mastiff' to England in reference to their OWN war dogs, direct descendents of those war dogs brought by the Alani people into France and Spain in 406 AD.

The term 'bulldog' was introduced to England by Spain in reference to their perro de torro or dog of the bull in the 17th century. These too were descendants of the Alani war dogs brought by the Alani into Spain in 406 AD.

His statement that conquerers were aided by English fighting dogs baffles me. Empires, long before England was really even a civilized nation, were conquering with their own dogs of war. Spain conquered Cuba and la Florida with Alanos, Mastins, and Lebrels, all Spanish dogs, nearly 150 years before the English arrival in America, which is named for an Italian. These same dogs aided the Spanish in the conquest of Mexico, Central and SOuth America. At this time in history, even into colonial times, Spain and Portugal were the Empires with the largest holdings. The majority of England's holdings during colonial times was in Canada, with a tiny strip of land along Americas eastern shore...the 13 colonies, of which Georgia was the last and a former Spanish territory.

The English fighting dogs that were of true English origin were in fact the Pit Bulldog as developed after the outlawing of bull baiting in 1835, when people began breeding the 'bulldog', (once bred for pinning a bull not fighting it), for fighting other dogs and breeding them smaller and smaller for one purpose. This is the English fighting dog, not the Celtic fighting dogs encountered by the Romans in 55 AD, not the Roman fighting dogs brought by the Romans in 55 AD, not the French fighting dogs brought by the French in 1066, and not the Spanish fighting dogs imported into England during Phillip II, (a Spanish King), reign during the late 16th and early 17th century. What places were conquered with the English bred Pit dog by anyone's side? When the English came here, they brought 2 Mastiff's, which as actual history tells, were first brought into England by the French in 1066 who obtained them directly from the Alani.

Now of course NONE of these dogs remained in any nation in any pure form, (Even in England, and despite their many breeds 'long pure heritage'), as breed purity is a modern concpept; rather it was the genotype that remained the same, just as the genotype of these Colby dogs pictured here is so pure yet with the phenotype varying within a litter.

To continue with COlby's statement...The Presa Canario was developed on the Canaries by crossing the native Canary Farm dog, the Bardino Majero, the Spanish dogs of war, (Alano, Mastin and Lebrel), as well as the English Mastiff. The English Mastiff / Alaunt of that time was a much lighter bodied functional dog of alaunt type, the same type as the Spanish dogs of war, and also used as war dogs and guardians of the home. These were the same English Mastiffs / Alaunts brought to Florida by the Spanish from 1556-1649 during Philip II, (King of Spain who married Marie Tudor, Queen of England) reign, when he was importing English stock into Spain, Majorca, and Cuba.

The Cane Corso was developed in Italy during the Great Italian Wars from 1494 - 1559, (which coincides with Spain's American conquest), when the native Siciliano Branchiero was nearly descimated during these wars; and was crossed with Spanish Alano belonging to occupied Spanish forces in Italy, as well as French alaunt stock belonging to French occupying forces in northern Italy, to produce the Cane Corso. Despite regional differences, these alaunts were all of true alaunt type...the genotype was the same; the same as the alaunt of 550 BC that was meek with cattle but fought tigers. The perfect basis for a defender of livestock and home and a superb war dog. This is why the alaunt was the choice dog for these functions all over Europe.

The Dogo Argentino was never developed as a fighting dog, rather a hunter of big cats. It was developed using a number of breeds for the hunt. I believe he intended to reference the Cordoba Fighting Dog instead.

The Dogue De Bordeaux of old was as well an alaunt type dog and was actually first introduced into England by the French in 1066 and infused into English stock. Any English infusion into the Dogue De Bordeaux would have been a reinfusion back into the French stock.

I'll end by reiterating this...

"Every partisan would like to claim the greatist antiquity for his particular sort of Mastiff as well as to say that all other sorts sprang from it." AKC

What is a Mastiff?

