Neapolitan Mastiff    

History

The Neapolitan Mastiff is a direct descendant of the Molussus, the ancient mammoth war dogs of the Middle East (Sumeria, Assyria, Phoenecia, and Babylonia). It is first and foremost a working/utility breed, whose purposes are greatly varied. It has been primarily a farm helper/protector, also serving as a herding dog, flock protector, cattle drover, cart dog, large game hunting dog, and personal protection dog.

General Appearance ***   The Neapolitan Mastiff is a large dog, longer than tall, having great mass; whose general conformation is that of a brachiomorph.

Characteristics ***The breed is strong and loyal, but not aggressive nor prone to bite without cause. The Neapolitan Mastiff is an alert, intelligent, noble and majestic defender of person and property Any deviation from the standard is considered a fault and is to be penalized according to the degree of deviation from the standard.

Head and skull ***  The massive head is broad at the cheekbones. The total length of the head is about 30% of the height of the dog. The head has abundant skin, which forms wrinkles and folds; one that is typically pronounced begins at the outer corner of the eye and descends to the profile corner of the lips. The upper longitudinal planes of the skull and muzzle must be parallel. The broad skull is arched in front and especially flat between the ears. The skull width is greater than one-half of the total head length. When viewed from the front, the skull is very developed, with a pronounced middle crease, and a barely apparent occiput. The stop is very pronounced. The muzzle is very wide and profoundly deep. The muzzle length is one-third of the total head length. The sides of the muzzle are parallel. When viewed from the front, the muzzle almost seems to form a square. The lips are heavy, thick and abundant. When viewed from the front, the upper lips meet to form an inverted "V". In profile, the upper lip descends beyond the lower line of the jaw, and is on the perpendicular line with the outer corner of the eye. Where the lips meet, mucous membranes are visible.

EYES ***  The eyes are situated in a sub frontal position. They are well distanced and slightly deep set. Eye color corresponds to coat color. The eyelid rims are pigmented, with a tendency to be round.

NOSE ***   The vertical profile line of the nose is the lip. The nose is voluminous, with large nostrils, which are well-distanced. Pigment color corresponds to coat color.

EARS ***  The ears are small in comparison to the size of the dog and are set on above the zygomatic arch (the bony ridge forming the lower border of the eye socket). They may be uncropped or cropped. If uncropped, they are triangular in shape, and lie flat and close to the cheek. When cropped, they form a nearly equilateral triangle.

Neck and Dewlap *** The well-muscled neck is slightly crested when viewed from the side. It is wide at the base, and slightly tapering toward the head. The neck length is about 28% of the dog's height. The neck's width is about one-half of its length. The circumference of the neck is four-fifths of the height.  The dewlap is not abundant, but is well divided. It begins at the lower jaw and descends to a length about equal to one-half of the neck's length.

 

ForeQuarters *** Viewed both in profile and from the front, the forequarters are vertical, having strong structure, which is in balance with the size of the dog. The long, very developed shoulder has well-separated muscles. Its length is about 30% of the height of the dog. The shoulder blade angle is 105 to 115 degrees.

FORELEGS  ***  The upper arm muscle mass is full and well developed. The length of the upper arm is about 30% of the dog's height. It slants horizontally 55 to 60 degrees. The elbow is not held to close to the body. It has abundant, loose skin. The length of the forearm is equal to that of the upper arm. It is perfectly dry, and vertical, with strong structure and well-developed muscles. The wide, dry carpus (pastern join) is straight, in line with the vertical line of the forearm. The flat pastern inclines about70 to 75 degrees. Its Iength is one-sixth the length of the entire limb.

Body *** Body length is greater than height by 10%. The backline is straight. Only the withers rise above it. The back is broad and long. Its length is about one-third of the dog's height. The loin is deep, and has long muscles. The broad, open chest has well-developed pectoral muscles. Its width is about 40 to 45% of the dog's height, and is equal with the rib cage. The breast bone is level with the point of the shoulder. The long ribs are well-sprung. The rib cage is full. The girth is 1.25 times the height. The muscular croup is wide and robust, and well developed where it joins the backline. The croup slopes about 30 degrees, and in length is about 30% of the dog's height.

HindQuarters *** The equally functional hindquarters are robust and powerful. They are in proportion to the dog's size and mass and developed to ensure proper drive and movement.

HIND LEGS ***   In length, the long upper thigh is about one-third of the dog's height. It has an inclination of about 60 degrees, and is wide, with large, clearly-defined muscles. The thighbone joins the hip at a 90 degree angle. The stifle angle is about 110 to 115 degrees. The lower thigh is slightly shorter than the upper thigh, with an inclination of about 50 to 55 degrees. It is very strong in structure and has a clearly evident muscularity. The hock joint is very long with respect to the leg. The strong, round, dry rear pastern is positioned perfectly plumb. Its length is about one-quarter of the dog's height. Rear dewclaws are removed.

Feet *** The round, voluminous, tight forefeet have well arched toes. The hard, dry pads are well pigmented. The strong nails are darkly pigmented. The hind feet are smaller than the forefeet, with identical attributes.

Tail *** The tail is wide and thick at the base, then tapers slightly. It is docked to allow two-thirds to remain, so it will reach the point of the hock. At rest, the tail is carried slightly sloping. In action, it is carried level or slightly higher than the topline.  Very serious fault: Tail carried like a trumpet.

Coat and skin *** The glossy, dense, fine coat is equal in length and uniformly smooth. The maximum length is about five- eighths of an inch. It must not have any trace of fringe. The thick skin is abundant and loose all over the body. It is particularly loose on the head, where it forms numerous wrinkles and folds. On the underside of the neck, it forms a well-divided dewlap.

Colour *** Preferred colors include: gray, lead, black, mahogany, tawny, and tawny stag. Each color may be brindled (tigered). There may be small white patches on the chest and on the tips of the toes. The following shades are acceptable, but not preferred: brown, pale gray, and cream. Disqualification: Albinism.

HEIGHT ***  Height is measured at the withers. The acceptable height range for males is from 25½ to 29½ inches. The acceptable height range for females is from 23 5/8 to 26¾ inches. There is a tolerance of three-quarters of an inch, plus or minus, allowed for both sexes. Very serious faults: Heights over or under the tolerated limits.

WEIGHT ***  The weight range for males is from 132 to 154 pounds. The weight range for females is from 110 to 132 pounds.

Gait / Movement *** A typical characteristic of the breed is its pace, which is lanky, slouching and loose, like that of a bear. The trot has good extension of the front legs, with strong drive from the hindquarters. The preferred gaits are the pace and the trot. The amble is tolerated. The Neapolitan Mastiff rarely gallops.

Faults *** Viciousness or extreme shyness. Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Overshot bite. Convergence or divergence of the parallel lines of the skull and muzzle. Concave muzzle. Arched muzzle. Roman muzzle. Total depigmen-tation of the nose or eyelids. Crossed eyes. Pale blue eyes. Clear eyes. Lack of wrinkle. Lack of dewlap. Excessively short tail, whether natural or docked. Twisted tail. Kinked tail. White markings on the head. Very extensive white markings. Albinism.

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