WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU CONTACT US ABOUT PURCHASING A NEAPOLITAN MASTIFF

We are one of the most successful Neapolitan Mastiff kennels in the United States, proven in our longevity with an HONEST 13 years in the breed. Many new kennels claim even longer, but there are actually very few Neo breeders that have even 5 years in this breed. Recently, there has been an increase in "embellishers" in this breed as the breed gains popularity and there are more people breeding. We produce and actively show our Neapolitan Mastiffs. We do not CLAIM to show, we actually do show, therefore we know what show quality pups look like and are working with many generations of Mastini that WE have been showing and breeding. Refer to the AKC Top 25 list for proof. Why buy a show dog from someone who has never shown a Neo? We do not falsely represent our dogs, ALL of the dogs that you see on our site are ours, we do not use pics of other peoples dogs 6 generations back to sell our pups. All of our dogs are advertised with their full registered name, hence telling you who bred the dog, and giving that kennel the credit they deserve. We do not use a one word name for our dogs as to confuse the buyer into believing that we produced that dog, Neapolitans DO NOT have one word names. If the dog has an Il Drago name, it's a dog we bred. We do not lie about or embellish the sizes & weights of our dogs. Neapolitans are not meant to be 200 lbs. The average Neapolitan Mastiff male is 120-160 lbs. The average female is 110-130 lbs. Numbers greater than that are VERY rare & will be obvious in a dog with EXTREME type, mass, wrinkle & bone. We offer a 12 month to 36 month hip & heart guarantee. Many breeders offer a 1 year guarantee if any at all. A one year guarantee is usually inadequate since often Neos' major health issues are not evident until after the first year of their growth. The average life span of a Neapolitan Mastiff is 6-8 years, giant breeds are not long-lived. Do the research, ask the right questions, if a breeder is being honest and has nothing to hide they will have NO issue with these questions...How long have you been breeding Neapolitan Mastiffs, what year did you produce your first litter of Neos & can you prove it with paperwork? How many litters have you produced? How many champions or National Specialty Winners have you produced, and again can you provide proof of this? Have you ever shown any of your Neapolitan Mastiffs? How many of your dogs have you had to replace? Are you a member of the parent club? If a breeder tells you they have been breeding for 20 years, the sire and dam are 180 lbs each, they have never had to replace a dog and the average life of a Neo is 10 years, these are red flags, so Buyers Beware.

All of this information is copyrighted & cannot be used online or in print without written permission from Cassandra Boczar

Please recognize this is a breed that is not for everyone, as many breeds are not, especially giant breeds of a Molosser nature. Keep in mind, I already know that if you are reading this now then you must be one of the awestruck that has somehow come upon the image of a Mastino, whether it was an in-person siting or just a picture that you couldn't forget. I want you to also know that if you are still looking at this page you are taking the right first step in going beyond the wrinkles. Researching this breed is key to saving yourself all the hell that can be Neo ownership. Some will be lucky enough to find in the Mastino a friend for life. Neapolitan Mastiffs ARE the Ferrari of Dogs......people can't help but look when they go by, there is nothing else in their class, and they are more expensive to maintain than anything else in the garage. Before you contact anyone about a Neo, these are answers to questions you may have.

Neapolitans Mastiffs are an AKC breed, they are in the Working Group and their papers and titles are issued via AKC's regular registration process. AKC (American Kennel Club) is the GOLD STANDARD. Neo's have been fully AKC recognized since July 1st 2004 in the Working Group, therefore they can participate in shows and all other AKC events. There are still Neos that are not AKC registered and these dogs are often CKC*, FIC, WWKC, AAPR, NMCA, ANMA, FCIPR, or one of the other what we commonly refer to as "junk" registries that are out there. A little history on the Neapolitan Mastiff registration, the USNMC (United States Neapolitan Mastiff Club) was the registry that was turned over to the AKC in 2000 when Neos were admitted into the Miscellaneous Class, but Neapolitans were AKC-FSS eligible since 1996. The USNMC is now parent club for the breed. The standing registries that are accepted by the AKC for Neapolitan Mastiffs are the UKC (United Kennel Club), CKC* (Canadian Kennel Club) and a few other Internationally recognized registries that you would see on some imports such as FCI.

