Fun American Bandogge Facts For Kids

The American Bandogge is a domestic dog breed that is a cross between mixed parents breeds – a Bulldog and a Mastiff. It was originally bred to be a powerful guard dog. It responds well to early training and also needs a competent owner or master to control its talents.

The American Bandogge is known by a host of other names, including Bandogge, Bandogge Bandog, American Bandogge Mastiff, Masti Bull, and American Masti Bull. All versions are called Bandogs, a modern dog breed that originated in England in the 1960s, using large Bulldog and Mastiff hybrids.

In this mixed breed, the male is typically from Bulldog breeds and can include American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, and American Staffordshire Terrier. The female is typically from Mastiff breeds and can include Neapolitan Mastiff, English Mastiff, and American Mastiff. In some cases, the genders may be flipped between Bulldog and Mastiff breeds.

As you can see, this dog breed is as hybrid as it gets! It is hence not recognized by most mainstream kennel clubs, like the AKC. But it is a popular dog breed, with a large population spread all over the world.

At Kidadl, you can explore several other fascinating dog breeds, including the Bullmastiff and the Boglen Terrier.

American Bandogge Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an American Bandogge?

An American Bandogge is a four-legged domestic animal, much like a house cat.

What class of animal does an American Bandogge belong to?

The Mastiff American Bandogge belongs to the mammal class of animals.

How many American Bandogges are there in the world?

The exact count of these American Bandogge Mastiff dogs is unknown.

Now, keep in mind that this hybrid breed includes at least seven popular parent breeds – American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Neapolitan Mastiff, English Mastiff, Bullmastiff, and American Mastiff. Experts hence estimate there are several thousands of American Bandogges spread all over the world.

Where does an American Bandogge live?

American Bandogges, also known as American Masti Bull, are most likely to be found on a farm or a large piece of land as guard dogs. They can also adapt to an urban setting, but they need plenty of physical and mental stimulation to stay happy and avoid long-term health problems.

What is an American Bandogge's habitat?

The American Bandogge inherits the habitat combination of its parent breeds, Bulldog and Mastiff. With this, the American Bandogge Mastiff prefers to live in moderate to temperate climates, with mild to warm summers, and cool to cold winters.

A Bandog where the American Bulldog gene is dominant will have a short coat. This kind of dog may struggle in very hot or very cold weather conditions.

A Bandog with a dominant Mastiff American gene may have a thicker coat. This breed variety is more likely to shed, and can also adapt to colder temperatures.

Also, this is a domestic breed. It can survive on an omnivorous diet of canned or packed dog food, rice, grains, vegetables, fish, meat, and moderate quantities of fruit.

Who do American Bandogges live with?

American Bandogges (also known as American Bandogge Mastiff) are competent guard dogs. So they can co-exist with other farm animals like sheep, cattle, etc., provided, they begin socialization and training early.

They can also live with humans (including children), and get mighty protective about their owners and families. In fact, this Bandog breed is known to show aggression when it perceives 'stranger danger'. So, it is important to coach the dog to accept co-inhabitants when it is still a young American Bandogge Mastiff puppy.

How long does an American Bandogge live?

For a large breed, the American Bandogge Mastiff has a reasonable life expectancy of 10-12 years. In some cases, this is almost twice the lifespan of the parent breed!

The modern Bandog breed has evolved over the past sixty years, and American Bandogge Mastiff breeders have put in conscious efforts to improve the health of the breed. This includes addressing several respiratory and cardiac health issues that are common among American Bulldog and Mastiff American dogs.

Despite their efforts, the Bandog breed remains vulnerable to a small set of health problems, including hip and elbow dysplasia, eye diseases, cancer, and (abdominal) bloat.

How do they reproduce?

As with most domestic breeds, the reproduction and breeding of Bandogs are managed by experienced breeders. In fact, this is recommended over arbitrary mating in order to maintain the health and quality of the breed.

The dogs in this hybrid breed achieve sexual maturity between six to nine months of age. A female dog comes into the heat twice a year, but quality breeders will only mate her once a year, giving a gap of one to two years between litters.

The gestation period lasts for about two months, following which the female dog gives birth to a litter of two to five pups. This wide range reflects the breeding habits of its mixed parent breeds.

High-quality breeders begin training a puppy when it is two to three weeks old, even before it is sold to its final owner. A puppy is often allowed to stay and nurse with the mother until it is six to eight weeks old.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of American Bandogge is Least Concern.

American Bandogge Fun Facts

What do American Bandogges look like?

An American Bandogge is a large-sized dog with a stocky build and a strong muscle structure. This breed comes in a variety of colors, including black, brown (fawn), red and blue. It also exhibits physical traits that are common across its Bulldog and Mastiff parent breeds – like large size, triangular ears, etc.

How cute are they?

The cuteness of an American Bandogges dog is subtle, as you will have to look beyond their seemingly aggressive expression. They take their role as watchdogs seriously and are passionately protective of their owners and family.

