Bandit is Jonny's pet bulldog, so named because he is white with black markings - including what appears to be a black domino mask around his eyes. This coloration is occasionally instrumental in foiling adversaries. Bandit is unique among his fellow Hanna-Barbera dogs (such as Scooby-Doo, Huckleberry Hound, and Hong Kong Phooey), as he is a regular non-anthropomorphic dog. Still, he seems uncannily able to understand human speech and is capable of complex facial expressions. Don Messick provided Bandit's vocal effects, which were combined with an archived clip of an actual dog barking. Creator Doug Wildey wanted to have a monkey as Jonny's pet, but he was overruled by Hanna-Barbera. Wildey has said that Bandit was intended to be a bulldog, though the dog differs in appearance from actual bulldog breeds.