There are 4 colors of Mastino, Blue, Black, Tawny & Mahogany. Brindling, white on the feet & chest, those are all MARKINGS, not colors. Grey and blue are the same color. There are a million variations of each color, there will be blue dogs with a lighter, silvery grey coat, and ones with a darker, charcoal-grey coat. There will be tawnys that are colored like a yellow Lab and some that have the hue of a fawn Pit Bull. Mahoganys that are red like a rust colored Dobie or darker like a chocolate Lab. Still with all the variations there are just the 4 colors. There are Neos with no white, some white, lots of white (white only allowed on feet & chest), the same goes for brindling, but again these are not color variations, these are MARKINGS. We personally mostly breed blacks and blues, therefore most of our dogs do not carry or produce color. A great misconception about color is that if you breed a colored dog, colored being tawny or mahogany, then you will get color. This is true only if you breed to another colored dog OR the black or grey dog you are breeding to carries the gene to produce color, if not you can breed endlessly and only get the dominant blue and black. You will find that most major breeders do not breed for color. Many that show will actually avoid color, you have to remember that the backyard breeders & puppy mills in the USA have been pushing these colored dogs as "rare" for years and because it is expensive, inconvenient and disappointing to breed typey neos, most of the puppy millers have been breeding the generic, type-less dogs that breed naturally and raise their own young. Hence a mass production of bad quality colored dogs has been going on for years. AKC working group status will help change that, but it's going to take time. It's going to take generations & generations of correction to make colored dogs that look like my black & blue dogs consistently. For these reasons & just pure ratio, colored dogs generally have a tendency to be plainer. Of course there are exceptions to this, but in my opinion if you are looking for a massive, heavy-boned, typey Neapolitan Mastiff, especially for the show ring, you should expect to get a black or blue dog. Really it turns into a debate about what everyone's idea of "good quality" is. There are different expectations for colored dogs, what may be a mediocre-type blue dog would be an excessive-type tawny dog. Whatever the shade, there are only 4 colors and NO color is more valuable than another, NO shade of a color is more rare and expensive. Below are pics of all 4 colors, click on the pic for more examples, all are represented by typey examples of the breed.

Ear cropping has become highly controversial in the day and age of animal rights. Seen as only being done for “cosmetic” purposes, many breeders and vets are steering away from cropping. In many countries, cropping is now illegal as well as tail docking, not just for the Neo but for Dobermans, Boxers, Danes, etc. As you can see we have both cropped & natural ears here. I prefer cropped, reason being most of mine are show dogs and for non-specific reasons the dogs without ears tend to fair better in the ring. The Neapolitan is what is called a “head breed” meaning a lot of importance is weighed in the head. When a Neo doesn’t have big floppy ears to frame its head, the head looks wider and the cropped ear looks more alert and gives the dog a more intimidating look. That is why breeds like the ones listed above have cropped ears, they were breeds designed to protect, and a dog without a tail and ears cannot use its body language to tell you if it’s friendly or not. It will look alert and ready, even if its not. Man created every breed for a purpose, whether to sit on one’s lap or kill rodents or hunt game. Each breed was distinctively bred to fit the mold for the chore he is designed for. To start banning crops and docks is to change the standard and the definition that created each breed, which differentiates each breed from one another. We do not require our pup’s ears to be done nor do we automatically do them before they go to their new homes. We leave it up to you the buyer whether YOU want to have them done. There are certain risks involved, Neos are not good under anesthesia, and they require about 1/2 of what other breeds their size need. You would need to have them cropped by a vet familiar with the breed, which has experience with neos and this surgery. We have a manual available to those who would like to take it to their vet. Vets do not understand that the risk is real, we ourselves have lost a pup during this procedure and our vet was wonderful and had never had problems before. Not to mention the aftercare needed takes time and patience. You need to keep them buttoned & clean them and keep them from scratching at them and then have the stitches removed and possibly do things to get them to set. Cutting the ears is risky, expensive and a pain afterwards to care for. If you like the look of the natural ear then save yourself the drama and leave them on. The only physical benefit to having ears cropped is that dogs with ears have a much greater chance of having chronic ear or yeast infections. This is because of the weight of the ear holding it close to the head, it does not allow air to pass into it and then moisture collects and causes bacteria growth and then infection. I know this paragraph is rambling on, but I want our puppy buyers to be as informed as possible when making the decision to crop or not. We have a good ear crop vet here, but we do not crop buyers ears. We can however give you our vets number, help you research your area or contact local breeders to locate an experienced neo cropping vet. If you have such a vets number please feel free to email me at ildragoneo@aol.com to have it listed on this site. It's great to have someone who is experienced with this crop.

