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Breed Standard
F.C.I. Standard No 197 dated 27/11/89
Adopted in Australia 1/1/98
Country of Origin: Italy
Translated by: Originally by Mrs Peggy Davis with amendments by Mrs Mitchell
from the French translation by Dr J.-M Paschoud and Prof. Triquet and
from the Italian Standard.
Please Note: Words placed in normal brackets (.......) are as in the Standard.
Words placed in square brackets [......] are explanations or alternative
translations.
- Mrs Ann Mitchell, ANKC Breed Standards Co-Ordinator.
Brief Historical Summary - The Neapolitan Mastiff is a descendant of the
great Roman Mastiff described by Columelle in the 1st century A.D. in
his book, "De Re Rustica". Spread throughout Europe by the Roman
legions alongside whom he fought, he is the ancestor of numerous mastiff
breeds in other European countries. Having survived many centuries in
the countryside at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius and in the region of Naples,
the breed was revived after 1947, thanks to the tenacity and devotion
of a group of dog lovers.
GENERAL APPEARANCE - A heavy, massive, thick-set dog
of great size, whose length of body exceeds its height at the withers.
Important Proportions: The length of the body is 10% more than its height
at the withers. Length of head is equal to 30% of the height at the withers.
The ratio of length of skull to muzzle is as 2 is to 1.
CHARACTERISTICS - [See General Appearance, Temperament
and Gait/Movement].
TEMPERAMENT - Steady and loyal in character, not aggressive
nor liable to bite without reason, a defender of property and its inhabitants,
he is always vigilant, intelligent, noble and majestic.
HEAD AND SKULL - The head is short and massive, with
a broad skull at the level of the zygomatic arches; its length is approximately
30% of its height at the withers. Abundant skin with wrinkles and folds,
of which the most typical and most marked extends from the outer corner
of the eyes down to the corner of the lips. The planes of the skull and
of the muzzle are parallel.
Skull: The skull is broad, flat, particularly between
the ears, and, seen from the front, slightly convex in the fore part.
The width between the cheekbones is more than half the length of the head.
The cheekbones are very prominent but covered with flat muscles. The brows
are well developed; the frontal furrow is pronounced; the occipital crest
is barely visible.
Stop - Pronounced.
Foreface - Nose - As an extension of the topline of the
muzzle, it must not protrude beyond the outer, vertical line of the lips.,
It must be large with large, well-opened nostrils. Its colour is according
to the colour of the coat; black for black dogs, dark grey-brown in dogs
of other colours and chestnut for brown coats.
Muzzle - Is very wide and deep; its length corresponds
to that of the foreface and must be one third of the length of the whole
head. The sides are parallel to each other, so that, seen from the front,
the shape of the muzzle appears to be practically square.
Lips - Fleshy, thick and full, the upper lips, seen from
the front, form an inverted "V" at their junction. The lower
profile of the muzzle is formed by the upper lips; their lowest part is
the corner of the lips with its visible mucous membranes and situated
on the vertical line dropped from the outer corner of the eye.
Jaws - Powerful, with strong jaw bones and dental arches
which join perfectly. The lower jaw must be well developed in width.
EYES - Forward facing, they are set well apart from each
other; almost round; slightly deep set. The colour of the iris is darker
than the colour of the coat. The colour may, however, be lighter in coats
of diluted shades.
EARS - Small in relation to the size of the dog, triangular
in shape, they are flat, held close to the cheeks and set above the zygomatic
arch. When they are cropped, they have the shape of an equilateral triangle.
[Note: Dogs with cropped ears may not be exhibited in Australia.]
MOUTH - Teeth are white, well developed, well aligned
and complete in number. Scissor bite, (i.e. the upper incisors closely
overlap the lower incisors in close contact and set upright in the jaws,)
or pincer bite (i.e. the upper incisors meet edge to edge with the lower
incisors.).
NECK - Is slightly arched. Rather short in length, it
measures about 28%of the height at the withers. Blunt cone shaped, it
is well muscled. At mid-length, the circumference is about equal to 8
tenths of the height at the withers. The lower edge of the neck is replete
with loose skin which forms a double dewlap, well separated but not exaggerated;
it starts at the level of the lower jaw and does not extend beyond the
middle of the neck.
FOREQUARTERS - On the whole, the forelegs from the ground
to the point of elbow, seen from the side and from the front, are vertical
with strong bones in proportion to the size of the dog.
Shoulders - The length of the shoulders are about three
tenths of the height at the withers. They are angled at about 50 - 60
° from the horizontal. The muscles are well developed, long and well
defined. The angulation of the point of shoulder is from 105 - 115 °.
Upper arm - The length is about 30% of the height at
the withers, its angulation from the horizontal is from 55 - 60 °
and it is furnished with significant musculature.
Elbows - are covered with abundant, loose skin; they
are held not too close to the chest.
