The Neapolitan Mastiff or is an Italian

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

of large dog of

mastiff A mastiff is a large and powerful Dog type, type of dog. Mastiffs are among the largest dogs, and typically have a short Coat (dog), coat, a long low-set tail and large feet; the skull is large and bulky, the muzzle broad and short (brachycephal ...

type. It was recognised as a breed by the

Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana The , usually known as the ENCI, is the national organisation responsible for the recognition, standardisation and registration of pedigree dogs in Italy. It is sometimes called the Italian Kennel Club. The association provides judging for dog s ...

in 1949, and accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1956. It descends from the traditional guard dogs of central Italy, and is closely related to the Cane Corso.

History

The Neapolitan Mastiff derives from the traditional catch and guard dogs of central Italy. Selection of the breed was begun in 1947 by Piero Scanziani, who had seen one at an exhibition in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

in 1946. He drew up the first standard, which in 1949 was officially recognised by the

. It received full acceptance from the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1956.

Characteristics

The Neapolitan Mastiff is large, massive and powerful, with a weight in the range and a height at the

withers Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, catt ...

of some The length of the body is about 15% greater than the height. The skin is abundant and loose, particularly on the head where it hangs in heavy wrinkles. The preferred coat colours are black, grey and leaden, but mahogany, fawn, fulvous, hazelnut, dove-grey and isabelline are also acceptable; all coats may be brindled, and minor white markings on the toes and chest are tolerated. The dogs may be expected to live for up to 10 years. Median lifespan is reported to be 9.3 years, much lower the median for all dogs, 12.5 years.

References

{{Authority control FCI breeds Mastiffs Dog breeds originating in Italy