One common problem that I can almost promise that your pup will experience, is at least one if not two CHERRY EYES. This usually occurs after their 2nd or 3rd set of shots somewhere between 9 and 16 weeks. It appears suddenly and often scares the crap out of the new neo owner. It is not the actual eye ball, it is the tissue around the eye, a third eyelid gland which has prolapsed. It can be very small but often gets very large quickly. It doesn't hurt the dog so much as it gets in the way. The area around the eye will get watery & over time can get infected & you will see a green discharge . The treatment for this is removal of the cherry eye, which requires someone who is experienced in doing so. This is very often mistreated by vets not familiar with the neo. Many vets, especially newer vets, will recommend tacking the prolapsed gland down. They have learned in school that removing the tear gland that helps to lubricate the eye often leads to other problems like dry eye. While this can be true, the treatment for this is to lubricate the eye artificially, which many Mastini require anyway to maintain clear eyes. So tacking the prolapsed gland may work in other breeds that suffer from cherry eye, like St. Bernards, Cocker Spaniels, Chows, Bulldogs, Bloodhounds, as Neos are not the only droopy-eyed breed afflicted with cherry eye, but this absolutely does not work with the neo. It is necessary to remove the prolapsed part of the gland. If you have a vet that insists on tacking the gland instead of heeding your advice & removing the gland, then ask them to put it in writing that they will remove the gland & correct any problems they have created by tacking, free of charge when they realize that tacking isn't working. I guarantee no vet will do this & it is probably best to just find a vet that has the experience & will remove the cherry eye. This is a relatively simple procedure & can be done with or without anesthesia and should not cost more than $150, unless you are in California. I often recommend to puppy buyers to give it a couple weeks once one cherry eye has appeared to give the other eye a chance to pop one too. That way the pup only has to go to the vet once instead of twice which saves you money & saves the dog the risk of anesthesia again. Via the advise of Juan-Carlos Stauring, I have learned there is an eye ointment you can find online, it is marketed for humans that is not prescription called AKWA. It is awesome for the eyes, you can use it daily and it helps to keep them clear and lubricated and is only a few bucks.

