Breeds / Giant
Neapolitan Mastiff puppies
Steady, watchful and undemonstrative, a heavy Italian guardian that is devoted to its own household and reserved to the point of indifference with strangers.
The facts
- Size class Giant
- Country of origin Italy
- Adult weight 49.9 to 68 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 110 to 150 lb
- Adult height 61 to 79 cm
- Energy level Low
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short smooth
- Typical lifespan 7 to 9 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
Where these come from:
About the Neapolitan Mastiff
The Neapolitan Mastiff is an Italian guarding breed, kept around farms and estates in the south of the country and shaped for presence as much as for work. It is a giant dog, 61 to 79 cm and 49.9 to 68 kg, with heavy loose skin, deep wrinkles over the head and a rolling, deliberate walk. Temperament is watchful and quiet rather than reactive: strongly attached to its own household, indifferent or wary with strangers, and slow to move for anything it does not care about.
Energy is low and barking is rare, though none of that makes this an easy dog. It overheats quickly, so warm weather walks need real care, and puppies must be kept off stairs and away from jumps and rough wrestling while the joints form. Grooming is short coat simple, with the wrinkles and ears wiped and dried and a cloth kept to hand for drool. Ratings with children are moderate, and the sheer weight makes supervision essential. The mistake is skipping training, because a dog this size cannot be handled once it is grown.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Neapolitan Mastiff puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A giant breed puppy at eight weeks is already heavy and will keep growing for up to two years. Controlled growth matters more here than in any other size class, so a large breed specific puppy food and no overfeeding. Energy is on the lower side for the breed, but every eight week old puppy still runs in bursts and then crashes. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Cherry eye, a prolapse of the third eyelid gland, diagnosed on examination and corrected surgically
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed and scored for
- Entropion and ectropion, eyelid faults diagnosed on veterinary eye examination
- Gastric dilatation volvulus, a surgical emergency in deep chested dogs
- Elbow hygromas, fluid cushions over the joint diagnosed on examination, which should not be drained
- Heart disease, screened by cardiac examination and echocardiogram
From Neapolitan Mastiff breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/neapolitan-mastiff/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Neapolitan Mastiff puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Giant for a Neapolitan Mastiff.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 49.9 to 68 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other giant breeds
Previous: Murray River Retriever · Next: Nederlandse Kooikerhondje
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.