It is very important to consider the breeding of the puppy, no matter how cute he might be. With a pure bred puppy, you can be confident that the mature dog will be a certain size and body shape, and have a known temperament.

The breeder has a breeding program to "breed in" desirable qualities and characteristics, and to "breed out" or eliminate undesirable qualities. When you opt for a cross-breed, you are effectively taking a chance - you can not be certain which characteristics your mature dog will develop.

The American Bandog Mastiff is part American Pit Bull Terrier, part Neapolitan Mastiff. A reputable breed of American bandog mastiff is the Swinford, after the man responsible for developing the breed - a breed noted for high intelligence and a good stable temperament. The Swinford is loving and extremely loyal, and is highly valued as a guardian dog.

One day, and much sooner than you think, that little mastiff puppy is going to be a very large mastiff dog. This is an important factor in your puppy-rearing strategy.

Every domestic animal should have some obedience training when young, and the mastiff is no exception. You will also have to exercise strict discipline, not allowing any behavior in the puppy that you would forbid in the adult dog. It's too easy to spoil the puppy and treat him as you might a cat, giving him free reign in the home. It's very difficult to change these early patterns of behavior when the puppy has shot up to 200 pounds. I personally try to avoid confrontation with anyone or anything that is heavier and stronger than myself!

Like most puppies of whatever breed, the young mastiff loves to chew, but the mastiff has extremely strong jaws, so he can easily destroy many normal dog toys. If you do not provide these, you will find that he will chew on sticks or stones or anything he can find, and swallowing chunks of these will lead to intestinal problems. Ask advice from a local breeder or vetenarian, or perhaps from among your mastiff owning friends.

The mastiff is genetically programmed to grow and develop at a remarkable rate, so the diet should simply be good quality dog food. Avoid artificial supplements and vitamin shots, he will achieve his full healthy potential with the basic feed. The mastiff has a seemingly unquenchable thirst, so always ensure that there is a readily available source of clean drinking water. The mastiff does drool, unfortunately, and this can soon contaminate his drinking water - you should wash his bowl and replace his water, for he will not drink his soiled water.

Good early training and discipline will ensure that your American bandog mastiff puppy grows into a fine loving and healthy companion for the family, and a reliable guardian for your home.