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Neapolitan Mastiff Dog Breed Introduction
Neapolitan Mastiff ( also known as Mastino Napoletano or Mastino) is a large-sized mastiff type of dog from Italy. It is popular for its abundant and loose skin, particularly on the head where it hangs in heavy wrinkles. Neapolitan Mastiffs are loving, affectionate, and protective dogs towards their families. However, they are wary of strangers which makes them great guard dogs. These dogs have large and long jowls that make a lot of drool that leave marks on the ceiling, walls, and furniture.
Neapolitan Mastiff History | Origin
The Neapolitan Mastiffs were developed in Italy from the traditional catch and guard dogs. It is an ancient breed that dates back as far as 700BC. In the Roman Empire, they were used as gladiators, war dogs, and guardians. Piero Scanziani, a journalist, saw one Neapolitan Mastiff at an Exhibition in Naples in 1946 and recognized it as a living remnant of the Roman Empire. In 1947 Piero started selection of the breed and drew up the first standard which was officially recognized by the Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana in 1949. Neapolitan Mastiffs received full acceptance from FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) in 1956. AKC( American Kennel Club) recognized Mastino as a breed in 2004.
Neapolitan Mastiff Lifespan
According to AKC, Neapolitan Mastiffs have a lifespan of 7 to 9 years. Although, some may live up to the age of 10 years.
Neapolitan Mastiff Grooming
Mastinos have a short, smooth, and dense coat that sheds at moderate levels all-year round. Weekly brushing is recommended using a soft bristle brush, grooming mitt, or a rubber curry brush to remove dirt, loose hair, and promote new hair growth.
Neapolitan Mastiffs require a bath every 6 to 8 weeks unless they roll in something stinky. Use a hypoallergenic shampoo and conditioner. After a bath, thoroughly rinse of the coat using lukewarm water to prevent skin irritation. Dry off the coat using a dry towel especially between the skin folds to avoid fungal infection and skin fold dermatitis. Wipe the facial folds with a clean damp washcloth followed by a dry cloth to ensure the folds are clean and dry on a daily basis.
A Neapolitan Mastiff has long and large jowls hence it is prone to excessive drooling. Pet parents are urged to keep a damp cloth or a paper towel to wipe the drool on the face, lips, furniture, walls, and even ceilings. Brush the teeth of a Mastino at least twice a week if not daily to remove excess tartar build using a tasty canine toothpaste and finger toothbrush.
Clip the nails every 3 to 5 weeks using nail clippers or grinders. Overly grown nails are painful for your dog while walking or running. Clean the ears on a weekly basis using cotton balls and an ear cleanser solution to remove excess debris or wax. While cleaning the eyes look out for a dark discharge, redness, or odor that are signs of dog’s ear infection.
Neapolitan Mastiff Shedding
This is a moderate shedder. Neapolitan mastiffs shed all-year round at moderate levels.
Neapolitan Mastiff Hypoallergenic
A Neapolitan Mastiff is not a hypoallergenic breed. It sheds throughout the year at moderate levels. Shedding allows dander and hair to spread around the surface and furniture. Neapolitan Mastiffs also drool excessive due to the long and large jowls. Dog’s saliva, urine, dander, mucus, and hair contain a protein allergen that triggers allergic reactions in people who suffer from dog allergies.
Neapolitan Mastiff Training
A Neapolitan Mastiff is a calm, cautious, powerful, protective, and a true guardian of the family entrusted to him. It is also wary of strangers which makes socialization training crucial. This training ensures a Mastino matures into a well-adjusted and well-mannered dog. Socialization training starts when the puppy is 3 weeks old until the age of 16 weeks. Parents take their pets home from the age of 8 weeks. Therefore, it is important to get a pet from a responsible breeder who will prove he has been socializing the dogs.
This training may also continue past the age of 16 weeks to ensure the dog has a well-rounded temperament and personality. To socialize Neapolitan Mastiffs expose them to a wide variety of people, surfaces, places, animals, sight, experiences, smell, and sounds such as whistles, baby crying sounds, lawn mowers, sirens, vacuum cleaners, and washing machines. Neapolitan Mastiffs must get used to seeing people who wear sunglasses, hats, ties, scarves, umbrellas, people who wear perfume, and even individuals of different races. Each of this experiences offer a new socialization opportunity for your pet. Parents should ensure the puppies get much socialization as possible through contact with people.
Enrolling Neapolitan Mastiffs puppies in a puppy class will also serve as a form of socialization. These classes provide a controlled environment where canines get to interact. Puppy classes also help owners to not only identify and correct bad habits such as resource guarding but also have access to training information and assistance. To set up for a successful training, Owners should identify themselves as pack leaders. Dogs thrive where a pecking order has been established. Therefore, Mastino puppy must never be allowed to dominate the owners. This is because, if dog aggression is left unchallenged it gets worse with time and may result in someone getting bitten.
