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WEBPS Information

Breed Information

History

Contact Information

# 384 Hwy. 341 S. - Hawkinsville, Georgia 31036  478-783-2535  (9:00am - 6:00pm ET)

 or 662-562-6144 Arkabutla, Mississippi    

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Overview

 

Abraham Hondius Mastiff 1677 English

 

The Shepherds' Mastiff / Bulldog Proper, is where the WEB got it's name; it was a reference to this old dog of England given to the dogs by the English settlers here in the southeast. The dogs they saw here were of Spanish descent and not English though, brought and developed by the Spanish; as Spain had their own version of the Shepherds' Mastiff / Bulldog Proper; it was the Alano.

Where did the W.E.B. come from?

We have spent years researching and have established a history that traces the WEB as a whole back to the mid to late 16th century. The WEB, (perro de ayuda or aid dog), was established in the northern Florida and southern Georgia region of the US, likely, along with the Brindle Bulldog, (perro de pressa or capture dog), one of the first breeds to be developed in this country.

The breed name White English Bulldog is a generic term that describes an actual breed type that goes by a few other names such as Old English White. The terms WEB and OEW describe those dogs left over from the wars of Spain and England, and include, more or less, Alaunt of the Butcher type English, Spanish, French, and others to a much lesser degree, with combinations of such interbred in localized areas, being breeds within the breed.

English Butcher's Alaunts 17th century

Spanish Butcher's Alaunts 16th century

French Butcher's Alaunts 14th century

Italian Butcher's Aluant 15th century

"The settlement idea would serve England in two ways. First, it would provide a buffer between England's holdings in Virginia and the Carolinas and the French in New Orleans and the Spanish in Florida. The land had to be cleared and the settlements protected from unfriendly Indians, the French, and the Spanish. It is my belief that the American Bulldog is a pure breed. It is my belief, too, that it is the same breed used in England for almost a thousand years as a butcher's helper, combatant in the bull ring, and described by dog writers for centuries." AMERICAN BULLDOG, by John Blackwell
So, the Spanish did not have Alanos and war dogs in Florida? "In Central and South America, the Spanish and Portuguese colonists similarly took dogs of various types with them, either as hunting dogs or dogs of war. In the latter category came the mastiffs." THE MASTIFFS THE BIG GAME HUNTERS  "For the purpose of hunting, he said, the Spaniards introduced pureblood greyhounds, beagles, retrievers, setters, pointers, spaniels, and whippets. The mastiffs, according to the Inca chronicler, was the last type of dog to be introduced and he claims it was used primarily as a watchdog. Some of these dogs were brought to devour Indians, others to guard the thousands of swine that accompanied the expedition. Mastiffs, Garcilaso explains, were greatly esteemed by owners of domestic cattle...these men, as a matter of pride, wished their herds to resemble those of their homeland, (Spain)."  Dogs of the Conquest

So the French did not bring Alaunts? "It is worth noting, in connection with the origins of this breed that the Alans settled in France for a while in the fourth century, mainly in the Orleans, Valence, Beauceron and Narbonne areas." THE MASTIFFS THE BIG GAME HUNTERS

For that matter, in 1066, the Normans of France invaded England and from 1151 to 1411, England ruled Bordeaux. Are we to think the Alaunt of France was never imported to England? Are we to believe only England bred the Alaunt/Alano? Are we to believe the English Mastiff of the Middle Ages was purely English stock with no importation or infusion of French Alaunts or Spanish Alanos? Europeans traded any and all trade goods, including livestock and dogs, amongst themselves, even in times of war, when illegal trade continued. Let us not forget that the Alani people settled in France, Spain, and Italy during the 4th century AD, and not in England!!! England was the last European country to acquire the Alaunt; this acquisition being primarily the Alaunts of France and Spain.

Today, strains of WEB can be found in localized areas around the southeast and especially areas that were once Spanish Florida.  see Geographic Comparison  In middle Georgia we find an old strain of WE known locally as the Carr WE. These localized areas varied in terrain and therefore the dogs varied in form. These WEB strains became breeds within the breed.

It should be noted, the origins of the WEB start with the Spanish explorers and settlers and were not brought or developed for the bull-bait, and as such are not really even bulldogs, but strains of the Alaunt of the Butchers, used for defending and controlling rough livestock such as the original long horned cattle, and for defense of forts. Moreover, the Carr WE most closely resembles, (in type and temperament), the Alanos of Spain used with cattle in the countryside and registered with SEFCA. We await DNA testing for further clarification. see WEB vs. Alano

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