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.