Image of Diamond Pet Foods: Beef Meal & Rice Adult Dog Formula

Image of Diamond Pet Foods: Extreme Athlete

My pups eat a 50/50 mix of Diamond Naturals Small Breed Puppy & Nutro Max Puppy with Esbilac milk powder added to it, 3 times a day when he is ready to go at 8 weeks old. You may stop feeding the Diamond Small Breed Puppy & cut this down to 2 times a day once he’s settled in. You will be given a sample of this food, and it is available in most areas, but you may have a hard time finding it at Petco or Petsmart. This food can be found at smaller retailers like Pet Supplies Plus or feed stores like Tractor Supply & it runs about $35 for a 40lb bag. It is reasonably priced for quality grain-free, bi-product free food. As far as dry food, we have settled our pups 8+ weeks into eating Nutro Max Puppy. When pups go to their new homes, sometimes they will not eat really well in the beginning, this is due to the lack of competition with their littermates. Even though there was always plenty of food for everyone, the act of eating was a group activity & may throw your pup off its feed. You can add a little plain yogurt or cottage cheese to the food to aid in picking up an appetite or mix in some of what they are familiar with, powdered Esbilac. My adult dogs eat Nutro Max Beef & Rice. The Beef is 26% protein and 16% fat. It helps keep weight on my dogs, which are show/breeding dogs that are not spayed or neutered and require a little more get up & go in their diet. I recommend feeding a premium puppy food with red meat or chicken as a first ingredient, and avoid foods with corn. I also suggest that the puppy food you feed not be lower than 15% fat. My experience with Neos is actually opposite most large breed dog foods approach, and that is the higher the fat, the better. Most large breed puppy food is made the opposite way, higher in protein & lower in fat, but I find the Neos often stay too skinny with this. Also, feeding a food that has glucosamine & additives in it isn’t bad, but there is never enough in the food to make a difference with a Mastino. I have found that many Neos do better on a red meat base food. Some other great foods are Nutro Max Puppy and Pro Plan Puppy Beef & Rice, Kirkland Chicken & Rice or (Costco brands), if you really want to spend a lot, some of the newer holistic foods, but remember, more expensive doesn't mean it's necessarily better for your Neo.

We sometimes add pasta and breads, great for carbs in the winter. You can also use brewers yeast for skin and coat, and if you have a hard time keeping weight on your adult dog try digestive enzymes, like Prozyme or Vit-a-Zyme. Vitamin C is helpful and mandatory for the growing years. All of our dogs 10 weeks and older get 1000 mg of vitamin C daily. Powdered is best, but if you can’t find powder than gel caps are ok. It helps with the immune system & also joints & bones. Peanut butter on a piece of bread is a great trick in getting them to take pills. Raw burger balls is another good way to hide pills. Diet is probably the biggest part of what you can do for your pet to keep it healthy and sound. Neapolitans are a breed that have predisposition to gastric dilatation or BLOAT, this is twisting of the stomach after gastric distention occurs. There are some things you can do to try and prevent bloat, most revolve around diet, although the exact causes of bloat are not known at this point. Feed two or more meals daily and discourage rapid eating. Do not allow exercise for two hours after a meal. DO NOT elevate the food dish, and sometimes if a dog is a gulper, soak your dog’s food in warm water 10 minutes before feeding it, this allows the food to expand and swell outside of the dogs stomach. Do not feed commercial dog foods that contain any kind of fat in the first 4 ingredients listed, or any citric acid; these 2 ingredients alone increase your risk of bloat tremendously.

The Neapolitan Mastiff has what is referred to as incongruent growth patterns. Basically, their rear quarters and front quarters do not grow at the same time. One week his rear end may look higher than the next week he is flat on top. The neo is not physically mature until 3-4 years of age, some experts argue even longer. It is very important to appreciate that your 8 week old 20 lb puppy will be gaining close to 100 lbs in his first year of life. This in itself is traumatic on the bones, joints and hips. We ask that you do not subject your pup to extraneous activities such as long jogs, repeated stair climbing, or jumping in and out of trucks or off beds. These activities, added to the stress of growing on your pup’s soft connective tissues could have severe consequences. Try to maintain normal to low levels of play fighting with other dogs, because when they play they often slam into each other. Should you see your puppy limping or looking a little “gimpy” an aspirin crushed into his food will most likely cure the problem. Vitamins A & D can be given to help pups if they are walking down on their pasterns or if their toes are splayed or the back legs are hocky. Glucosamine, chondroitin & MSM are awesome additions to your pup’s diet that will surely help relieve the stress of stiffness and joint problems. Neos often experience growing pains, as do humans, however a consistent, lasting or any swelling with limping does require veterinary attention. I really encourage people with young Mastini to take a step back & keep in mind vets are eager to diagnose hip dysplasia & other defects in giant breeds & that’s why we start our guarantee at 1 year old, because before that, many pups can be misdiagnosed by a vet unfamiliar with Mastini. Due to their size, most giant breeds are prone to problems with....eye disorders, cancer, bloat, hip dysplasia, heart problems, & knee, elbow, bone & joint injuries & disorders. There is really an unlimited amount of information on these things, of which I am no expert at any. I have had some luck in buying and breeding & have not had to deal with these problems too much, but I have learned everyday is a new learning experience with the Mastino. I think this is where getting a puppy from a reputable breeder that has written guarantees on their dogs is important. There is an even longer list of Neo "idiosyncrasies" including...yeast infections, eye infections, dry eye, demodex, interdigital cysts & foot licking, & hygromas. As breeders we must now take on some kind of pre-testing our stock. Hips should be PENN Hipped & hearts should be OFA at least. By making a change now we can start recognizing where the problems lie in our pedigrees.

