From for away, the bark of the bandog could still be heard.

He reached out and gave the bandog a hearty, approving slap.

The name "Bandog" was then not a breed, it was a description of a duty or purpose.

For these reasons, it is wise for those interested in the Bandog to put forth significant research about their expectations from such dogs.

The Swinford Bandog is an unrecognized type of guard dog.

He heard the bandog, and a hundred other hounds crying, droning, quarreling or snoring through the city of Avignon.

With images of hearthrugs and bowls of hot porridge he seduced die cardinal's bandog.

BANDOG, dog tied or chained up.

The original Bandogs were bred with a functional purpose, as were all working breeds, and for the Bandog this purpose revolved around guarding and protecting.

Today there are many versions of the modern day Bandog, and as a result the Bandog today lacks a unified breed standard or direction.

Extract from Barnaby Googe's 1577 translation of Conrad Heresbach's description of the Bandog for the house:

The type is not to be confused with the bandog, which was also a dog controlled by a leash, typically a chain, but was a watch dog or guard dog.

The Bandog should be a rugged dog, moderate to heavily boned, heavily muscled, intimidating when seen, and is a very formidable guardian when provoked by someone outside of the family unit.

Unfortunately, there is typically little or nothing in common between the modern Bandog programs and Dr. Swinford's program other than the "Bandog" name itself.

Gaspare smothered a squeal of protest, and Damiano's Lute Damiano's Lute the bandog put its long head between them to see what was going on.

Early incarnations of the Bandog probably had bloodlines from bull baiting dogs and the Guardian Mastiffs or the cross of both like the war dogs used in the Crusades.

In the pursuit of one's own preference of perfection, various programs have created some breeds similar to what is now accepted as the modern day "Bandog" but did not use that name for their breed.

That said, there are indeed some high quality modern Bandog program in existence today that do have very specific goals even though these goals may not be unanimous between one breeder and the next.

(Andrucho, an unsubtle soldier, functions as something like the King's jester; the King calls him his "bandog," and allows the Swiss to criticize the courtiers with little restraint.)

Like all dogs, the Bandog can display either the best or the worst characteristics of the parents (or the parent breeds), depending on the knowledge of the breeder and the randomness of genetics.

Therefore, a purchaser of a Bandog must do a good deal of investigation to avoid the risk of buying a puppy from a breeder that does not understand the necessity of proper selection.

One such program produces the American Sentinel Canine, which is by no coincidence very similar to the original Swinford Bandog, and is essentially a renamed version of the same breed.

While the Bandog is still a relatively rare breed, those familiar with a well bred Bandog often develop the opinion of it being the perfect protection dog for their needs.

Because the Bandog is supposed to be a true working guard dog and because few programs actually put forth the effort to test their stock, it is wise verify the breeder's practice for testing their stock.

The term Bandog (also known as Bandogge) originated around 1250-1300 in Middle England, referring to a mastiff type dog that was bound by a chain during the daytime and was released at night to guard against intruders.