Breed Overview
The American Bandogge Mastiff is not your ordinary dog, these mastiffs are full of confidence and it shows. The American Bandogge Mastiff dog breed makes a good companion for an owner who is equally confident in their dog training and handling abilities.
An owner who can lay down the law and command with an authoritative tone, yet at the same time offer affection, will find a loyal, obedient, and protective canine companion. If you think you’ve got what it takes to adopt the American Bandogge Mastiff, here’s everything you need to know.
Health Issues
All dogs are prone to some health issues, and the American Bandogge Mastiff is no exception. Some of the most common health issues this breed of dog can be afflicted with include hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. This is when the hip or elbow joints eventually deteriorate over time due to rubbing against the sockets. It can be painful for the dog and lead to a loss of function. Proper nutrition can reduce the risk, as well as joint supplements for dogs such as glucosamine.
Another health issue the American Bandogge Mastiff faces is gastric dilatation volvulus. This is a serious life-threatening condition. It typically occurs due to the dog receiving too many large meals, which lead to a buildup of gas within the dog’s stomach. This causes the dog’s stomach to dilate, causing pressure on the stomach that leads to severe consequences, including eventual death.
Dogs that have an increased risk of gastric dilatation volvulus are those that are fed one large meal a day, are older in age, have a deep chest, and are related to dogs that have also suffered from gastric dilatation volvulus.
Without serious health problems, the American Bandogge Mastiff usually lives to about 10 years of age.
Origin of the American Bandogge Mastiff
This particular breed of dog was bred for a purpose rather than just looks. In the 1960s, in the United States, an American veterinarian named John Swinford sought to crossbreed a mastiff with an American Bulldog for the purposes of creating the best possible dog for protection. The name is based on an Old English Saxon term, “Bandog,” which means chain. It was called such because the dogs were often chained up during the day and then set free at night in order to serve as efficient guard dogs.
In fact, the true origin of the dog dates back to the middle ages where the breed served as working dogs or guard dogs on estates. But it wasn’t until the 1960s that the breed was really first introduced to the United States by Swinford (the breed is also sometimes called the Swinford Bandog).
As there are many types of mastiffs and American Bulldogs, it is not known exactly which breeds were first utilized to create the American Bandogge Mastiff. Many believe that it was originally crossbred between the American Pitbull Terrier and the Molessor mastiff.
However, today crossbreeding between the American Pitbull Terrier and the English Mastiff is a common combination. In fact, several combinations can be used that still result in officially recognizing the American Bandogge Mastiff by authoritative sources such as the American Canine Hybrid Club.
Another combination recognized by the Designer Dogs Kennel Club is the result of crossbreeding a Pitbull Terrier and a Bullmastiff, the resulting breed is referred to as an American Masti-Bull, and appears quite similar to the American Bandogge Mastiff. For the most success, breeders today typically use a male American Pit Bull Terrier and a female Neapolitan Mastiff.
Understanding the Different “Breeds” of the American Bandogge Mastiff
Because different combinations of bulldogs, bull terriers, and mastiffs can be used, there are actually three classifications of groups used to breed the American Bandogge Mastiff. You’ll want to familiarize yourself with them if you intend to adopt one of these fine animals so that you know exactly which group your American Bandogge Mastiff received its genes from.
The Primary breed is considered the most dominant bloodline, and uses the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier. or a Staffordshire Bull Terrier as the primary dog in the breeding.
The Secondary breed is the English Mastiff or a Neapolitan Mastiff.
A third breed may be used by some breeders, which will include either the American Bulldog, Presa Canario, Bulldog Campeiro, Dogo Argentino, or a Great Dane.
Appearance of the American Bandogge Mastiff
Because of the different breeds of dogs that can be used to breed the American Bandogge Mastiff, appearance can vary slightly. Typically, they are as short as a pit bull (usually standing about 25-30 inches tall, and weighing about 100-140 pounds).
They are quite muscular, and possessive of a thick coat of short, rough fur. Square in stature, with a thin, tapered tail, they stand quite astute. Their wide eyes are attentive, their jaw is strong, and they have triangular ears atop a large head that may look more like that of a mastiff.
The head sits atop a muscular neck on broad shoulders. Colors can vary greatly, from red and black, blue, grey, tan, brindle, and white mixed with other colors.
Characteristics of the American Bandogge Mastiff
This breed of dog is born intelligent. Subsequently, it requires training almost immediately. If you are not willing or able to be confident or dominant with this dog from an early start, it may be near impossible to control as it grows older. If you are a first-time dog owner, you may definitely want to think twice about adopting an American Bandogge Mastiff!
If the American Bandogge Mastiff does not receive efficient obedience training from a dominant owner, it can become aggressive. However, if properly training, the dog can be very loyal and protective. They love to receive attention and benefit greatly from strong leadership.
They don’t bark often, this can be a difficult part of training if you are seeking to use the dog’s bark as a warning to others. American Bandogge Mastiffs are more prone to fighting intruders on a property rather than scaring them away by barking a warning.
The American Bandogge Mastiff also requires a lot of exercise, both mental and physical. It doesn’t care to be left alone too much, so if you are out at work often, it is not necessarily a good choice for a dog. In terms of living environment, they can do fine in smaller spaces such as apartment so long as you provide them with regular exercise outdoors, even if just in a small yard.
To the family they belong to, they can be gentle, loving, and obedient (so long as they are properly trained). They are good with the children in the family too, and they can get along fine with other animals if they are raised with them, but may be aggressive with new animals it was never introduced to.
Lastly, the dog can tend to drool and slobber a bit, and they do shed, so you may want to keep that in consideration as well, especially if you want to keep an immaculate house.
Are You Considering Adopting an American Bandogge Mastiff?
Now that you know everything you need to know about the American Bandogge Mastiff, what are your thoughts? It is important to take everything into consideration regarding the needs of this type of dog and your requirements for training, exercising, and raising the American Bandogge Mastiff so that you can make an informed decision.
Owning this type of dog is a big responsibility, and because this breed of dog is prone to health problems that can be quite costly if medical care is needed, you might also want to consider the cost of pet insurance as part of the care needed for this dog. It’s a realistic assessment, and if you can handle the responsibilities, you’ll find that the American Bandogge Mastiff makes a great furry companion for your family.
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