The Alaunt is a now extinct Molosser dog breed. A number of modern breeds are believed directly descended from the Alaunt. The original alaunt is thought to have resembled a Central Asian Ovcharka. They were large, short coated mountain dogs of varying type. The Alaunt was bred and formed by the Alani tribes, the nomads of Indo-European Sarmatian ancestry who were related to the Sarmatians and spoke a Indo-Iranian language. The Alans 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 dogs country of origiin was from Russia and Iran.