F.C.I.
ORIGIN: Italy.
UTILIZATION: Protection and guard dog.
FCI'S CLASSIFICATION: Group 2 (Pinscher
and Schnauzer type - Molossian type and Swiss cattledogs) Section
2.1 (Mastiff type). Without working trial.
BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The Neapolitan
Mastiff is a descendant of the great Roman mastiff described
by Columelle in the first century A.D. in his book "DE RE Rustica".
Widespread all over Europe by the Roman legions, with which he
has fought, he is the ancestor of numerous mastiff breeds in
the other European countries. Having survived so many centuries
in the countryside at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius and in general
in the region of Naples, he has been re-selected since 1947,
thanks to the tenacity and devotion of a group of dog lovers.
GENERAL APPEARANCE - Large, heavy massive
and bulky dog, whose length of body exceeds the height at the
withers.
IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS - The length of the
body is 10% more than the height at the withers. The ratio skull-muzzle
is of 2 to 1.
BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT - Steady and loyal,
not aggressive or biting without reason, guardian of the property
and its inhabitants, always vigilant, intelligent, noble and
majestic.
HEAD - Short and massive, with a skull wide
at level of zygomatic arches; its length is about 3/10 of the
height at the withers. Ample skin with wrinkles and folds of
which the most typical and the best marked goes from the outer
palpebral angle down to the lip angle. The upper longitudinal
axes of the skull and the muzzle are parallel.
CRANIAL REGION - The skull is wide, flat,
particularly between the ears, and, seen from the front, slightly
convex in its fore part. The bizygomatic width is more than half
the length of the head. The zygomatic arches are very prominent,
but with flat muscles. The protuberances of the frontal bones
are well developed; the frontal furrow is marked; the occipital
crest is hardly visible. Stop - Well defined.
FACIAL REGION -
Nose - Set in the prologation of the muzzle, must not protrude beyond the ourter
vertical line of the lips; must be voluminous with large, well opened nostrils.
Its colour is according to the colour of the coat: black for the black subjects,
dark grey-brown in dogs of other colours, and chestnut for brown coats.
Muzzle - It is very wide and deep; its length corresponds to that of the fore-face
and must be equal to the third of the length of the head. The lateral sides
are parallel (between them), so that, seen from the front, the shape of the
muzzle is practically square.
Lips - Fleshy, thick and full; upper lips, seen from the front, form an inverted "V" at
their meeting point. The lower lateral profile of the muzzle is shaped by the
upper lips; their lowest part is the corner of the lips, with visible mucous
membranes, situated on the vertical from the external angle of the eye.
Jaws - Powerful with strong jaw bones and dental arches joining perfectly.
Lower jaw must be well developed in its width.
Teeth - White, well developed, regularly aligned and complete in number. Scissor
bite, i.e. upper incisors closely overlapping the lower ones in close contact,
set straight to the jaw, or pincer bite, i.e. upper incisors meet edge to edge
with the lower incisors.
Eyes - Set on an equal frontal level, well apart one from the other; rather
round, slightly deep set. Compared with the coat colour, the colour of the
iris is darker. The eye may nevertheless be lighter in coats of diluted shades.
Ears - Small in relation to the size of the dog, of triangular shape, set above
the zygomatic arch, they are flat and close to the cheeks. When they are cropped,
they have the form of an almost equilateral angle.
NECK - Profile - The upper profile is slightly
convex.
Length - Rather short, measures about 2,8/10 of the height of the withers.
Shape - Conical trunk shaped, well muscled. At mid-length the perimeter is
equal to about 8/10 of the height at the withers.
Skin - Lower edge of the neck is well endowed with loose skin which forms a
double dewlap well separated, but not exaggerated; starts at level of the lower
jaw and does not go beyond middle of the neck.
BODY - The length of the body exceeds by
10% the height at the withers. Top line - Top line of the back
is straight; withers are wide, long and not very prominent.
Back - Broad and of a length about 1/3 of the height at the withers. The lumbar
region must be harmoniously united with the back, and muscles well developed
in width. The ribcage ample, with long and well sprung ribs. The circumference
of the thorax is about 1/4 more than the height at the withers.
Rump - Wide, strong and well muscled. Its obliqueness compared with the measured
horizontal on that of the hip bone (coxal) is about 30°. Its length is equal
to 3/10 of the height at the withers. The hip bones are prominent to the extent
of reaching the top lumbar line.
