Technically speaking, the American Bandogge Mastiff or bandog mastiff, is not a “purebred” breed. Not in the way some of the other breeds are. These simply glorious dogs possess an ancestry that is part American Pit Bull Terrier and part Neapolitan Mastiff. And, as of now, the breed isn’t recognized by any kennel clubs.
But don’t let that deter you from considering ownership of this most exceptional canine. His history may be short, but he possesses an abundance of loyalty and love.
In fact, the breed as we know it today is only a little over 40 years old. The breed exists today thanks to the dedication of two American mastiff breeders. In the 1960s, John Swinford, an American veterinarian, decided to breed the “ultimate” guardian dog. He consistently crossed a male American Pit bull Terrier with a large, strong Neapolitan Mastiff female. Another American mastiff breeder, by the name of Joe Lucero also had a hand in the evolution of this breed. He specifically refers to his dogs as American Bandogge Mastiffs.
While you may find variations of this breed, those developed by Swinford and Lucero produce the most stable canines. They are known for their even temperament as well as their outstanding qualities as a guardian dog.
You’ll immediately recognize the American Bandogge Mastiff (bandog) by his prominent muscles as well as the “athletic” look he carries with him. Most of the individual dogs in this breed are black brindle, but there are some who are black, blue, red as well as tawny.
A surprising characteristic is the docility of the dog. For a dog who is bred for protection, he has a quiet, confident air about him (perhaps he realizes that he weighs in between 100 and 140 pounds or 45 to 63 kg!)
But more than this, the American Bandogge Mastiff is a highly intelligent dog. And Dr. Swinford were he alive today, would be pleased to know that this canine does, indeed, make an excellent guard dog. The breed as a whole though does possess one small disadvantage when it comes to this task: they’re reluctant to bark. It’s common for dogs to bark a warning, not only for their owners to know someone is around, but also to warn the intruder not to continue his journey much farther.
They also simply crave attention. As a loyal friend, they hate to be left alone. And if you ever doubt that fact, just ask the neighbors of a mastiff owner. They could probably attest to the fact that the Bandogge Mastiff howls just about the entire time the owner was away from home.
Typical of the breeds from which they come, this giants want nothing more than to be in the company of their owners, to please them, and, of course, to protect them. And the Bandogge can indeed get along with other household pets, if, that is, they have been raised from “puppyhood” with them. In fact, they’ll even get long with kittens and cats. If they haven’t been socialized with an individual animal though, they can be aggressive.
Considering their size, you may believe that the members of this breed would find it fairly uncomfortable confined to living in an apartment. However, they’ll be fine as long as you find the time to exercise them regularly. Because make no mistake about it, they do need their exercise!
And don’t worry about grooming these dogs. They are easy to take care of. When compared to other dog breeds, the American Bandogge Mastiff comes in as an “average shedder.” As long as you brush him regularly, removing the dead hair, you should have no problems.
If you choose to let an American Bandogge Mastiff into your home, you’ve just let him into your heart as well. You, your family and your new family member will enjoy many happy years together!
You forgot one thing. Gain a Bandogge, lose a couch. haha. Brilliant, brilliant dogs. They are comfortable in any situation and sociable with all visitors… until someone shows aggression or disrespect for whatever the dog has been trained to protect.
Even when performing his protection duties, ie, removing people who have become “animated” near my children, my dog shows no aggression and only becomes forceful if the offender does not comply. He is totally autonomous and requires no commands from us to go from pet to protector, and stops only at the command of us, or the children.
I would only recommend for experienced owners though.
i read into, and decided the american bandogge mastiff would be a great choice of pet. hes now 8 weeks old, can be stubborn at times and only goes where he wants to. hes has a great character and im sure will grow to be a beautiful, loyal and caring friend. thanks to this site for helping me make this descision.
I think that most small gamebred dogs such as the bull and terrier-[bandogge] stock should be cross to mastiff-[ bandogge] stock.This would fashion out a more desire american bandogge mastiff, such stock dogs as the fila brasiliero,tosa inu,cane corso,presa canario,great danes,doberman pinschers and so on thru the family of mastiff kinship.Back breeding to bloodhound-shar pei strains such as plott hounds and redbone coon hounds,etc..This could go on but if i could i would breed bulldogs to mastiffs and use on bull and terrier males.
Very interesting John, thanks for the comment.
That’s awesome Lindsay, thanks for sharing that with us. What’s his name?
Hey Tony,
Thanks for that. Very cool. How old is he? And did you do any special training? Does your dog sleep with you or the children? These are all things that readers wonder about when they hear a description like the one you just gave.
DO you have a breeder website? My wife and I really love the looks of the red dog on this website, I like what I have read about the breed. Is there a good site to educate myself concerning these dogs? I have owned Mastiffs (currently two Corsos) and I have raised and trained Rottweilers.
recently we purchased a mastiff, bulldog , pit bull cross puppy whom we named Odin. I live 61 kms from the closest town and am often home alone at night when my husband is out on a call. We had become alarmed with the amount of crime and break ins in our area due to the rise in drug use and have heard from local people of a few home invasions. I am very impressed at Odin’s calm nature and have 2 other dogs who he gets a long with very well. His lack of fear at strangers is a reassurance as the other 2 dogs are weary of people. I have only heard him bark and growl once and that was 2 days after we got him. My neighbor has shown up 3 years in a row asking me to tend his herd of horses on my land , every year I tell him no , every year he shows up. When he showed up this year again Odin was happy to see him , when I raised my voice and told this man NO yet again Odin came between me and him and started to bark and growl! It was quite cute as he was only 6 weeks old at the time but I am certain next year it wont be as cute when he weighs in over a 100 pounds . Bravo to the breeders of these amazing dog. I feel so much better when I have to leave my teenage daughter at home with Odin in the house with her . He weighs in at 63 pounds at 5 months of age and I wonder when will he be done his growth ?