Dogs

Bandog

Bandog is derived from early English and refers to a ferocious large type of dog that was bound by a chain until it was released at night in order to guard property. The fact that the modern day Bandog is also large, can be ferocious, and is composed of some Mastiff and some Bulldog, as was the original Bandog, is all that the Bandog of old and the modern Bandog have in common.

Appearance

The Bandog is a large dog ranging in weight from about 100 to 150 lbs and roughly 26 inches at the withers.

History

In the early 1970s the late veterinarian, John Swinford D.V.M., began a breeding program, which was ultimately to produce the greatest of all protection dogs. Though breeders of Bandogs today disagree on just what breeds went into Swinford's original breeding scheme, the consensus is that it was 50 percent American Pit Bull Terrier and 50 percent "very large dog". Unfortunately, Swinford died at an early age and his Bandog was never perfected or recognized as a purebred.

Current breeding

Contemporary Bandogs are bred with different types of dogs, including American Pit Bull Terrier with either a Mastiff, Neapolitan Mastiff, or Bull Mastiff. Whichever breeding plan is employed, it is necessary to cross the American Pit Bull Terrier to one of these Mastiffs each time that a litter of Bandogs is desired.

The obvious question that arises is: why don't breeders simply cross Bandogs with other Bandogs?

The answer is that, at this stage of Bandog development, when one crosses a Bandog to a Bandog, one does not get a Bandog. Bandogs do not breed true yet and it seems that Bandog breeders are far from having perfected a purebred dog.

Future

The hope is that the breeding of these dogs will finally be perfected; however, the dog is being bred by many breeders who range from the very serious and knowledgeable to the very amateurish and inexperienced, sometimes called backyard breeders. Therefore, a purchaser of a Bandog must do a good deal of investigation to avoid the risk of buying a puppy that will grow to become the last thing wanted in a pet.

Miscellaneous

Pit dog

Bandogs are occasionaly used fighting dogs. When a fight between a Pit Bull Terrier and a Bandog occurs, the Bandog typically dominates the first 10 minutes of the fight as the Pit Bull is overpowered by the much larger Bandog. If the Pit Bull remains able to continue, it normally reverses the tables with its better endurance. Some argue that this shows that a 45- to 50-pound Pit Bull is the ideal size for fighting. Pitbull Neo mixes or Pitbull Tosa mixes are prefferred because thay are more able breeds than the larger,clumsier English mastiffs.

Guard dog

The non-dogfighter who is in the market for a great family dog that will be an intruder's nightmare can consider the Bandog.

See also

• List of dog fighting breeds

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