Many times people have called and asked about Neos personality. They want to know if they are good with cats or kids or are they aggressive with strangers, and the answer to all of these questions is yes and no. The most important thing in molding the temperament of your puppy is SOCIALIZATION. I suggest frequent car rides from the start, because neos can be very bad in the car if they don’t get used to them. Some will vomit and others will defecate and others will jump from the front to the back and to your lap. Best to start when they are little and that doesn’t give you much time. I strongly recommend puppy classes, both for you and the puppy. This helps puppies get used to being around other dogs too. After your pups final vaccinations take him to pet stores and vet clinics and dog parks. If your pup is from us it will be born in a family atmosphere with the busy goings on of a normal home. He will be raised with my son & I handling him from birth, but he will be around his own kind enough to learn to bark when the big dogs bark. You will want to continue on with the process of teaching your puppy manners and Neos are stubborn and wary of new and different things and people. You may think by keeping him from socializing outside your family that it will make him a better guard dog or protector, but Neos have a natural watch dog instinct and you will not need to encourage this behavior to see it when it is needed. Be prepared to be firm & don’t be afraid to use a little strong-arm. Neos need to be set straight at a young age, as they are dogs and dogs are pack animals. When they are young their litter is their pack, and when they go to your house, your family is their pack. A Neo should never be allowed to be the alpha. You will find that they don’t always readily respect your personal idea of "who is who" in your pack. This makes young & small children susceptible to dog law, which is much more physical than human law. If you have kids raise them with your kids and teach your kids to respect the boundaries of the dog, and the dog to respect the frailness of children. Common sense tells you that any giant breed of dog is not necessarily the safest bet with small children. Giant dog + small child = potential accidents. Always supervise young children with your neo. We personally do not sell intact males (dogs not being neutered) to families with kids under the age of 10. Adult intact males rarely have the innate maternal instinct to withstand the unpredictable behavior of small kids. Females are usually cleaner, less stubborn and more tolerant of young children. This is of course a generalization, there can be exceptions to these rules. There is always someone that will sell you a male regardless, but keep in mind I have a child and I had Mastini before I had him and I am just giving parent to parent advice. Mastering your pup while he is small & more impressionable is essential; do not tolerate aggression of any kind. Activities that are harmless & cute while a Mastino is a baby can be down right dangerous when they are full grown. At the end of the day, they each have their own personality, just like people. The breed in general is superbly loyal, they do not roam off of your property because they do not love everyone like they do their master. They are smart for their own good and not quick to the task but they are efficient in following basic commands & they have a loving and silly persona. You could never over-socialize them with anything. They were bred to intimidate with their looks not their bite. Their natural instinct is to protect what is theirs, so this never needs to be encouraged in everyday life. In fact it can be quite dangerous when the dog is full grown and now has an overly aggressive nature because it was allowed to growl at strangers or play "get em" games. Individuals looking for a bite work or a PP Neo need not inquire about our pups. REMEMBER, Neos were bred to be wary of things that they are unfamiliar with. That's why you have to start young doing and meeting and seeing all of the things he should be ok with. Cars, doors, trash cans, vets, parks, kids, carts, strollers, bikes, other animals (big & little), water, baths, loud noises, etc. They are actually great off leash dogs, they are not roamers, they were bred as courtyard, farm & estate dogs, they know their perimeters. I have a 3 year old Dobie that runs off and on the property every day; my Neos have never once left my yard, even after hours and hours of being loose. At times they have gotten out of their areas and they just lay at the door or in the garage till I discover them. That's what they were bred to do.