While in Italy, we know the alans fought as Calvary for the Romans, and in 406AD, the Alans invaded and settled in France, but what of cattle dogs in Hungry?" The Alans settled in France, north Africa and Spain in the fifth century after wandering from southern Asia through Crimea, Hungary and Romania." THE MASTIFFS THE BIG GAME HUNTERS

The Alans, like so many were searching for grazing lands, while they wandered through Hungary, the related breed may just be the Kuvaz. "Most of the migrating peoples who came from Asia to populate eastern Europe were horse-riding tribes whose wealth was in large herds of cattle. Those who settled what is now Hungary brought their white guard dogs with them....The Kuvaz will continue to test his owner's dominance." THE ATLAS OF DOG BREEDS OF THE WORLD

This temperament, like that of the Rottie is completely opposite the Spanish Alano and Spanish Mastiffs as well as our WEB/BBs. As far as England not having a breed for cattle, they in fact had Alaunts (Most of which were likely imported from France starting with the Norman invasion in 1066.) and later became known as the Alaunt Butchers and even the shepherds' mastiffs. "It is easy to forget the shepherd's mastiffs of England until hearing of the prowess in one of these mastiffs breeds like this. The shepherds' mastiffs were big, tough, drovers' dogs, able to protect the herd or flock on the driveways or to pin wayward cattle in the market for the butcher. The mastiff breeds are working dogs and must have a construction and temperament which permits this." THE MASTIFFS THE BIG GAME HUNTERS

In France and England the Alaunt; in Spain and Italy the Alano. The original Douge de Bordeaux and Doguin de Bordeaux in France, the shepherds' mastiffs in England, the Alano and Spanish Mastiffs of Spain, and the Sicilian Branchero and Cane Corso of Italy - all mastiff breeds used for cattle, and fought in the arenas. From 1556 to 1649, a number of English Aluants were imported to Cuba to use in the arenas. Cuba is 90 miles from Florida, known then as La Florida, today's south of USA. The English settlers that forced out Spain had an excuse for calling the amalgamated breed the White English. Many think such breeds as today's Alano of Spain, the Cane Corso, the WEB/BB are rebuilt from APBTs. This is a very ignorant view since the APBT is mainly from Pit stock from these areas including England and Ireland. The use of cattle dogs in the arenas goes back thousands of yrs long before the new breed APBT. I'm not denying the possible out cross to the APBT in any cattle type mastiff breed, as the dogs for the arenas and cattle dogs are closely related from time before written history. This is the Mastiff!!!

Mastiff Origins??

'A turning point in human development came when the uncertainties of the chase were replaced by the relative security of agriculture and domestication of food and draft animals. Wealth could thereafter be stored, a necessary base for political society. The first agricultural village, found in Iraq, has been dated at 7000 BC. Agriculture reached England about 2300 BC.' The Lincoln Library of Essential Info.

Cattle of the Taurine strain was first domesticated in this time period, and the area includes today's Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and the eastern Mediterranean coast known as the fertile crescent. This advancement in animal domestication, of course, included the already domestic dog used for hunting and defending, with those used on big game, further domesticated to keep livestock. Food storage, the 'wealth', brought about war over that 'wealth'. Further domestication of dogs included keeping livestock and fighting to defend it.

While flock guards defend the herds and flocks and will even fight in battle to defend, the breed type is limited in working type best suited to a sedentary, pastoral life. Generally, a separate breed used for herding works with the flock guards. The flock guards are noted for being independent thinkers, rarely taking commands from the shepherd.

The mastiffs defend the herds and flocks, control dangerous livestock such as cattle and swine, but are best known to fight both in defense and in the arenas. The breed type is best suited, as it was developed, for a nomadic life of war. Generally, both herders and protectors are born in the same litter with close type for both to work unruly cattle and swine in control, at times even by force, and in defense of the herd or flock. Both breed types, the basic flock guards which have changed very little in the past few thousand years, and the mastiffs that have progressed through the ages, developed interdependently. One did not beget the other, but both developed from the same root stock of big game hunting dogs of 7000 BC.