Chest - Broad and wide with well developed chest muscles. Its width is in direct
relation with that of the ribcage and reaches the 40-45% of the height at the
withers. The tip of the sternum is situated at the level of the scarpular-humeral
joint.
Tail - Broad and thick at its root; strong, taperinq slightly towards the tip.
In length it reaches the articulation of the hock, but usually is docked at
about 2/3 of its length. At rest is carried hanging and curved in sabre fashion,
in action lifted horizontally or slightly higher than the top line.
QUARTERS
•FOREQUARTERS - On the whole, the forequarters, from the ground to the point
of the elbow, seen in profile and from the front, are vertical with a strong
bone structure in proportion with the size of the dog. Shoulders - Their length
measures about 3/10 of the height at the withers with an obliqueness of 50°-60° on
the horizontal. The muscles are well developed, long and well defined. The angle
of the scapulo-humeral articulation is 105°-115°.
Arm - Measures about 30% of the height at the withers, Obliqueness is of 55°-60° furnished
with significant musculature.
Elbows - Covered with abundant loose skin, They are not too close to the body.
Forearms - Its length is almost the same as that of the arm. Placed in perfect
vertical position, of a strong bone structure with lean and well developed
muscles.
Pastern joint - Broad, lean and without nodosity, continues the vertical line
of the forearm.
Pastern - Flat, continues the vertical line of the forearm. Its inclination
on the horizontal towards the front is of about to 75°. Its length is equal
to about 1/6 of the length of the limb from the ground up to the elbow.
Forefeet - Of round shape, large, toes well arched and well-knit. The pads
are lean, hard and well pigmented. The nails are strong, curved and a dark
colour.
•HINDQUARTERS - On the whole they must be powerful and sturdy,
in proportion with the size of the dog and capable of the required
propulsion in movement.
Upper thigh - In length measuring 1/3 of the height at the withers and its
obliqueness on the horizontal is about 60°. It is broad with thick, prominent
but clearly distinct muscles. The thigh bone and the hip bone (femur and coxal)
form an angle of 90°.
Lower thigh - Length slightly inferior to that of the thigh and of an obliqueness
of 50°-55°, with strong bone structure and well visible musculature.
Stifle - The femoral-tibial (hip bone-shin bone) angle is about 110°-115°.
Hock joint - Very long in relation to the length of the leg, its length is
about 2,5/10 of the height at the withers. The tibial-tarsal articulation forms
an angle of 140°-145°.
Hock - Strong and lean, its shape almost cylindrical, perfectly straight and
parallel, its length is about 1/4 of the height at the withers; eventual dewclaws
should be removed.
Hindfeet - Smaller than the forefeet, round with well-knit toes. Pads dry,
hard and pigmented. Nails strong, curved and of dark colour.
GAIT AND MOVEMENT - This constitutes a typical
characteristic of the breed. At the walk, the gait of feline
type of lion steps, is slow and resembles that of a bear. The
trot is distinguished by a strong thrust of the hindquarters
and a good extension of the forequarters. The dog rarely gallops;
usual gaits: walk and trot - Pacing is tolerated.
SKIN - Thick, abundant and loose all over
the body, particularly on the head where it forms numerous folds
and wrinkles, and at the lower part of the neck where it forms
a double dewlap.
COAT - Type of coat - Short, rough and hard,
dense, of the same length all over, uniformly smooth, fine and
measures 1,5 cm maximum. Must not show any trace of fringing.
Colour of coat - Preferred colours are: grey, leaden grey and black, but also
brown, fawn and deep fawn(red deer), with, sometimes, little white patches
on the chest and on the tip of the toes. All these coats may he brindled; hazel,
dove-grey and Isabella shades are tolerated.
SIZE AND WEIGHT - Height at withers - males
65-75 cm. Females 60-68 cm. Some tolerance of 2 cm. more or less
is allowed. Weight - Males 60-70 kg. Females 50-60 kg.
FAULTS - Any departure from the foregoing
points constitutes a fault which must be penalized in proportion
to its degree.
•SERIOUS FAULTS - Pronounced undershot mouth;
gay tail (trumpet tail), sizes bigger or smaller than the limits
allowed.
•DISQUALIFYING FAULTS - Overshot mouth;
accentuated convergence or divergence of the facial-cranial axes;
topline of muzzle concave or convex or very aquiline (Roman nose):
total depigmentation of nose; wall eye; total depigmentation
of both rims of eyelids; cross eyed; absence of wrinkles, folds
and dewlap; absence of tail whether congenital or artificial;
extensive white patches; white markings on the head.
Copyright © The Kennel Club
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