Forearm - length is almost equal to that of the upper
arm. Placed in perfectly vertical position, strongly boned with lean and
well developed muscles.
Pastern joint - Broad, lean, and smooth, continues the
vertical line of the forearm.
Pastern - Flat, it continues the vertical line of the
forearm. Its angulation from the horizontal towards the front is between
70 to 75 °. Its length is equal to about one sixth of the length of
the leg from the ground to the elbow.
BODY - The length of the body exceeds the height at the
withers by 10%.
The topline is straight; the withers are wide, long and not very prominent.
The back is broad and in length about one third of the height at the withers.
The loin must be smoothly connected to the back , muscular and wide.
The rib cage is roomy with long and well sprung ribs. The circumference
of the thorax is about one quarter greater than the height at the withers.
The croup is broad, strong and well muscled. It is angled at about 30
° from the horizontal measured from the hip bone (coxal). Its length
equals about three tenths of the height at the withers. The hip bones
project level with the highest point of the loin.
The chest is broad and wide with well developed chest muscles. Its width
is in direct relation to that of the rib cage and reaches down to 40 -
45 % of the height at the withers. The prosternum is on a level with the
point of shoulder.
HINDQUARTERS - Hind legs must be, on the whole, powerful
and sturdy, in proportion with the size of the dog and capable of the
required propulsion in movement.
Upper thigh length measures one third of the height at
the withers and its angulation from the horizontal is about 60 °.
It is broad with heavy, prominent muscles but which are clearly distinct
from each other. The femur and the hip bone (coxal) form an angle of 90°.
Lower thigh - Slightly less in length than the upper
thigh and with an angulation [from the horizontal] of 50 - 55 °, strongly
boned and with clearly visible muscles.
Stifle - The femoral-tibial angle [upper and lower thigh
bones] is about 110 - 115°.
Hock Joint - Very long in relation to the length of the
lower thigh, it is about 25% of the height at the withers. The angulation
of the tibia and the metatarsals [bones of the lower thigh and the hock]
form an angle between 140 - 145°.
Hock [Rear pastern] - Strong and dry [lean], almost cylindrical
in shape. perfectly straight and parallel, its length is about 25% of
the height at the withers. Dewclaws should be removed.
FEET - Front feet - Round, large with
well arched, close knit toes.
Hind feet - Smaller than the front feet, round with close
knit toes.
The pads are firm, hard and well pigmented. The nails are strong, curved
and dark.
TAIL - Broad and thick at its root; strong, tapering
slightly towards the tip. its natural length reaches to the hock joint,
but usually is docked to about two thirds of its length. At rest is carried
hanging down and curved in sabre fashion, in action is lifted horizontally
or slightly higher than the top line.
GAIT/MOVEMENT - Forms a characteristic typical of the
breed. At the walk, the movement is feline like a lion. At the trot or
pacing, it is slow and resembles that of a bear. The trot is characterised
by a strong thrust of the hindquarters and good reach of the forequarters.
The dog rarely gallops; usual gaits are the walk and the trot. Pacing
is allowed.
COAT - The skin is 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.
Type of coat - Short, stiff, hard and dense, of the same length all over;
uniformly smooth, fine and measures 1.5 cm [just over & 1/2; ins]
maximum. Must not show any trace of fringing.
COLOUR - Preferred colours are grey, leaden grey and
black, but also brown [mahogany], fawn [tawny] and deep fawn [deer red],
sometimes with white patches on the chest and on the tips of the toes.
All these colours may be brindled. Hazel [light brown], dove-grey and
Isabella [light fawn] are tolerated.
SIZE - Height at withers - males 65
- 75 cm. [25 & 1/2; - 29 & 1/2; ins] females 60 - 68 cm. [23 &
1/2; - 26 & 1/2; ins]
Some tolerance of 2cm. [1 ins] more or less is allowed.
Weight - Males 60 - 70 kg [132 - 154 lbs]
Females 50 - 60 kg. [110 - 132 lbs]
FAULTS - Any departure from the foregoing points should
be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should
be regarded should be in exact proportions to its degree.
Serious Faults - Pronouncedly undershot mouth
Gay tail (trumpet tail) [curved over the back]
Sizes larger or smaller than the limits allowed.
Disqualifying Faults - Overshot mouth
Accentuated convergence or divergence of the facial-cranial axes
[Dish- or down-faced]
Bridge of nose concave or convex or very aquiline (Roman nose).
Total lack of pigmentation on the nose.
Total lack of pigmentation on the upper and lower eye lids.
Wall eye; cross eyed. Absence of wrinkles, folds and dewlap.
Absence of tail, whether congenital or artificial.
Extensive white patches; white markings on the head.
NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normally
developed testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Utility Group A.N.K.C. © January 1998
Last Updated: 8/8/01
DVD of Breed
Standard with Comments from International Experts available for $30 including
postage within Australia
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