Breeding Neos is a huge task. One must evaluate the sire & dam to ensure that a genetic match is appropriate; meaning in part that they compliment one another and that you are not breeding 2 dogs that have the same faults. I do not believe that a bitch should whelp her first litter prior to her 2nd heat, and a male shouldn’t be bred until at least 12 months. Typey neos are often difficult to breed and even harder to whelp. Probably only 1 in 10 true Italian Mastini can breed naturally. Yes, that means that Neos DO NOT BREED NATURALLY. You can put a male & female in the yard together and you will most likely NEVER get pups. Even when Neos breed naturally there is nothing natural about it. Someone's holding up the female, someone's holding up the male, and possibly someone to put the male in the female, like I said, nothing natural about it. Artificial insemination is the choice standard for breeding Neos, sometimes even surgical implantation. Most female Mastini need C-sections, they can have HUGE litters and tire out easily while giving birth naturally, thus leaving the pups not yet born to smother inside. Keeping the neonates alive the first 2 weeks requires around the clock supervision. Many Mastini mothers lay on and smash their offspring, or refuse to feed them or clean them. Be prepared to supplement an entire litter by bottle, both of these are not uncommon. Of course, there can be great joy in whelping a litter & watching them grow and change. Most people that decide to breed Neos have one litter and then never again. The people that think having a litter of Neos is a great way to make money usually go into debt after the first round and run screaming out of the breed. Type is hard to get and even harder to reproduce, it takes many generations of wrinkle, mass & heavy bone to consistently reproduce these qualities. If you buy a pup out of Neos that look more like Cane Corsos than the Neos you see on this site, then your pup, not matter how cute, will look like a Cane Corso as an adult. You will pay for quality in this breed, because it costs so much to produce it.

A rare occasion of 2 Neos breeding "naturally", it only took 4 people to make this happen

There are certain people that will tell you there are 2 styles of Neapolitans today, the Americanized version and the mother-land (Italian) version. The Americanized version is supposedly sounder with longer legs and shorter lips and dewlap (which inadvertently leads to less drool) and they have plainer, less wrinkled heads and longer noses while possessing the less typey lighter boned bodies, they are more athletic and can run and jump and seize large prey easily. The Italian style Mastino is shorter legged, has a thicker frame, heavier bone, excessive skin on the body and head, more head wrinkles, shorter noses and is less able-bodied and slower than the American version. In reality, there is no geographical difference in these 2 kinds of Mastini, they are the same breed and share the same bloodlines. So why are these 2 dogs so different? How can they look like 2 different breeds, both impressive in their own rite but so obtuse? The answer is simple, there is no American/Italian Neo, it is simply the difference between a good and a bad Neo. I know this will be hard for some people to grasp and even harder for certain die-hards to believe, but the Neapolitan was created in Italy, therefore that gives the Italians the privilege of creating the standard for the Neo. Every breed was created for a purpose, some to hunt, some to lay in our laps, some to kill vermin, some to protect and some to run. Each breed has the physical design to make it best at what it was bred to do. NEAPOLITANS are a member of the working group, but they were not intended to ever serve the same purpose as a Doberman Pinscher or a German Shepherd, they were bred to LOOK the part. A Neos worth is not in chasing after the intruder and dragging them down and holding them till their master arrives. A Neos worth is the intruder that never follows through with his trespass, because the lion-like monster that lays waiting for him isn't worth whatever prize he is risking crossing it for. You may find a rare Neo that loves to chase a ball over and over, and loves to take long romps in the park while you roller blade, and loves to jump and chase their tail, but they are few and far between, most will just lay about unless they are busy following you from room to room. The bottom line is that both the overdone and the plain Mastini can have health issues, they both suffer from dysplasia, cherry eyes, demodex, & heart issues. They both drool, are destructive, need extreme socialization and are not for the novice dog owner.