The separation of breed type, the basic flock guard, being nearly unchanged and always kept to a sedentary pastoral life of flock guarding, and the advanced flock guard, being pushed to it's limits of battle in war and the arenas, by a nomadic life, thus further advanced from breeding the best to the best after battle has actually progressed the fighting abilities and domestication of the true working mastiff breeds.

From the fertile crescent, the domestication of cattle, sheep, and goats spread in all directions, however, it is also likely advanced civilizations of agriculture developed independently and overlapped. To the south of the fertile crescent is the Nile River, and to the northeast are the great steppes of now Southern Russia. The steppes are a vast region of rolling pasture lands inhabited by various tribes known as the steppe nomads. These nomads were often at war over the stored 'wealth' of livestock, pasture land and water. It is from the steppe nomads the world learned the use of the domesticated horse, chariots and other advancements including dogs of war. These advancements of the steppe nomads far predate the Roman Empire. These nomads were referred to by the Romans as barbarians, as they took what they wanted, including livestock and dogs from settlements they conquered. There is very little art and no writing system of these people to record the history of the steppe nomads, however, we can trace the more recent history of a tribe known as the Alani, as they fought as cavalry for the Roman Empire and supplied the Romans with horses, chariots and dogs of war in their vast conquests. One should note the vastness of human civilization and the interrelationship of both dog and man. The Alani descend from a vast race known as the Aryans... 'A family of peoples assumed to be of kindred race because their languages show common characteristics. The original home of the race is thought to have been either northern Europe or Asia. They had already domesticated the horse by 2500 BC, at which time they first appear in history. Their descendants include the people of India, Greece, Italy, and of Albania, together with the Celtic, the Germanic, the Anglo-Saxon, and the Scandinavian peoples, and also the northern Russians or Slavs. The race is often known as Indo-European or Indo-Germanic.' The Lincoln Library of Essential Info In his, 'In Search of the Indo-Europeans', of 1989, JP Mallory writes...'it is the Gorgan region that the domestic horse first appears in the Near East about 3000-2250 BC.' 'In the southeast Caspian, the culture that emerges in the Iron Age, the Dahistan culture, is solidly regarded as Iranian, and it is seen to have emerged out of the local Gorgan tradition possibly coupled with steppe influences.' The Mastiffs the Big Game Hunters

Considering the vast lands of the steppes and those of the Aryan race, one cannot limit the history of advanced domestication to a small, sedentary culture in northern Greece known as the Mollosi of which we get the so-called Mollosin breeds, however, their descriptions do imply common working traits in the vastness of Euro-Asia. 'The Molossus belong to the tribe of the Illyrians, who invaded Greece from the north around 1200 BC, drove out the Hellenes, and occupied Epirus in their place. The descendants of the Illyrian Epirians are the modern Albanians. The author Marcus Terentius Varro, who died in the year 27 BC, reports in his book on agriculture of two kinds of dogs that were bred in this country. The first were hunting dogs and the second large herding dogs, who effectively protect sheep and goats.' Fighting Dog Breeds To the north and northeast of Greece lie the vast lands of the Alani. The northern Illyrians invaded south into Greece around 1200 BC, some 1200 years before Varro reports of the dogs of the Molossi.

The Alani peoples, an amalgamation of various nomadic tribes, known as the warrior tribe of the Caucasus, descendants of the steppe nomads and the vast Aryan race as well the the Mollossi, were a nomadic tribe invading as far east as China and as far west as France and Spain. It is from the Alani invaders and their settlement of France and Spain that we get the advanced light-bodied mastiff type known as the Alaunt/Alano. The Alani, having fought with the Romans as Calvary, supplied the Romans with horses, chariots, and dogs of war, thus the Alanos of Italy. Few Alaunts had actually reached England, thus the name 'White English Bulldog', in describing these Alaunts, is only befitting to those who speak, read and write English.

