Working Group
General Appearance
An ancient breed, rediscovered in Italy in the 1940's, the Neapolitan Mastiff is a heavy-boned, massive, awe inspiring dog bred for use as a guard and defender of owner and property. He is characterized by loose skin, over his entire body, abundant, hanging wrinkles and folds on the head and a voluminous dewlap. The essence of the Neapolitan is his bestial appearance, astounding head and imposing size and attitude. Due to his massive structure, his characteristic movement is rolling and lumbering, not elegant or showy.
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.
Approved: January 13, 2004
Effective: May 1, 2004