The Alaunt Veauntre
The “Alaunt isn’t a breed, it’s a prototype that represents a pre-industrial landrace working dog, not a standardized breed. Long before kennel clubs, closed studbooks, or cosmetic selection, dogs were shaped by function, geography, and human need. Historically the “Alaunt” was an umbrella term applied to large, athletic catch-and-combat dogs used across Eurasia for war, livestock control, hunting dangerous game, and estate protection. They weren’t uniform in appearance, but they were consistent in purpose. What unified them wasn’t a look - it was capability.
A Prototypical Mastiff Type Precursor
Rather than representing a direct ancestor of any single modern breed, the Alaunt is more accurately described as a prototypical or foundational working type from which multiple modern hounds, mastiffs and catch-dog lineages later diverged. Prior to industrialization and the formalization of breed standards, canine populations remained relatively open. Selection pressures emphasized performance and survivability, resulting in dogs that were structurally efficient and behaviorally suited to work rather than a uniform appearance.
As human societies became more specialized, these broad landrace populations were gradually subdivided and refined through wars, migration, colonization and trade. This gave rise to heavier guardian type mastiffs, specialized hunting dogs and the beginning of specific breed development. In this context, the Alaunt represents a functional precursor, not a standardized blueprint.
The Alaunt Veauntre
Historical accounts and functional reconstructions often distinguish between more static guardian roles and forward-engagement working dogs - those selected to pursue, confront and resolve threats beyond a fixed territory. References to “Alaunt Venture’ or similar classifications are best interpreted as functional descriptors, denoting dogs bred for active engagement rather than passive defense.
The accompanying illustration is reproduced from Dogs, Volume X of Jardine’s Naturalists’ Library (1840), authored by Charles Hamilton Smith. This work belongs to an early period of canine scholarship that predates the formal establishment of kennel clubs, closed studbooks, and standardized breed definitions. As such, it documents dogs as functional types rather than as fixed breeds.
Charles Hamilton Smith describes the subject as a “brindle catch dog, used in France 100 years ago; strong headed but tight mouthed” noting its historical use in the pursuit of large and dangerous game, including wolves. The terminology employed reflects contemporary functional classifications, wherein dogs were identified by role and utility rather than by uniform appearance.
The morphology depicted - moderate cranial breadth, a functional (non exaggerated) muzzle, erect ears (cropped), and overall athletic construction - aligns with descriptions of pre-industrial catch and combat dogs commonly associated with hunting Alaunt-type populations. While the illustration should not be interpreted as a definitive representation of a singular “Alaunt breed”, it provides valuable insight into the range of phenotypes present within broader landrace working dog populations from which later mastiff and bulldog types emerged.
The Running Mastiff
Chien muselé et portant un collier, debout, de profil vers la gauche - 15th Century by Antonio di Puccio Pisano
The term Veauntre (from Old French, meaning “to hunt” or “to pursue”) describes a dog built not just to fight, but to move. As medieval hunting practices evolved, the Alaunt Veauntre became the prototype for what later historians and breeders call the “Running Mastiff.” This term describes mastiff-type dogs that retained athletic speed, functional agility, and working endurance. These were the dogs who were deployed against boar, bear, wolves and deer - often amongst a team of sighthounds who initatied the chase, it was the Alaunt Veauntre that is thought to have finished the work.
Unlike heavier mastiff types, the Veauntre was characterized by:
A lean, long-legged frame capable of sustained galloping
A deep chest and flexible spine for endurance and recovery
A powerful mastiff head and jaw for grip-and-hold work
A clear, forward temperament—bold, independent, and pressure-proof
Genetic and Functional Legacy
15th Century by Antonio di Puccio Pisano
The Alaunt Veauntre is widely considered foundational to several breeds or breed types, including:
English Mastiff (early athletic forms)
Bullmastiff (via butcher’s dogs and estate catch dogs)
Great Dane (especially through German boar-hunting lines)
Dogo Argentino (via Spanish Alaunt influence in the Americas)
Presa Canario and other Iberian catch dogs
In Britain, Norman influence following 1066 likely introduced Alaunt-type dogs that blended with native mastiffs, producing faster, more athletic “running” mastiffs used for deer coursing and bull baiting.
Decline of the Alaunt Veauntre
The Alaunt Veauntre did not disappear suddenly but faded as:
Firearms reduced the need for large catch dogs
Forest laws restricted noble hunting
Dog breeding shifted toward specialization and aesthetics
By the 17th–18th centuries, the Alaunt was no longer recognized as a distinct type, but its genetic and functional blueprint survived in multiple working breeds.