Australian Bandog

[BrendanG]

Hey all,

Went to school in Australia and ended up doin a fair bit of hog hunting. Got hooked. And had the option to bring back a dog.

The pack I ran with had a few finders/bailers and some large catch dogs - deep generation Mastiff x apbt crosses. This Old Italian immigrant family had been running these dogs for 60yrs. Old school corso/Mastino types.

Turned out both the sire and the dam were extremely hard catch dogs with wind and nose. So when they had a litter I brought one back to the states.

I don’t have many hogs on my side of town but have been training this monster up in personal protection sports. He’s been a great working dog - super high prey drive. Fool chases leaves/bees/trash blowing in the wind. Very athletic for a Mastiff with Good territorial aggression/defense and man aggression. A well rounded and balanced dog.

Needless to say - threw him on his first hog and he blew me out the water. He was a natural. And I’ll def be taking him out. Strapping a vest on him. And goin after bigger game.

The question being....


How many run larger catchdogs - and at what point does size inhibit ability?

I’ve seen quite a few functional crosses in Australia. Bandogs. Bull Mastiffs x Dane. Wolfhound x Mastiffs. Cane corsos x bull Arabs?

Is 120lbs the upper limits for hog dog athleticism and ability?

What would turn off perspective hunters about a dog that size?

I’m just pleased that this Bandog works.
I’m looking to further prove him on game.












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[Reuben]

I don’t know the answer to your questions...but he is a good looking dog and looks to built for agility...agile for a dog of his size...

[BrendanG]

Greatly appreciate it. He’s really more of functional working type Mastiff.

I’m really trying to determine what potential hog hunters prefer in a larger type dog (if they even have use for one) 


 


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[WayOutWest]

I have hunted over a 100# pit bull of unknown breeding that was a top tier catchdog. Built very much like yours but with a little less lip. The  biggest thing is having them trained enough to not drag you through the woods. Your dog seems put together very well.

[Judge peel]

Good looking dog. He is heavy on the front end but looks to have the size to handle it. He is way big for my liking as a every day catch dog but I bet he could handle a hog. Hey it don’t matter the this and that’s if you like him roll with it I see no problems making him a cd or what ever. Very nice dog


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[BrendanG]

He’s a large dog. 28.5” and 120 conditioned. I’m looking for ways to improve upon him if he were ever to be bred.

He’s a phenomenal Home guardian. Great in personal protection sports. And instinctively - knows his way around a hog - but his sheer size is a limiting factor.

I have a really nice performance AB. Heavy screaming eagle blood. Would likely lighten up his frame a bit while upping the intensity.

Just thinking of how he could be used in mindful crosses that working/hunting homes would appreciate.

I’m playing with the idea of incorporating some Sighthound blood.


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[WayOutWest]

In my opinion you don't need to up intensity for a catch dog, the best catch dogs go from catching to laidback as soon as they are off the hog. I always thought 100# dog was too big till I saw a good one. I would be looking at something tighter lipped cause he will chew those lips up on a busy hog catching day. Sight hound may be good if you are hunting more open country but their way of catching is quite different than bulldog types so it may be inconsistent in the litter.

[Semmes]

If you don’t mind me asking...

Where did your heavy screaming eagle ab blood come from?

Dave pope? Henry?

Just wondering...

[BrendanG]

In my opinion you don't need to up intensity for a catch dog, the best catch dogs go from catching to laidback as soon as they are off the hog. I always thought 100# dog was too big till I saw a good one. I would be looking at something tighter lipped cause he will chew those lips up on a busy hog catching day. Sight hound may be good if you are hunting more open country but their way of catching is quite different than bulldog types so it may be inconsistent in the litter.

Ha. Those lips def get caught in bitework from time to time.

And you do have a point about catch style variation. I haven’t seen enough first generation crosses (bull lurchers) on hogs
But would think a 3/4 bull x Sighthound would keep that bite style consistent 

I have a young male stag I’m growin up atm. Parents are coyote and hog dogs. Think I might have to use him later down the line


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[BrendanG]

If you don’t mind me asking...

Where did your heavy screaming eagle ab blood come from?

Dave pope? Henry?

Just wondering...

I have a dog linebred off KRK’s Big Bruno - who actually just recently passed. My female pup is Heavy koura leclerc with a quarter boyd blood.

Gift from a mentor of mine.
Feel free to shoot me a direct message.


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[Semmes]

I remember Reggie and Bruno... used to see Reggie quite a lot at shows and Bruno was a real nice dog

[Judge peel]

Nice bulldog as well


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[BrendanG]

Appreciate it gentlemen. I have no plans to throw her on hogs atm. She’s being groomed to become my high level bitework/ sport competition dog.

So far I’m EXTREMELY pleased with how she’s turning out.

In the meantime - I’m looking to compliment this Bandogs strengths/mitigate his weaknesses (excessive size/weight) and am actively seeking feedback.

I have a few dogs here in my stable - and would love to make an all around running catch dog. Ultimately one capable of working hogs/coyote with some defense drive/man aggression.

This dog is pretty close to my ideal “running catchdog type” - and is in the UK. He’s a neoXPresa x Grey

 

Looks to have good leg - likely decent wind.
A “light coursing Mastiff” of sorts.

