Neapolitan Mastiff

by Dane The Great August 23, 2015, 3:28 AM 10.5k Views

Neapolitan Mastiff Appearance

Table of Contents

These are obviously very big and strong dogs. They can have several different colors to their coats such as black, tawny, blue, and mahogany. It is common for them to have wrinkled and loose skin. The male dog’s average weight goes from 130-155 pounds, where the females ranges from 110-130 pounds. They carry a lot of thick skin, with a heavy coat and feels smooths all over. The coat can be a multitude of colors, gray, black, tan, brindle, tawny and mahogany.

Neapolitan Mastiff Grooming

They are wrinkly dogs, which need to have those hard to reach crevices cleaned thoroughly every day. They are pretty good shedders. Be consisted with brushing them each week to sustain from losing loose hair.

When checking and cleaning their ears look for any irritations, infections or allergic reactions. This should be done weekly. To clean their ears make sure to use cotton balls and medicine approved by physician. Stay away from their ear canal, because you may inadvertently do inner ear damage. Their nails should be cut once a month. Do your best to brush their teeth weekly. They can develop gum disease, bad breath and tartar issues if not properly cared for.

Neapolitan Mastiff Temperament

This is typically a family dog that can be affectionate to all members. They can be considered a watch dog. These dogs are loyal, protective and alert when watching over its family. Loving and caring are the best ways to describe these dogs to their owners. Though, they will be aggressive towards strangers. Because of their independent mentally they will not mix well with other dogs, unless mixing them with others at a young age. It would not be prudent to pair or mix them with other overly aggressive dogs.

Neapolitan Mastiff dogs prefer spacious homes and yards where they can lounge about. They are very at ease dogs that can mellow out for long periods of time. They do not have a good sense of space. Make sure that they are not in presence of precious items that could break, when finding a space to sit they are oblivious to such things. At a young age, these dogs have a lot of energy. As they get older and more mature they will get tiresome.

If you are looking for a clean and tidy dog this is not the one for you. They will drool and pass gas! This is common after having a meal or if they are scared. It is a comfort dog, which is pretty silent. Barking is not a strength, so not the best watch dog. But they are very protective dogs that will be loving and sympathetic to all family members. They are great for the whole family, a fun play date for kids and chilling buddy for adults. They are inherit guard dogs that are loyal and very smart. Neapolitan Mastiffs create great relationships with their owners and families.

Neapolitan Mastiff Training

The Neapolitan Mastiff is a very self-aware dog. They do not take very well to massive amounts of training. These dogs are self-reliant and think independently. When training them you must be determined to complete their training as they test your patience. You need to know that these are very big dogs. As you train them you need to be in total control. It is imperative to keep a strong and assertive demeanor with them. It is important to show them who is boss! It is important for them to practice their socialization skills at a young age. If not they will become standoffish with children and new people they come in contact with.

Positive reinforcement is essential when training Neapolitan Mastiffs. Like most dogs they do react well to food treats when being trained. If you are overly aggressive and domineering these dogs will react fiercely towards you. It is important to draw a fine line of strict training and love. It’s good to remember that they do not need massive amounts of activity. They are very large dogs. Their stamina and conditioning is not the best. Sporadically they will have small instances of energy. Because of their overwhelming size they are susceptible to injuries on their joints. When implementing exercise, a good strategy would be too ease them into a small exercise routine starting at a young age.

These dogs’ mortality ranges from 8 to 10 years. They do not do well in hot climates, heat exhaustion can occur. Neapolitan Mastiffs can suffer from canine hip dysplasia, cardiomyopathy, eye disorders and elbow dysplasia. It is prudent to take them often to a veterinarian to get consultation on specific body parts such as eyes, skin, elbows and their hearts. For females they usually need caesarean delivery and artificial insemination, if you’re looking to breed.

Neapolitan Mastiff History

Their predecessor were the Molossus, which were war dogs throughout the Arabian Peninsula. They have also been used for several other job such as, personal protectors, herders, flock protectors, hunters and cattle drovers. They were also fighting dogs for nobles and kings. The Neapolitan Mastiff has ancestry from ancient Greece and Rome. Alexander the Great brought these dogs to Greece, mainly for his admiration of them. The main region he brought them to was called “Molossia”. After his heroic and overarching defeat in Greece, Roman Emperor Paola Emilio, as a prize to their victory he took a hundred of these dogs back to Rome. They would eventually implement them into Colosseum fighting games. These dogs eventually were bred throughout the decline of the Roman Empire and up through the Middle Ages, mainly in Europe and in the Arabian Peninsula. The duties of the dogs was solely to guard castles and to hunt wild boar.

This type of dog was almost forgotten after WWII, even though it was so well known throughout Europe. Piero Scanziani, who was an Italian painter, began to breed Mastiff type dogs from Italy with English Mastiff. This would give us the formal breed of Neapolitan Mastiff.