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.

FCI 'Italian Breed Standard' (Click Hyperlink for Details)

UK 'Breed Standard' (Click Hyperlink for Details)