A Dog Steals the Limelight Again!

I’ve done it again! Made a dog the star of my latest book! This time it’s a medieval breed known as an alaunt gentil. The dog belongs to the heroine, Ragna FitzRam, and was given to her by her Norman uncle as a puppy. The dog accompanies her on a journey from England to Hamburg. However, a fierce storm blows her ship off course and she ends up on an island on the west coast of Denmark.

Ragna is an Englishwoman who has named her dog Thor, because her family has always teased her with the nickname Wild Viking Princess. Of all the people in her family she most exhibits the characteristics of their Danish ancestors. She is rescued from the shipwreck by Reider, a true Viking. Don't worry, he saves the dog too!

The following information about the breed comes from the webpage of the British Alaunt Society.

The Alaunt was bred and formed by the Alani tribes, Kavkaz nomads of Indo-Iranian ancestry, who were known as superb warriors, herdsmen and breeders of horses and dogs. The Alans bred their dogs for work and had developed different strains within the breed for specific duties. The Alaunt's primary ancestors are the dogs of the Caucasus and Central Asia, but also the shorthaired hounds of India and Persia. The large, massive guard dogs were not much different than the typical Eastern mountain dogs, even though the hunting variety was leaner and had a smoother and shorter coat.

When the Huns conquered the Alani tribes, the nation was separated in the 370's into the Eastern and Western Alans. The Eastern Alani tribes merged with the Albanians, Ossetians, Serbs and other nations, introducing their dogs into the bloodlines of many Balkan breeds, such as the Illyrian Mountain Dog, Metchkar, Qen Ghedje, Hellenikos Poimenikos and other Molossers of the region. Some believe that the white-coloured alaunts were the direct ancestors of Greek and Albanian breeds, which in turn influenced all other white dogs in the Balkans.

The Western Alans joined the Vandals on their raids through Europe and by the 410's, their fierce dogs were influencing many breeds in France, Spain, Portugal, England and other countries, spreading the use of the "alaunt" name, which became synonymous with the type of a working dog, rather than a specific breed.

Through breeding with various scenthounds and sighthounds, the alaunt became a valued large game hunting dog, existing in a variety of types, dictated by regional preferences.

In France, alaunts were separated into three main categories, based on physical appearance and the duties they performed. The lightest type was the Alaunt Gentil, a greyhound-like dog, which eventually became assimilated into the local hunting breeds with the Alaunt Veantre.

The heavier mastiff variety, known as the Alaunt de Boucherie, was crucial is the development of the fighting and baiting dogs of France. The same occurrences happened in other countries, such as England and Spain, where the alaunts gave birth to mastiffs and bulldogs, which in return influenced nearly every European guarding, baiting and fighting breed. By definition the Alaunt was “fleet enough to hold a wounded deer, brave enough to hold a wild boar and easily able to dispatch a wolf and also a fierce guard”.

The British Alaunt Society has an interesting article by D.B.Plummer on the efforts to create a new breed, the New Alaunt, a functional replica of the medieval breed.   

Wild Viking Princess is available from Amazon for $1.99 for a limited time.           

What's A Hovawart?

The Hovawart is a little-known German dog breed. The name of the breed means "an estate guard dog," which is the original use for the breed. The breed originated in the Black Forest region and was first described in text and paintings in medieval times.

 

In my latest release, Carried Away, the hero, Dieter von Wolfenberg, owns a Hovawart named Vormund (Guardian). Vormund is one of three dogs in the story, but  he saves Dieter’s life. I chose this breed of dog because my story is set in Germany at the beginning of the 12th century. The plot revolves around the rebellion of the citizens of Cologne against the Holy Roman Emperor, Heinrich V.

Readers of The Montbryce Legacy series will recognize the heroine of this book, Blythe Lacey FitzRam, daughter of Sir Caedmon FitzRam. She appeared as a newborn in A Man of Value. Now she’s all grown up and a lady-in-waiting to Adelaide, daughter of King Henry I of England. Adelaide married the Holy Roman Emperor, Heinrich V and that is how Blythe ends up in Germany!

The Hovawart is a medium dog. Male Hovawarts are 63-73 cm (25"–29") and females 58-65 cm (22.5"–26") at the withers. The weight is approximately 30–45 kg (65–95 pounds). The correct color descriptions are Black, Black and Gold, and Blond. Vormund is black and gold.

