I was browsing through the exchange and mart website when I came across this dog named an Alaunt. Does anybody know anything about them?

Think it is yet another designer breed, someone, not sure who has crossed some dogs and called the result Alaunt, have no idea what was crossed, if they breed true or how long this person have been breeding. May be someone knows, but I don't.

EDIT
Might have guessed it would appear to be a Greyhound/Bull Terrier/Bull Mastill cross, and although the gent involved says he is on the point of producing a new breed it seems form what I have read that he has only just started crossing. So come back in about 100 years and yes we may have a breed called the Alaunt, which was according to the text was an old hunting dog. Makes me wonder why so much Bull breed then.

The Alaunt is an ancient breed.  They were the dogs of the Alans.  These people were fantastic horsemen and they hunted wild Boar with the Alaunts, as did the Romans,they were also terrific guard dogs.

They have been recreated using the Great Dane, Bull Mastiff, Greyhound and Bull Terrier.
Dawn.

Don't know if any of you guys have heard of the recently deceased Brian Plummer,well it was him who started to re-create this medieval breed again and a man who lives near me is promoting it like mad up here.Brian Plummer was  a very clever man and has bred all permutations of dogs,not all to the good of the breeds and was trying to get his Plummer terrier recognised with the KC when he unfortunately died of cancer,he has a few good books out and he tells some wonderful,if fanciful,stories.Have seen the alaunts and they are a beautiful breed but I'm not convinced with the breeding programme as it has been described to me,Sandra.

Hello Jackie,

You aren't really wrong - see http://www.earthdogrunningdog.com/articles/dbp16_alaunt.htm !

Hi

Heres some information on the history of the Alaunt http://home.att.net/~semencic/alano.htm

http://www.c-gate.net/bulldog/html/bulldog__history.html

http://www.pitdogs.org/main/html/history.shtml

http://geocities.com/warhammerab/History.html

Also, last fridays Countrymans weekly has a good couple of pages about them for anyone interested.

Cant say as they appeal to me really, but they look nice dogs from the pics ive seen.

Em

ps. the chances of getting hold of one though are pretty much nil, since the people involved are unlikely to sell to someone without first hand experience of breeding, and without vast experience of working dogs. These dogs i suspect are being kept by a close circle of people within hunting dog circles, and its gonna be a VERY long time before most people could consider one.

Em

Personally i'd keep clear of the Alaunts. This breed became extinct alot of years ago due to its serious agression problems, they were used as hunting dogs as described above & as fighting dogs.
God knows what they think they are going to hunt in this country with them! I do believe they are being promoted more as a 'personal protection/guard dog'.

This was published in Dog World magazine 1984 as part of the history of Bulldogs:-

*Further interesting information: the alaunt was known as a vicious dog that was difficult to control or, as the Second Duke of York said in the early 15th century, "men have seen Alaunts slay their masters. In all manner of ways Alauntes are treacherous and evil."  The alaunt became extinct, and that is not surprising!

The people who are breeding or re-creating i should say this breed have along way to go before they can call the breed 'Alaunts' as i am sure at present these dogs will not breed true to type.
Some might say these Alaunts look like leggy pitbulls.

Don't know which Aluants you were looking at Angie, the ones I have seen were superb animals and beared NO resemblence to a Pit Bull,and showed no more aggressive than the next dog! 
Dawn.

Have just seen a litter of alaunts-1/2 look like mastiff type puppies and the other 1/2 like pit pups,Hmmm!!!!Just reinforces my earlier thoughts,definately not convinced with the breeding programme :( Sandra.