But with a little bit of early training, they can also become friendly and safe companions for children and other farm animals such as cats, sheep, etc.

How do they communicate?

American Bandogges have a loud bark, and they will use it to warn off strangers and intruders. They also communicate through non-verbal cues.

For instance, they wag their tail in excitement and give a short bark to indicate engagement. Their ears and hair will stand up when they feel aggressive or threatened. They also use dog noises – like grunts, snorts, growls, etc. – to communicate with their immediate family.

How big is an American Bandogge?

This is a large-sized dog with a height range of 25-29 in (64-74 cm) and a weight range of 85-140 lb (39-64 kg). With this, a Bandog is approximately 10-12 times the size of the average house cat.

How fast can an American Bandogge run?

Most of these dogs take after their Bulldog parent breed, running at speeds closer to 15 mph (24 kph). In rare cases, a Bandog may come close to its ultra-fast Mastiff parent, with a speed of 36 mph (58 kph).

How much does an American Bandogge weigh?

The weight of these Bandogges can vary between 85-140 lb (39-64 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

A male American Bulldog Bandogge is called a stud, especially when it is used for breeding. A female Mastiff American Bandogge is called a bitch, again, when used for breeding.

Also, male American Bandogges are typically bigger and taller than their female counterparts.

What would you call a baby American Bandogge?

A baby American Bandogge is called a pup, or a puppy.

What do they eat?

American Bandogge are omnivores and their diet includes canned or packed dog food, rice, grains, vegetables, fish, meat, and some fruit (in moderation).

Despite being large dogs, Bandogs are vulnerable to many wild predators including the rattlesnake.

Are they slobbery?

Yes, they do tend to drool a fair bit, much like their parent breeds. In fact, owners will need to keep on top of their dog’s dental hygiene by frequently wiping the drool off their mouths.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, an American Bandogge makes a great pet. But here are some facts you should know in order to get the best out of your dog:

1. This breed was originally bred to be a guardian dog. So they have a loud bark and can get aggressive with strangers.

2. Bandogs have a stocky build and consume a lot of food – seven to eight cups of dry dog food per day. So, they do need regular exercise to avoid long-term health problems.

3. They are intelligent working dogs. They need both physical and mental stimulation to thrive. Introducing your Bandogs to dog puzzles is a good way to harness their caliber.

4. They thrive as companion dogs, not solitary dogs. These are not the dogs you can shut in your apartment as you set out to work all day.

5. Depending on the dominant parent gene, they shed one to two months in a year. But these dogs will still need a basic grooming routine once a week.

6. Due to their large build, they require a fair bit of space to live. They are not necessarily the playful type that run about all day, so, even if you do not have a big backyard, your pet American Bandogge will do fine with a daily walk.

Did you know...

Bandogs are often misunderstood as overtly aggressive dogs. But did you know that an American Bandogge can also be a fine therapy dog?

Yes, these dogs can be taught to express support and affection – two very obvious non-aggressive qualities – to their owners and immediate family. This reiterates the importance of early training to shape the characteristics of these strong watchdogs.

Different types of Bandog

The term 'Bandog' is said to have origins way back in the 1200s, as Europeans reared them as hunting dogs. In fact, Bandog literally means 'chain' in ancient English dialects. This reflected on the practice of chaining this breed during the day, so they could hunt ferociously at night.

This breed has obviously evolved a lot since those ancient times. The origin of the modern-day American Bandogge can be traced to John Swinford'spractice in the 1960s. This English vet began mating female Neapolitan Mastiff dogs with male American Pit Bull Terrier dogs to create a more standardized breed of watchdogs.

In course of time, breeders introduced local or newer Bulldog and Mastiff breeds. Today, this can be a cross between four Bulldog breed varieties – American Bulldog, American Pit Bull Terrier, Bullmastiff, and American Staffordshire Terrier, and three Mastiff varieties – Neapolitan Mastiff, English Mastiff, and American Mastiff.

An American Bandogge pup is not always a 50-50 mix. Depending on the dominant gene, the breed is recognized under different names by kennel clubs.

The top two varieties in this breed include – American Bandogge that stays true to the original and is recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club, and American Masti Bull that is an American Bulldog and Mastiff mix recognized by the Designer Dogs Kennel Club.

Getting your own American Bandogge

Before getting your own American Bandogge, it is important to check if this dog breed is legally allowed in your country. For instance, the parent breed, American Pit Bull Terrier, is banned in many European countries – including UK, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, etc.

It is allowed in the United States, with some restrictions to control its aggressive behavior.

Next, this is an expensive breed. A young four to eight weeks old puppy can cost anywhere between $1,000-2,500! The cost of the puppy depends on the breeder, breed quality, age, lineage, availability, and locality. Also, Bandogge puppies are more expensive than Masti Bull puppies.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our dachshund dog facts and Scottish Deerhound dog facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable American Bandogge coloring pages.

Thank you to Kidadler Jacob Derrickson for providing the image of their American Bandogge in this article.