The Hovawart is an outstanding watch dog and somewhat reserved towards strangers. They make excellent family dogs as they are totally devoted to their family. They are a working dog breed, and require a consistent and loving yet strict training and meaningful activity throughout their lives.

Statue of Von Repkow

One of the first documented recordings comes from the year 1210 when the German castle at Ordensritterburg was besieged by Slavic invaders. The castle fell and its inhabitants, including the Lord, were slaughtered. However, the Lord's infant son was saved by one of the castle's Hovawarts. In spite of being wounded itself, the dog dragged the tiny child to a neighbouring castle and thus saved the boy's life. This young boy, Eike von Repkow, grew up to become a legendary figure in the history of German law. He later published the Sachsenspiegel, the oldest Code of Law to survive from medieval Germany. Not surprisingly, the Hovawart is mentioned with praise. The Schwabenspiegel, a law text published in 1274 and based on Eike von Repkow's work, lists the Hovawart among the dogs you have to replace and pay restitution for if they are killed or stolen.

By 1473, Heinrich Mynsinger described the Hovawart as one of "The Five Noble Breeds" and among its uses listed that it was useful for tracking the robber and miscreant. This along with references to the Hovawart in German law show that it was a readily identifiable breed and held in similar esteem to that of hunting dogs.

Following the medieval period, the popularity of the Hovawart began to decline. Newer breeds such as the German Shepherd slowly replaced the Hovawart as a guard and working dog until it had almost disappeared by the beginning of the twentieth century. Around 1915 a group of enthusiasts decided to try to save the breed. Predominant in this group was the zoologist Kurt Friedrich König. They started by looking for dogs in the farms of the Black Forest region. König then started a careful breeding program using these dogs and crossed them with Kuvaszok, Newfoundlands, German Shepherds, Leonbergers, a Bernese Mountain Dog and an African Hunting Dog. After much work the group was rewarded in 1922 when the first Hovawart litter was entered into the German Breeding Registry. The enthusiasts continued their work and in 1937 the German Kennel Club officially recognised the Hovawart.

All this work was almost undone with the outbreak of the Second World War. Because of their abilities many Hovawarts were used in the German war effort and perished. By 1945 only a few remained. Enthusiasm for the breed remained and in 1947, Otto Schramm and some fellow enthusiasts in Coburg formed a new club, the "Rassezuchtverein für Hovawart-Hunde Coburg" which is still in existence today. In 1964 the German Kennel Club recognised the Hovawart as the country's seventh working breed and around this time enthusiasm for the breed started to develop in other countries.

The Hovawart does exceptionally well in search and rescue, tracking and working dog activities. The females are generally lighter in build. In training and especially obedience work the trainer must keep positive reinforcement in mind all the time, as this mountain dog is not as eager to please as many other working dog breeds: it always needs some kind of motivation.

The Hovawart works with you and not for you. They have the ability to think and act independently. Their guarding instinct for example does not require any real training; it is inherentsomething they were bred for. The Hovawart may easily become reluctant if training is built only on punishments. The owner of a Hovawart should ideally have previous experience in owning and training a dog and as such the Hovawart is not usually suitable as a first dog.

Carried Away is Book I of The FitzRam Family trilogy.

The English Mastiff

I wanted to do a blog on English Mastiffs because I introduced a pair into my novel, If Love Dares Enough. Boden and Brigantia belong to the Melton family. One of them takes a real shine to the hero, Hugh de Montbryce, and is also resposible for saving the life of the heroine, Lady Devona Melton.

There are several theories as to where the Mastiff breed originated but it is generally believed that the British created the breed as it is known today. There is evidence of Mastiff-like dogs dating as far back as 2500 BC in the mountains of Asia. Bas-reliefs from the Babylonian palace of Ashurbanipal (now on display in the British Museum) depict Mastiff-type dogs hunting lions in the desert near the Tigris River.

Marco Polo wrote of Kubla Khan, who kept a kennel of 5,000 Mastiffs used for hunting and war. When Hannibal crossed the Alps, he took with him several battalions of trained war mastiffs, who, during their long travels, "fraternized" with local breeds to produce what became the St. Bernard, once called the Alpine Mastiff, as well as other giant breeds.