In the written history of English, we would be led to believe England always produced the best mastiffs, and in fact, a number of English writers claim England to be the source of the mastiff and bulldog. The agricultural revolution did not start until 2300 BC in England. Mastiff type dogs brought by the Celtics early on would have been no better than those of which were imported. At this same time period, the Alani controlled vast lands of which bordered the Germanic tribes. Thus the English root stock was interrelated and imported.

In 1066 AD, the Normans of France invaded England bringing French Mastiffs or Alaunts. England ruled Bordeaux from 1151 to 1411, and thus was interbreeding their stock. Then from 1556 to 1649, Spain and England were trading and thus interbreeding stock. This trading of dogs between Spain and England continued up until the 19th century! A fact many an English cynologist, and in fact many an Englishman, would rather forget. Spain imported a number of English Alaunts into Cuba, that were mainly of French type. This amalgamation or interbreeding continued especially at the borders of the French Louisiana, Spanish La Florida and the English territories in the southeastern US.


Directly in the center where these borders converge is the small town of Hawkinsville, Georgia, which, for centuries long before the European presence, was a major trade center for the vast Creek Indian Nation. Hawkinsville has long served as the military front and trade center between the Indians, the French, Spanish and English, with four English forts, (which served as the military base during the Spanish and Indian wars of 1812), lining the banks of the Ocmulgee River, the boundary line of civilization and 'no-man's land.' It is from this area we have collected local stock of the WEB and Brindle Bulldog. The Carr line, known some 80+ years in the area are invariably patched with red markings, that of mainly French origin, with brindle mainly of Spanish origin, well amalgamated as France and Spain interbred throughout the ages from the original stock brought by the Alani invaders and settlers into France and Spain in 406 AD. This interbreeding continued at this convergence of territories in the southeastern US, as proven by the breed types found in this region. Both France and Spain have a long history of the arenas with Burgos Spain being the land of the Bull Fights. England was the last of the European nations to receive the alaunt and the last to practice the blood sports with dogs and animals. The English text 'The Master of the Game' was in fact a direct copy of the French text written by Gaston de Foix, and never was an original English work.

A number of historians claim the war dogs were hunting dogs, and indeed it does seem the Perro de Pressas brought to the new world by Spanish Conquistadors were prey driven kill dogs. Those historians do not take into account the fact that nomadic warring tribes such as the Alanis and the Spanish kept livestock. Let's look at the original Alaunts brought to France by the invading Alani in 406 AD. 'At one time, there were two varieties, the Doguin being the smaller version, which has since vanished into nothing but a sentence in reference books. Dogues have had a wide and varied employment since their entrance into France after the fall of Rome. Originally, they served a dual purpose as war dogs and by guarding flock from wolves and bears.' The Atlas of Dog Breeds of the Wolrd.

This war dog / flock guardian is the core alaunt aka Alano or the mastiff, those used to control / guard herds of cattle became the Alaunt de Boucherie of the Middle Ages, known in Spain as the Alano and developed in the southeastern US as the WEB / Brindle Bulldog. The baiting bulldogs of England used in blood-sports are very different in function! 'The slaughter of bulls was a public spectacle in colonial cities, just as it was in England. Butchers collared and tied up the bulls and then turned loose one or more dogs to attack them. Ideally, one particularly bold animal would seize the bull by it's nose and hold it or bring it to it's knees to be killed. Snapping, snarling dogs, bulls bellowing in rage and panic, screaming people placing bets, spraying blood-all were part of the 'sport', repeated when a captive bear was to be had as well.' A Dog's History in American by Mark Derr

Bull-baiting was a 'sport' held in the cities. For the rural farmer, battling wild dogs, coyotes, bears, and other predators including man, are the test of the WEB and BB. Real battles in defending the farms, livestock, and family, not staged in the box, like the most advanced 'Gladiator Dogs' of our time- the APBT. For the true test of gameness is the willingness to continue in battle, not on the hunt.

