The term Bandog is believed to have originated during the Middle Ages in England. Johannes Caius published a book in Latin in 1570, translated into English in 1576 by Abraham Fleming under the title “Of Englishe Dogges“, in which he described the Bandog as “a vast, eager dog of heavy body“. 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. The Bandogs of old were strictly working dogs, often of various crosses and various sizes. The name “Bandog” was then not a breed, it was a description of a duty or purpose.