If you plan on showing your Neo, you need to check with show agents in your area or go to www.akc.org, or www.infodog.com. Feel free to contact me to get info on upcoming shows in my area. If you bought a show quality puppy from us, there is a 50% rebate on the purchase price if you champion your dog before the age of 3 years old. Since the Neapolitan Mastiff was admitted into the Working Class of the AKC in July 2004 there is much greater access to shows. Finally championship titles are available for this breed from the AKC. The USNMC (United States Neapolitan Mastiff Club) does have a National Specialty Show every year for the breed. I do offer handling; specializing in the neo, so if you decide to pursue a conformation title for your Mastino please feel free to contact me. I may be able to recommend someone in your area. I encourage you to join the USNMC either as an associate or a member (members must be sponsored) even if you do not plan to show, because they send informative articles, pictures and updates in their “Neogram” magazine.

It is important to learn the standard for the Neapolitan Mastiff, we have provided the AKC Standard by Neapolitan World below.

Size, Proportion, Substance
A stocky, heavy boned dog, massive in substance, rectangular in proportion. Length of body is 10% - 15% greater than height. Height: Dogs: 26 to 31 inches, Bitches: 24 to 29 inches. Average weight of mature Dogs: 150 pounds; Bitches: 110 pounds; but greater weight is usual and preferable as long as correct proportion and function are maintained.

The absence of massiveness is to be so severely penalized as to eliminate from competition

HEAD - Large in comparison to the body. Differentiated from that of other mastiff breeds by more extensive wrinkling and pendulous lips which blend into an ample dewlap. Toplines of cranium and the muzzle must be parallel. The face is made up of heavy wrinkles and folds. Required folds are those extending from the outside margin of the eyelids to the dewlap, and from under the lower lids to the outer edges of the lips. Severe Faults: Toplines of the cranium and muzzle not parallel. Disqualifications: Absence of wrinkles and folds. Expression: Wistful at rest, intimidating when alert. Penetrating stare. Eyes: Set deep and almost hidden beneath drooping upper lids. Lower lids droop to reveal haw. Eye Color: Shades of amber or brown, in accordance with coat color. Pigmentation of the eye rims same as coat color. Severe Faults: Whitish-blue eyes; incomplete pigmentation of the eye rims. Ears: Set well above the cheekbones. May be cropped or uncropped, but are usually cropped to an equilateral triangle for health reasons. If uncropped, they are medium sized, triangular in shape, held tight to the cheeks, and not extending beyond the lower margin of the throat. Skull: Wide flat between the ears, slightly arched at the frontal part, and covered with wrinkled skin. The width of the cranium between the cheekbones is approximately equal to its length from occiput stop. The brow is very developed. Frontal furrow is marked. Occiput is barely apparent. Stop: Very defined, forming a right angle at the junction of muzzle and frontal bones, and the sloping back at a greater angle where the frontal bones meet the frontal furrow of the forehead.

Nose: Large with well-opened nostrils, and in color the same as the coat. The nose is an extension of the topline of the muzzle and should not protrude beyond nor recede behind the front plane of the muzzle. Severe Faults: Incomplete pigmentation of the nose. Muzzle: It is 1/3 the length of the whole head and is as broad as it is long. Viewed from the front, the muzzle is very deep with the outside borders parallel giving it a "squared" appearance. The top plane of the muzzle from stop to tip of nose is straight, but is ridged due to heavy folds of skin covering it. Severe Faults: Top plane of the muzzle curved upward or downward.

Lips: Heavy, thick, and long, the upper lips join beneath the nostrils to form an inverted "V". The upper lips form the lower, outer borders of the muzzle, and the lowest part of these borders is made by the corners of the lips. The corners turn outward to reveal the flews, and are in line with the outside corners of the eyes. Bite: Scissors bite or pincer bite is standard; slight undershot is allowed. Dentition is complete. Faults: More than 1 missing premolar. Severe faults: Overshot jaw: pronounced undershot jaw which disrupts the outline of the front plane of the muzzle; more than 2 missing teeth.