Start training the puppies immediately they come home before they get inclined towards bad behaviors. Early training helps the owners to be able to deal with stubborn teenage personality stage since the appropriate pecking order has already been established. This is also a sensitive breed that doesn’t respond well to harsh training methods such as yelling, beating, kicking, shoving, punching, and use of choke or prong collars. Neapolitan Mastiffs thrive in a rewarding atmosphere that makes use of positive reinforcements methods through the use of toys, treats, verbal praise, and petting.
Keep the training sessions short for a span of about 5 to 10 minutes to avoid boredom. Start teaching basic command words that are potentially life saving from the age of 8 weeks. Some of the basic commands that a Mastino is taught include come, sit, stay, down, leave it, heel, etc. Teach a basic word at a time until the pooch understands before proceeding to the next command word. Never issue a command word while too excited or frustrated since it will not sound the same to your pet.
Effectively house break Neapolitan Mastiffs by creating a feeding schedule, potty training, and crate training. A Crate is an invaluable tool that helps the pet parent to monitor a Mastino puppy for signs that it wants to eliminate such as circling, restlessness, whining, squatting, sniffing, and trying to lift a leg against the crate wall. During potty training, take Neapolitan Mastiffs puppies to the designated toilet area immediately they wake up, every 2 to 3 hours, 20 minutes after meals and drinks, after naptime, following an exciting activity such as a car ride and playtime, and before bedtime. The potty breaks frequency decrease to every 6 to 8 hours from the age of 8 months. This is because the bladder and bowel muscles strengthen as the pup matures.
Neapolitan Mastiff Temperament | Personality
- Loyal.
- Powerful.
- Alert.
- Watchful.
- Wary of strangers.
- Calm.
- Protective.
- Fearless.
- Affectionate and loving towards family.
- Willful.
- Gentle.
Neapolitan Mastiff Exercise
A Neapolitan Mastiff has low to moderate energy levels and requires at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. This may be in form of daily walks or playing in the yard. However, don’t exercise this dog when it is extremely hot since it is a heavily built breed that tends to overheat. Puppies should not indulge in vigorous exercise such as running and romping until the age of 2 years since the joints may easily get damaged. Violent wrestling and the use of tag of wars has been discouraged by the experts since the growing pup will quickly learn that he is stronger than his smaller human friend and no longer needs to listen.
Neapolitan Mastiff Barking | Bark
A Mastino is a quiet breed that rarely barks.
Neapolitan Mastiff Height
Adult Female Neapolitan Mastiffs have a height of 24 to 29 inches ( approx. 61 to 74 cm) to while their male counterparts have a height of 26 to 31 inches( approx. 66 to 79 cm ).
Neapolitan Mastiff Weight
Female Mastinos have a weight of 110 pounds ( approx. 50 kg ) while their male counterparts have a weight of 150 pounds ( approx. 68 kg ).
Neapolitan Mastiff Size
A Neapolitan Mastiff is a large-sized dog. However, male Mastinos are slightly bigger as compared to their female counterparts in terms of height and weight. A Male Mastino has a height of 26 to 31 inches( approx. 66 to 79 cm ) and a weight of 150 pounds ( approx. 68 kg ) while a female Mastino has a height of 24 to 29 inches ( approx. 61 to 74 cm) and a weight of 110 pounds ( approx. 50 kg ).
Neapolitan Mastiff Aggressive
A Neapolitan Mastiff is neither apt to bite nor aggressive without a reason. This is a watchful and alert breed that is wary of strangers. They will not allow anyone in the home if the pet parent is not around.
Neapolitan Mastiff Bite Force
Reportedly, Neapolitan Mastiffs may have a bite force of at least 400 PSI since they are large-sized mastiff type of dogs.
Neapolitan Mastiff Guard Dog
This is a breed that makes an excellent guard dog. Neapolitan Mastiffs are watchful, powerful, alert, and wary of strangers. This dog also possess an astounding appearance that deter intruders.
Neapolitan Mastiff Cherry Eye | Eye Problems
One of the major eye problems that affect Neapolitan Mastiffs is cherry eye ( also referred to as prolapsed gland of the nictitans). This eye condition occurs after a tear gland in the third eyelid of the dog becomes inflamed. Apart from Cherry eye Mastinos may suffer from the following eye problems:
Cataracts – This commonly affects senior Mastinos where the eye lens become cloudy and whitish eventually leading to blindness.
Entropion – This is the inward rolling of the eyelid hence rubbing against the cornea. It is painful and may led to corneal ulcers.
Ectropion – This eye problem makes the eyelids to hang or droop away from the eye. Therefore, the eye is exposed to the environmental contaminants and leads to drying, irritation, and eventually eye infection.
Neapolitan Mastiff Health Issues | Health Problems
This is a generally hardy dog. Although Neapolitan Mastiffs have impressive loose skins and wrinkles, most of them rarely suffer from skin problems. However, there are some health issues that affect Mastinos including eye disorders like cherry eye, entropion, ectropion, and cataracts, bloat or gastric torsion, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, fold dermatitis, Cardiomyopathy, cleft palate, etc.
