As with many ancient dog breeds, the history of the origin of the Alano breed is a bit hazy but generally known. The history of the breed is closely related to the history of Spain. In Spanish “Alano” means “bulldog”, while in Spain the breed is often called various synonyms (and not quite synonyms :)): culebro (Culebra – “snake”), Presa del toro (for baiting bulls), Chato Spanish Alano girl howls (Chato – “snub-nosed”), chato de Presa (de Presa – a dog for bullying), Perro de Presa espaniol, Perro de Toros de Salamanca (Salamanca is a city in north-west Spain), and others.