Neck, Topline, And Body
Neck: Slightly arched, rather short, stocky and well-muscled. The voluminous and well-divided dewlap extends from the lower jaw to the lower neck. Disqualification: Absence of dewlap. Body: The length of the dog, measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of buttock is 10 - 15 percent greater than the height of the dog measured from the highest point of the shoulder to the ground. Depth of the ribcage is equal to half the total height of the dog. Ribs are long and well sprung. Chest: Broad and deep, well muscled. Underline and tuckup: The underline of the abdomen is practically horizontal. There is little or no tuckup. Back: Wide and strong. Highest part of shoulder blade barely rising above the strong, level topline of the back. Loin: well-muscled, and harmoniously joined to the back. Croup: Wide, strong, muscular and slightly sloped. The top of the croup rises slightly and is level with the highest point of the shoulder. Tail: Set on slightly lower than the topline, wide and thick at the root, tapering gradually toward the tip. It is docked by 1/3. At rest, the tail hangs straight or in slight "S" shape. When in action, it is raised to the horizontal or a little higher than the back.

Severe Fault: Tail carried straight up or curved over the back. Kinked tail. Disqualification: Lack of tail or short tail, which is less than 1/3 the length from point of insertion of the tail to the hock - joint.

Forequarters
Heavily built, muscular, and in balance with the hindquarters. Shoulders: Long, well-muscled, sloping and powerful. Upper arms: Strongly muscled, powerful. In length, almost 1/3 the height of the dog. Elbows: Covered with abundant and loose skin; held parallel to the ribcage, neither tied in nor loose. Forelegs: Thick, straight, heavy bone, well muscled, exemplifying strength. About the same length as the upper arms. Set well apart. Pasterns: Thick and flattened from front to back, moderately sloping forward from the leg. Dewclaws: Front dewclaws are not removed. Feet: Round and noticeably large with arched, strong toes. Nails strong, curved and preferably dark-colored. Slight turn out of the front feet is characteristic.

Hindquarters As a whole, they must be powerful and strong, in harmony with the forequarters. Thighs: About the same length as the forearms, broad, muscular. Stifles: Moderate angle, strong. Legs: Heavy and thick boned, well-muscled. Slightly shorter than thigh bones. Hocks: Powerful and long. Rear pasterns: (metatarsus) Heavy thick bones. Viewed from the side, they are perpendicular to the ground. Viewed from, the rear, parallel to each other. Rear dewclaws: Any dewclaws must be removed. Hind feet: Same as the front feet but slightly smaller.

Coat The coat is short, dense and of uniform length and smoothness all over the body. The hairs are straight and not longer than 1 inch. No fringe anywhere.

Color Solid coats of gray (blue), black, mahogany and tawny, and the lighter and darker shades of these colors. Some brindling allowable in all colors. When present, brindling must be tan (reverse brindle). There may be solid white markings on the chest, throat area from chin to chest, underside of the body, penis sheath, backs of the pasterns, and on the toes. There may be white hairs at the back of the wrists. Disqualifications: White markings on any part of the body not mentioned as allowed.

Gait The Neapolitan Mastiff's movement is not flashy, but rather slow and lumbering. Normal gaits are the walk, trot, gallop, and pace. The strides are long and elastic, at the same time, powerful, characterized by a long push from the hindquarters and extension of the forelegs. Rolling motion and swaying of the body at all gaits is characteristic. Pacing in the show ring is not to be penalized. Slight paddling movement of the front feet is normal. The head is carried level with or slightly above the back.

Temperament The Neapolitan Mastiff is steady and loyal to his owner, not aggressive or apt to bite without reason. As a protector of his property and owners, he is always watchful and does not relish intrusion by strangers into his personal space. His attitude is calm yet wary. In the show ring he is majestic and powerful, but not showy.

Faults The foregoing description is that of the ideal Neapolitan Mastiff. Any deviation from the above described dog must be penalized to the extent of the deviation

Disqualifications
Absence of wrinkles and folds
Absence of dewlap
Lack of tail or short tail, which is less than 1/3 the length from point of insertion of the tail to the hock.
White markings on any part of the body not mentioned.

The absence of massiveness is to be so severely penalized as to eliminate from competition

AKC Approved: January 13, 2004
AKC Effective: May 1, 2004