About the Neapolitan
Mastiff
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The Neapolitan Mastiff is a direct descendant of the
ancient molosser war dog and can be traced back as far as 5000yrs.They
fought along side the Romans in war and were left at home to protect
family and property. They were used in the Roman arenas to be pitted
against lions, bears, and gladiators for entertainment. When the Roman
Empire broke up and countries formed the descendants of the Roman
Molossian evolved into different mastiff breeds and took on new names and
characteristics from the country it stayed in such as your English
Mastiff, French Mastiff (Dogue de Bordeaux), Spanish Mastiff, the Swiss
St. Bernard, the German Rottweiler. It is the Italian Molossian that
remained the same since Roman times. It has survived in the Italian
countryside practically unchanged in appearance and personality. In 1949
Piero Scanziani reintroduced this living relic with the help of Dr.
Ruggero Soldati and a few others and it was named Mastino Napoletano in
honor of those in Naples who were responsible for maintaining this ancient
dog over the centuries.
The standard many
people today read has been written 50 years ago.The standard has been
revised several times since then bringing us to the standard written in
1991. Height at the withers in males is 26-30 inches. In Females it is
24-27 inches. In show you are allowed a 2cm tolerance either way. Now the
average weights in males today are 155lbs + and have been known to
tip the scales at as much as 200 lbs. The females average weight today is
120 lbs.+ and have been known to tip the scales at 175 lbs, although the
standard on weights is still written as it was 50 years ago. Today's
Mastinos are much more massive than they were back then so the averages
have become much greater.
Neapolitans have very loose connective tissue on the body and forms
wrinkles and folds on the head and a large dewlap under the neck. The coat
is short, stiff, hard, and dense but smooth. No fringes. They should have
long, copious lips and a wide flat skull. Muzzles should be wide and the
length should be equal to 1/3 of the total length of the head. The length
of the body is 10% greater than the height at the withers. Their bones are
massive and their feet are tight and round and could span up to 6
inches across.1/3 of their tail is cropped and should not come over the
back. Their ears are normally cropped close to the head although you have
the choice to leave them natural. They have four colors which is blue,
black, mahogany, and tawny. Brindling is allowed. They can have white on
their chest and the tips of their toes only. Nose and lip color
matches the coat. Eye colors are different shades of green to grey or
brown depending on the coat color. Absolutely no blue eyes are permitted.
An important thing to remember is that they should be proportionate with
their size (harmonious). It takes 3 yrs. for these dogs to mature. There
is a huge difference between 2 and 3 yrs.
Neapolitans are the only dog that walks like a cat and trots like a bear.
They are completely devoted to their family and great with children when
raised with them. The Neapolitan needs to be socialized. They will still
do their job. You can't breed centuries of guarding out of them. As with
all Neapolitans, they have a dominate nature and they need an owner that
is firm. This breed is not for the novice dog owner. They are fiercely
loyal and are content just to lay at your feet. Little exercise is needed;
remember, these dogs aren't runners or joggers and they don't do well on
long walks. A short walk a day is all that is needed to keep up their
muscle tone. With that in mind they don't need acreage to live on. They
are bred to stay put, as centenary guard dogs do. They were built that
way. The Neapolitan Mastiff is an awesome breed and unlike any other breed
of dog in character, looks and personality.