All of the massive mountain dogs of Spain, France, Turkey, and the Balkans can trace their size back to Mastiff blood in their ancestry. Even the Chow Chow carries Mastiff blood, as does the Pug, which was originally a form of dwarf Mastiff.

Phoenician traders are believed to have introduced the Mastiff to ancient Britain. When the Romans invaded Britain, they took dogs back to Italy and used them to guard property and prisoners as well as to fight in arenas. Other sources indicate that Mastiffs were used as war dogs by the ancient Celts, and accompanied their masters into battle.

Despite the differences of opinion on where the Mastiff originated, most agree that the British are the creators of the breed as we know it today. Of all the countries that used the Mastiff, it was the British who kept him in his purest form, and it is to them that we owe the Mastiff of today.

They kept Mastiffs to guard their castles and estates, releasing them at night to ward off intruders. They accompanied soldiers into battle and, during the Elizabethan era, Mastiffs were used to fight large game, including bears and tigers, usually for the entertainment of the Queen.

Henry VIII is said to have presented Charles V of Spain a gift of 400 Mastiffs to be used in battle. The Legh family of Lyme Hall, Cheshire, who were given their estate by Richard II (1377-1399), kept and bred Mastiffs for many generations.

Stowe's Annual, a reference book, shows that King James I (1603-1625) sent a gift of two Lyme Hall mastiffs to Phillip II of Spain. These, or their immediate descendants, are certainly the Mastiff-type dogs shown in famous portraits of the Spanish royal children.

By the mid-1800s, dog showing had become popular in England and the first recorded pedigrees for the Mastiff had begun with the Kennel Club of England. By the late 1800s, Mastiffs were being imported into North America where they were often used as plantation guards.

During the First and Second World Wars, Mastiffs were used to pull munitions carts on the front lines. During World War I, the breed started to decline in England and by the 1920s, the breed was almost extinct in that country—It was considered unpatriotic to keep dogs who ate as much in a day as a soldier and, as a result, entire kennels were put down. At the end of World War II, British fanciers began to import stock from Canada and the U.S. in order to revive the breed. Today, the Mastiff breed is well established with the greatest numbers likely being in the U.S.

The Mastiff, also known as the English Mastiff and Old English Mastiff, is one of the heaviest breeds—an adult male can weigh more than 200 pounds. He is massive, powerful, stately and noble in appearance and he is known as the gentle giant of the dog world.

The Mastiff is a versatile working dog. His great strength was once used to turn water wheels, pull carts and carry heavy loads on his back. He was also originally used as a guardian and fighting dog. Today, Mastiffs are excellent companions and family members. They can be seen participating in various activities such as carting, tracking, weight pulling, obedience competition and conformation. They are also used as Therapy Dogs and in Search and Rescue.

The Mastiff is watchful, self-confident and patient. He is very devoted to his family and will protect both his family and property in a calm and dignified manner. While some Mastiffs tend to be aloof with strangers, others are fairly friendly. However, the breed has a strong guarding instinct and will always be very watchful of strangers entering the home and/or around his family members. His good nature, patience and calm, steady demeanour also means that he is generally excellent with children. The Mastiff needs human companionship and is not a dog to be left alone for long periods of time.

Physically, the Mastiff is massive, heavy boned, and muscular. He gives an overall impression of grandeur, power and dignity. When Boden first plants his paws on Hugh de Montbryce’s chest in If Love Dares Enough, he almost knocks him over. Although the Mastiff grows at a tremendous rate for the first 12 months, he does not physically or mentally mature until the age of three or four years. His outer coat is moderately coarse and the under coat is dense, short and close lying. The coat colour is either apricot, silver fawn or dark fawn-brindle. The muzzle, nose and ears are always dark in colour, the darker the better.

All Mastiffs slobber. The amount varies from one dog to the next. While some slobber only when eating, drinking or when they are hot; others seem to slobber constantly.

Another characteristic of the breed is snoring. Snoring is genetic and caused by a long soft palate, so some Mastiffs snore occasionally and others snore very loudly and often.

The Guinness Book of Records holder for the world's largest dog is a Mastiff named Zorba. In 1989, when he was 8 years old, Zorba weighed 343 pounds and measured 37 inches at the shoulder. From the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, Zorba was 8 feet 3 inches in length.

Good thing Boden didn’t weigh so much. Hugh had to carry him when his foreleg was sliced open by the villain’s sword!