Neapolitan Mastiff
Wrinkles and a heavy dewlap over a Roman guard dog's frame, and both were protection in a fight. It moves slowly, and it watches everything that moves.
Photo by gomagoti, CC BY-SA 2.0
Overview
The Neapolitan Mastiff is an Italian guardian descended from Roman war and arena dogs, and its defining feature is the loose skin: heavy wrinkles over the head and a pendulous dewlap, which historically protected the throat and neck in a fight.
The modern show type has exaggerated that wrinkling considerably beyond the working dog, and seven to nine years is the honest lifespan.
Temperament
Calm, watchful and deeply protective. Neapolitans are affectionate with their families and completely indifferent to strangers unless they are a threat, at which point they are decisive.
They are quiet, they do not bark much, and they guard by presence and by acting rather than by warning. They are stubborn and slow to obey. This is a serious guardian and it requires an experienced owner and heavy early socialisation.
Care and grooming
A short coat and constant attention to the wrinkles, which need cleaning and drying several times a week or they develop skin fold dermatitis. They drool copiously.
Cherry eye, entropion and ectropion are all common and often need surgery. Hip and elbow dysplasia are near universal in the breed. Bloat is a serious risk and heat is genuinely dangerous.
Living and exercise
Thirty to forty five minutes a day of gentle exercise as an adult, very little while growing, and never in heat.
Buying from a breeder who is selecting for less wrinkle, better eyes and better joints is the most useful thing anyone can do here, because the show type is the version with the problems.
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