Neapolitan Mastiff Names
A Mastino parent may decide to get a name for the pup before it leaves the shelter or days after joining them home to understand better the personality of the particular dog. Owners may get name inspirations from the Italian heritage of the breed, coat colors, impressive wrinkles and loose skin, personality, celebrity Neapolitan Mastiffs, movies, books, songs, historical figures, and nature.
Regardless of where you get your inspiration, ensure the name chosen won’t make you embarrassed when uttered out loud in the parks and malls. The name chosen should also freely roll off your tongue. Neapolitan Mastiffs and other dog breeds better understand names that have vowels. Avoid giving your pooch a name that rhymes with the command words to avoid confusion.
Owners should find a cute nickname for the pet if they have settled with a long tedious name. If a Neapolitan Mastiff shares a name with any family member or guest who frequent the home, it may result to confusion. Some of the names that Mastino parents give to their pets include:
- Roman.
- Neo.
- Raphael.
- Milan.
- Marco Polo.
- Alonso.
- Florence.
- Amore.
- Dolce.
- Athena.
- Caprice.
- Molly.
- Coco.
- Brandy.
- Rambo, etc.
Neapolitan Mastiff Litter Size
Neapolitan Mastiffs are known for giving birth to a large litter size. According to the Guinness Book of Records, a Mastino named Tia gave birth to a litter size of 24 puppies in November 2004. In 2020, another Mastino, Shadow gave birth to a litter size of 21 puppies. On average, Neapolitan Mastiffs may have a litter size of 8 puppies.
Neapolitan Mastiff Collar
A pet parent may take a Neapolitan Mastiff on a leash either in a collar or a harness. A Collar is recommended for a dog that properly walks on a leash without pulling. Whereas, a harness is the preferred option for a dog that tends to pull while on a leash. Owners are able to control better a pup while on a harness.
Apart from Neapolitan Mastiffs, other breeds of dogs include:
American Staffordshire Terrier.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Neapolitan Mastiff Food
The amount of food that a Mastino feeds on depends on its age, metabolism, size, activity level, and body build. A puppy has a high metabolism rate as compared to an adult and a senior dog. Therefore, Mastino puppies will feed on 3 or 4 times a day from the time they start weaning until the age of 6 months. From the age of 6 months, a pup will be fed twice a day for the rest of its life.
Puppies should feed on large breed puppy food to ensure slow and steady growth. Neapolitan Mastiffs are prone to gastric torsion. This is a sudden swelling of the abdomen which is life threatening. To avoid bloat, a Mastino should not feed one large meal a day, drink a lot of water after meals, or exercise vigorously one hour before and after meals.
Like other dogs, Neapolitan Mastiffs need to feed on the right amount of minerals, protein, amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, water, and fats to maintain a healthy bone structure and weight. Depending on the budget and the time of preparation needed, owners may feed a Mastino with dry food, wet food, home made meals, or a raw diet. The first three ingredients listed in dog commercial food should be proteins from a known source.
The dry or wet commercial food should also not have fillers, chemicals, meat by-products, additives, and preservatives. This also applies to the snacks. Dry or wet food should also be formulated for large-sized puppies, adults, and senior depending on the age of your Mastino. Check the physique of your pooch to tell whether it is overweight or underweight.
If you can see the ribs, chances are the Mastino is underweight. Although, if the ribs are not visible but can be felt without pressing hard, the dog has an ideal weight. If the ribs can’t be felt, the Neapolitan Mastiff is overweight and should be exercised. After getting a pup from a breeder, the owner is likely to switch to another quality food. They should gradually do this over a period of four weeks by mixing both new food and old food. As the weeks progresses, the amount of old food reduces as the new food increases until the Neapolitan Mastiff is only feeding on new food during the fourth week.
Neapolitan Mastiff Colors
A Neapolitan Mastiff may have a black, gray, tawny, and mahogany coat colors or even the lighter and darker shades of these colors. Brindling is allowed in all colors.
Are Neapolitan Mastiffs Dangerous
If poorly socialized, Neapolitan Mastiff may be aggressive since they are naturally wary of strangers.
Are Neapolitan Mastiffs Good Guard Dogs
Yes. Neapolitan are powerful, watchful, alert, wary of strangers, and will never apt to bite or be aggressive without a reason. This breed also has an astounding look that acts as a deterrence to intruders.
Are Neapolitan Mastiffs Aggressive
No. Well-socialized Neapolitan mastiffs are neither apt to bite or aggressive without a reason. However, they are wary of strangers.
Neapolitan Mastiff Quick Facts
- A Neapolitan Mastiff named Tia made headlines after giving birth to a litter size of 24 puppies in November 2004.
- Neapolitan Mastiff have an astounding look due to the impressive wrinkles and loose skin.
- These dogs make excellent guard dogs since they alert and protective of their families.