Would this be something avid hog hunters would appreciate? Is this dog too light in type? And what are the experiences hunting with Sighthound/staghound blood.

Someone was kind enough to mention how the bite style changed? Does heavy Sighthound blood make them “head and neck dogs” as opposed to dogs who catch on the ear?




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[Judge peel]

That’s a well built dog still very large but built very nice


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[t-dog]

Brendan all the dogs you've posted are nice. Honestly I'm probably more fond of the 2 males especially the dark brindle male. EVERYBODY has their own idea of what perfect type is. There are so many different styles of hunting in the states that what works for one might not work for another. Example, JudgePeel runs a shorter range rough set of dogs. If they are baying it's gonna be a sounder of hogs or a big nasty rascal, otherwise they catch out without a catch dog. He doesn't like the  bigger style dogs personally. All he needs is something that will go get ahold of big nasty and the rest are going to join in. Myself, I like a 75-95# athlete. I want something that is big enough to handle whatever I point him at l by himself. I hunt deeper ranging dogs that will pull hair but by no means rough. I am also subject to load one strike dog and one catch dog and hunt that way. Again the dog is going to have to be able to handle whatever I point him at because he isn't going to have much help if any. I also have places where I get the opportunity to catch in the open field. For that the dog obviously  needs some wheels and to be able to get up over and out of the grass and weeds. Equally important to me though is brains and disposition. I want me catch dog to be thinking on his feet a d making any necessary adjustments. After he is caught I want him to have the ability to hit the off switche and chill out while I finish getting the hog tied. Sit back, relax and listen for the next bay. You  can catch hogs all day everyday with that style be ause he recovers so quickly. If you get deep in the brush and happen to get a dog hurt bad and have to pack it out, that 75-95# dog is heavy, but that 120# dog is gonna test you lol. I've gotten in that bind with small, medium, and large dogs and the biggest difference was I had to bury the smaller dog and the large 100+ like to have killed me getting it out. But looks wise, the darker male is my ideal look. Hope this helps you out.

[Sambo5500]

I actually have big Australian style dogs. The big dogs work!! I have a couple wolfhound, deerhound, greyhound, pitbull and cane corso crosses. The sire is a wolfhound dominant staghoumd with some deerhound and greyhound. Dam is the pitbull mastiff. Male is about 100# female about 75-80. Super athletic and extreme speed and power. Great wind and agility. They have great wind and can easily sprint for great distances without to much tiring out. Recover extremely quick because they are calm after a catch. I'm willing to bet that your dog is plenty capable of being a good one. Them Austalians been doing it for a while. 60 years of breeding wasn't by accident.

[Reuben]

Like said all dogs pictured are nice looking dogs...I like the dark one best as well...he is built for power agility and speed...I like apbts that are built that way and about 75-80  pounds...but I wouldn’t blink an eye and would take one like the dark one in a heartbeat...

[BrendanG]

I’m very appreciative of a the feedback. I’m coming from a sport/pp dog background and looking to accumulate as much knowledge as I can get as I look to create a more functional working type Mastiff

I’m just starting to really get into the hunting game with my own dogs. Have a few close friends providing guidance and working what I’m producing. But really want to get a feel for what people make the decision to feed. The terrain they run, and the preferences they have

I happen to have a few dogs in my kennel that I’m planning to breed to create a dog very similar to the dark brindle dogs pictured
That dog is neo presa x grey in the UK


I have a working stag (Russian wolfhound deerhound Grey) out of Tibbs stouffer and feather lines who’s parents are a head and throat dog on coyotes and solid ear dogs on hogs. I’m planning on taking his father to my female neo x presa import from the UK. And my pup to my AB.




Depending on how they are thrown some will be lighter framed than others. There was quite a bit of variation in that UK litter. The purpose of the breeding being to improve the physical health of the Neapolitan Mastiff - they greyhound being a complete outcross.

This is one of the larger framed dogs compared to his siblings.


They didn’t place emphasis on proven working dogs/working ability as they did on physically sound breed types. Im hoping the stock I’m using makes all the difference.




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[Judge peel]

No matter the size or breed of the dog if it can’t catch and hold in any scenario it’s not a catch dog


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[TheRednose]

No matter the size or breed of the dog if it can’t catch and hold in any scenario it’s not a catch dog

Very true Judge.

This has turned into an interesting conversation.

I see a lot of people focusing on size, speed, endurance and rightly so, but I have a few issues with how they think they will get these traits and imo they are forgetting the most important of all. Heart is what is going to keep them holding even when they are on the bad side of a whoopin. This could just be my background and my own prejudice but I want as much bulldog (APBT) in them as possible preferably 100%. It gives me peace of mind going into a bay when I know I got a real bulldog in there. Anytime I see all of these cur breeds (anything other than bulldog) being added into a catch dog I get hesitant. When is that dog going to quit? Not that a bulldog can't or won't, just really increases your odds of it when adding all this cur blood. Next is if I am going to add breeds it would only be breeds that were superior at something and imo a neopalitan mastiff is an inferior dog for anything to do with catching not to mention their aggression issues. What do they bring to the party? Size who cares you can get big APBT's or you can add size through a dog that actually brings something along with size to the table like Dane or Stag. Plus imo I think the optimal size for catchdogs for most situations is 65-95lbs.

Just some feed back from what this one hunter wants/likes in a catchdog.