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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE
YOU CONTACT US ABOUT PURCHASING A NEAPOLITAN MASTIFF
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, there is nothing 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.
FAQs
1. Are Neapolitans AKC
registered?
2. What colors do Neos come
in, and are there any rare colors?
3. What is the difference
between the American and Italian style Neos?
4. What is a cherry eye and
will my Neo get it?
5. How can I prevent hip
dysplasia?
6. What are some other
common health ailments in the Neo?
7. Should I crop my Neos
ears?
8. Are
Neos good
with kids, other pets and are they aggressive with strangers?
9.
Should I breed my Neo?
10.
What should I feed my Neo?
Registration
1. Are Neapolitans AKC eligible?
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.
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Colors
2. What colors do Neos come
in, and are there any rare colors?
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. 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 to a colored dog, colored being tawny or mahogany, then you
will get color, this is true only if 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 with typey examples of the breed.
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BLUE |

BLACK |

TAWNY |
MAHOGANY |
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