| The following description is taken from the 1971 FCI Standard on the Neapolitan Mastiff describing the general appearance, conformation, balance and disposition. “The Neapolitan Mastiff is a guard dog and defense dog par excellence, of great size, powerful and strongly built, of tough yet majestic appearance, sturdy and courageous, of intelligent expression, endowed with correct mental balance and docile character, non-aggressive, indefatigable defender of persons and property. The general conformation is that of a heavy brachymorph, whose trunk is longer than the height at the withers, harmonious as regards size (heterometry) and profile (alloidism). Skin is not adhering to the underlying tissue but abundant, with slack connective tissue over all parts of the body and especially on the head where it forms wrinkles and folds and at the neckwhere it forms the dewlap.” A better description of this majestic beast can never be found. Massive is a word which best describes the Neapolitan Mastiff. A large and powerful dog with a brachycephalic and massive skull, wrinkled head, huge bone and stocky body, the typical Neapolitan male weighs in at 140-170 pounds and stands 27-30 inches at the withers. Females are somewhat smaller in sizetypically 110-140 lbs. The Neapolitan is certainly not the tallest of dogs but next to his English Mastiff cousin, the Neapolitan more often than not appears to be more broad and massive though lighter. Adult height is usually reached at about one year of age, though some individuals may grow an inch or so more after that. Adult weight is generally not reached until the dog is 3 to 3 ½ years of age and sometimes older. Like all giant breeds, the Neapolitan is a slow maturer and his puppyhood is long. They are not considered mature specimens until the age of three. Unfortunately, this wonderful animal, like all other giant breeds, does not have a long life. The Neapolitan’s life span is 8 - 10 years. Having a short, stiff, hard and dense coat of uniform length and smoothness all over the body, the Neapolitan Mastiff is virtually a wash and wear dog. Noextensive grooming is required except during the two shedding periods, spring and fall. I find that a shedding blade coupled with a mitt of sisal or horsehair will help remove all dead hair. The accepted coat colors are black, blue (all shades of grey), tawny and mahogany, all with or without brindling (a slight striping on all or part of the coat). In the Neapolitan, brindling is not a color but a marking. White markings are acceptable on tips of toes and on the chest. All puppies are born with blue eyes which change to correspond to the coat color at 3 to 4 months of age. In black dogs the eyes are usually brown; hazel is common in the blue specimens. The natural ear of the Neapolitan is small in relation to the size of the dog. It is triangular in shape, set above the zygomatic arch (cheekbones) and they lay flat and close to the cheeks. Traditionally cropped, they form an equilateral triangle. Cropping of the ear is not required for the show ring; they may be shown with natural ears or cropped ears. The cropped ear gives the dog a more alert expression. The tail is always docked to 2/3 of its original length reaching or slightly exceeding the top of the hock. The tail should be broad and thick at the root tapering slightly at the tip, set slightly lower than the dog’s topline. …. Further information can be obtained through the purchase of Carol Paulsen of “La Tutela Neapolitan Mastiffs” book – Neapolitan Mastiff, a special limited edition & comprehensive owner’s guide. The Neapolitan Mastiff is a loyal, peaceful and steady dog, not aggressive or prone to biting without reason. A superior guardian of his persons and property, the Neapolitan is a vigilant, intelligent, noble and majestic beast. It is not uncommon for the Neapolitan to be stubborn, headstrong, independent and strong-willed, and sometimes shy. Shy dogs should never be bred. Wary of strangers but a wonderful, loving companion with their own family, the Neapolitan needs socialization to become accustomed to different people, places and things. Most prefer to be homebodies and are not advocates of change. Social interaction with people is a must and the Neapolitan should be taken off premise,touched and petted by as many people as possible when still a puppy. When the interaction is positive, the Neapolitan should be showered with praise. Most owners are concerned that high levels of socialization will diminish the Neapolitan’s ability to be a guard dog and protect his home and family. Nothing could be farther from the truth. This trait has been bred into the breed for centuries, it is not that easily changed. It is imperative though that an owner of aNeapolitan never forget the dog’s strong, natural and primitive instincts. The Neapolitan Mastiff owner, in order to raise a good canine citizen, must always be aware of the thoughts and behavior of dogs coupled with responsible, consistent discipline. Because of the love the Neapolitan has for his home and family, he will not stray, a wanderer he is not. To the Neapolitan his master is everything and hewould rather be with them than anything else. He seeks the companionship of his master more so than that of another dog or animal. He will follow you from room to room and lay at your feet waiting for your next move. His master is his world. Neapolitans by nature are dominant, alpha dogs and must be handled accordingly. It is important to remember that every member of the family, including the children, must outrank the Neapolitan in pack member status. Pleasebe aware that the Neapolitan is an adult’s dog, not a dog meant for children’s entertainment. If you are looking for a dog for your children to be their nursemaid and to rough house with, then consider another breed. As a rule, no dog, large or small, should be left with children unattended. This is an accident waiting to happen; if you are unable to supervise your dog around children, please separate the dog from them. All activity, including play, between the Neapolitan and the children should be done in the presence of at least one adult. Most Neapolitans are fond of their human children and would not purposely hurt them, however, because of their large size a small child can be knocked over and stepped on in their exuberance. The Neapolitan deserves and commands respect from adults andchildren alike. Neapolitans are generally tolerant of other animals. It is not recommended that the Neapolitan share the household with another dog with an alpha nature.Two Neapolitans of the same sex if housed together may have to be separated as the severity of their disagreements increases. When a female is kept with a male Neapolitan, she usually takes charge that is if the male allows himself to become subservient. I have seen males and females fight for the alpha position in the pack. I recommend, from my own personal experiences, that each dog, male and female, be housed separately, when left alone, to prevent fighting and bloodshed. It truly is not worthwhile having your prized possession maimed or disfigured because you are seeking the peaceable kingdom. The Neapolitan loving the chase will often pursue a runner or bicycler and most have been known to chase cats or quick moving animals like rabbits. This is why it is important that the Neapolitan be obedience trained and his energy channeled properly. All dogs must be taught what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior, therefore, obedience training for the Neapolitan is a must. Consistency is the key. With a dog the size of the Neapolitan it is imperative that the owner be in charge at all times. The owner has this obligation to himself, to his dog and to others. Neapolitans love to chew; adequate toys and various non-harmful types of bones should help to alleviate this problem. But until he can be safely left in the home without causing destruction, it is recommended that crate training be employed.
In addition, another endearing habit of the Neapolitan, as is true with all mastiff-type dogs is snoring. A sound asleep Neapolitan resting contently on the second floor of a house can be heard on the first floor right through the floorboards! This certainly does not sit well with humans who tend to be light sleepers.
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