The Alaunt is an extinct type of dog which came in different forms,[1][2] with the original possibly having existed in North Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe from ancient times.

[4] The Alaunt type may have been originally bred by the Alani tribes, the nomads of Indo-European Sarmatian ancestry who spoke an Iranian language.

[citation needed] The Molossus belonged to the tribe of the Molossians, from Epirus in northern Greece in about 1200 BC, coming from the north.

[citation needed] The Western Alans joined the Vandals on their raids through Europe, and by the 410s AD, their fierce dogs were influencing many breeds in France, Spain, Portugal, England, and other countries.

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

The original mastiff variety, known as the alant de boucherie, may have contributed to the development of the fighting and baiting dogs of France.