Despite its appearance and history, the Spanish Alano is a dog that can be a great life companion even in small flats. Of course, it must be kept physically and mentally active, and it must receive proper socialization and education from its first weeks of life to control certain temperaments of its natural character. It is a very old breed that almost became extinct, but that is still in force today and is respected and valued for its skills and history. They are medium-sized, balanced, short-snouted dogs, very strong and brave, but very loyal to their handler.
Continue reading this article on our site to find out all the characteristics of the Spanish Alano, its origin, character, education, care, he alth and where to adopt it.
Origin of Spanish Alano
The Spanish Alano is a very old breed. It is thought that these dogs entered Europe with the arrival of Alana tribes during the 4th and 5th centuries, when it was a highly valued breed for hunting large game, guard and livestock, as he has a strong and muscular build. They were partners in the Spanish conquest of America and the first written historical references date back to 1247 by Gonzalo de Berceo. This appreciation spread to more countries on the continent such as Germany, France and England. In this last country, the press wrote the following about a copy of Spanish alano: “…fighting holding his adversary only by the head, he is silent and immune to pain…”
With the arrival of the 19th century and the changes in the way of life of the human being, the alano lost much prominence and other breeds gained greater importance, remaining almost extinct if it were not for some cynologists of the 80s who set out to recover this prestigious dog breed.
Characteristics of Spanish Alano
The Spanish Alano is a medium dog, with a height at the withers of 60 to 65 cm and a weight of 40-45 kg, with males being larger than females. It has a straight, long, rustic and harmonic profile and a body structure that gives it agility, resistance and speed. The limbs are well set, firm and muscular and the tail is medium-low set, thick and generally does not exceed the height of the hock. The chest is wide and deep with rounded ribs.
Continuing with the characteristics of the Spanish Alano, the head is brachiocephalic, with a short, deep and wide snout, a depression in the nose and marked frontal and a strong and wide skull with a square aspect. The ears have a high insertion, folded over the face, widely separated from each other and pointed. Unfortunately, today there are many people who continue to cut off the ears of the Spanish Alano, a cruel and totally unnecessary practice. The neck presents wrinkles and folds creating a double chin. The nose is wide, black and large, with shaped and well-defined nostrils. The eyes are slanted, amber, yellow or hazel in color, and give them a serious expression.
Colours of the Spanish Alano
The hair is short and thick and is usually in characteristic colors such as barcinoin all its variants, including grayish and bluish ones. Other shades of color that can appear in Spanish Alano are the following:
- Wax
- Bay
- Bermeji
- Carbonated
- Gray
Some specimens may have a black spot on the head and other black spots on body areas such as the neck, chest or limbs.
What is the Spanish Alano like as a puppy?
Being a dog that reaches good proportions, from puppies you can see that they are going to be dogs corpulent They must stay with the mother until at least 2-3 months and then be fed a special food for puppies that offers them the amount of protein, fat and essential nutrients for optimal growth and development.
Is the Spanish Alano considered potentially dangerous?
The Spanish alano dog does not appear on the list of breeds considered potentially dangerous. However, due to the fact that many of its physical characteristics do coincide with those mentioned in the established law, if a specimen exhibits behaviors that can be classified as dangerous, it is possible that it is considered potentially dangerous and it is necessary to have the relevant license for the possession of PPP, until the new Animal Welfare Law comes into force, which aims to eliminate said list of PPP:
Spanish alano character
The character and behavior of the Spanish Alano is the result of the nature of its breed and the uses to which it has been subjected over time. It is characterized by being a brave, self-confident, balanced, calmdog and constantly alert. He is not a barking dog and is very noble.
he Tends to be a dog with only one "owner", to whom he obeys and is faithful until the end of his days. He is not a very affectionate dog, but he will show his affection towards his caregiver. He tolerates guests and other animals well, provided he has been properly educated and socialized, reducing his forceful and aggressive instinct.
Spanish alano education
As we have mentioned, it is important that these dogs have a good socialization from puppies to prevent confrontations with strangers, as well as a good education to turn them into an excellent house dog and companion for life and curb their determined and aggressive instinct. This training must be carried out using positive reinforcement, of course, since otherwise we would not achieve the expected results and we would not comply with animal welfare.
Positive reinforcement is a form of conditioning that consists of rewarding desirable behaviors without punishing undesirable ones. In this way, learning is much more effective, fast and pleasant for the dog. Discover How to train a puppy in this other article.
Spanish Alano Care
The Spanish Alano is a dog that adapts to living both indoors and outdoors. You need a minimum of three walks a day and at least one of them to perform outdoor physical activity off leash, such as games in the park, long runs or outdoor sports fresh air.
Also, as good caregivers, they should be offered mental stimulation so that they do not get bored, develop repeated behaviors or stereotypies and to improve your quality of life. To achieve this, it will be essential to ensure adequate environmental enrichment, as well as spending time each day playing with our Spanish Alano.
Being short, the hygiene of the hair hardly requires care,. You should bathe when dirty and brush at least once a week to remove hair and dead cells and promote blood circulation in the skin. The teeth, ears and eyes should also be cleaned to prevent diseases and infections.
The diet must be complete and intended for the canine species, in order to ensure that it obtains all the nutrients for the maintenance of its he alth and quality of life.
He alth of the Spanish Alano
The he alth of these dogs is very good, they have a life expectancy of about 12 years and they are strong and he althy canines that do not have hereditary diseases. To highlight something, skin folds can predispose to the development of contact dermatitis, as well as accumulate traces of dirt, grease and peeling that can cause infections and present itching
It is vitally important that these dogs undergo routine check-ups and preventive medicine through sterilization, vaccination and deworming so that they maintain a good quality of life and the diseases they may develop are properly controlled.
Where to adopt a Spanish Alano?
The Spanish Alano is a dog that today can be found in some protectors and shelters, especially in European countries, especially in Spain. In this country it is an easy dog to adopt and we can often find it also in rescue associations on the Internet. Before adopting it, you should be aware that you are a good candidate to have a Spanish Alano, knowing well that they need adequate training and education from puppies and daily physical activity, as well as care to keep them he althy and happy. A dog is not a toy, but one more member of your family that you must care for, love and respect as it deserves.