Many have claimed the White English Bulldogs and Brindle Bulldogs look like large sized APBTs, and well they should. For both are advanced breed types of Alaunts / Alanos aka Mastiffs. Performance in battle differs in the one-on-one fight in the box from the pack fighting on the farm, however, both breeds are derived from the same root stock.

'Tens of thousands of dogs have regularly been deployed in battle in Europe, up to our own time, but never with the systematic intent to terrorize, maim and kill applied by the Spanish in the New World.' A Dog's History in America La Florida was not only Spanish domain, but the military front for the New World and it's colonial empires. Where else but here would one find descendants of dogs of war?

Spanish Guarding Dogs

"Livestock-guarding dogs - raised, in the Spanish tradition, nearly from birth with the animals they tended - continued to fascinate every naturalist who encountered them. In 1826, French explorer 'Aliced Dessalines d'Origny' described in his 'voyage dans l'Amerique Meridionale,' encounters in Uruguay with 'perro ovejero,' the sheep-guarding dog. Suckled on ewe's milk, this dog tended his flock, leaving it only to get food at night or to hunt jaguar and partridge with his human master.Voyaging on the 'Beagle' in 1831, collecting material for what would become his theory of evolution, Darwin watched the cross-bred sheepdogs of Argentina perform like those d'Orbigny, whose work he knew, had observed in Uruguay. A dog lover, Darwin considered the behavior of 'perro ovejero' in protecting their charges from predators, and even other dogs, additional confirmation of their intelligence and consciousness. Following northern European and English customs, most farmers in the United States had more active herding and hunting dogs, but people who observed Spanish style guarding dogs guarding sheep in the American Southwest generally shared Darwin's view."
A DOG'S HISTORY IN AMERICA, Mark Derr

We explain that dogs used to guard lg herds of cattle, and other livestock tend to produce two types in a litter, known as header and heeler. The header leads the herd, the heeler drives the herd. After a founding member of SEFCA of Spain read this, he said, "Choose the pup for guarding and one will have the best for working cattle."SEFCA breeds Alanos of Spain still working cattle, including gathering wild cattle from the countryside in catch work. After catching, the Alano must walk calmly along side of the cattle without biting. This is known as the off-switch which must be to work livestock, but as well, it keeps the dog from attacking not only livestock but people until a real threat arises. If one can understand, this is the complete difference in selection of type (of OSWs and other AB types) of which the Carr family as well as others in the South have always selected for.

Mastiff Proper

Herodotos tells us of the tale of the Mastiffs the King of Albania gives the Cyrus, leader of the Persian Army in 550B.C. Cryus matched the first Mastiff to a Persian dog and then a bull, but the Mastiff was meek, so Cyrus had it killed. The king of Albania was angry, but sent one more with a message that Mastiffs were no ordinary cur, that it should be matched to a worthy opponent such as a tiger or an elephant. Cyrus matched the Mastiff to an elephant and she nearly killed it. This may be a tall tale, but it gives clear indication of the nature of Mastiffs.
When the game bred APBT turns head from a cur, refusing to fight it, or even from one's livestock, there is no question it will fight an attacking preditor. Ofcourse, this type of work is best suited by those Mastiffs used for this funtion, such as the Alanos of Spain found working cattle in the countryside, as well as old type Bulldogs still found on farms in the South of USA.
"Do you have cows?' he asked me. When I said, no,' he asked why I would want to breed these dogs. This is a common view," Mike says. "In Italy, this breed is thought of as a utility dog. Most farmers consider them as purley working dogs and can't imagine why else anyone would own them."
Michael Sottile
Montgomery Alabama
the Cane Corso