Neapolitan Mastiff | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Other names | Cane da presa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Origin | Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Dog (domestic dog) |
The Neapolitan Mastiff or Mastino Napoletano is an Italian breed of large dog. It descends from the traditional guard dogs of central Italy, that were direct descendants of the Canis Pugnax of the legions of ancient Rome [1]. It was recognised as a breed by the Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana in 1949,[2] and accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1956.[3]
The breed is closely related to the Cane Corso.
History
The breed of "Cane Corso" is closely related to the "Neapolitan Mastiff"; they are practically cousins and they share their genetic heritage. Both of these dog breeds came to life when the Roman empire attacked Greek islands and encountered the Molosser dog breeds. They decided to take some of these dogs back to the Roman empire and breed them with the native dog breeds. The first dogs that were created in Roman times from the original Molossers were called “Canis Pugnax” - the Roman dogs of war....These dogs were famous Roman war dogs. They were trained for a specific purpose on the battlefield and their imposing looks stroke fear in their enemies. They used to be even bigger and they had special armor made especially for them so they could stay alive as long as possible and be shielded from arrows and spikes. The Romans trained these dogs to charge their enemies while carrying flamings buckets of oil on their side. There are many ancient pictures and statues of these dogs in armor and depicted as guardians and companions of Roman soldiers.WDF[4]
The Neapolitan Mastiff derives from the traditional catch and guard dogs of central Italy (but the distant origin is the "canis pugnax" [5]of the Roman legions).Selection of the breed was begun in 1947 by Piero Scanziani, who had seen one at an exhibition in Naples in 1946.[1][2] He drew up the first standard for the breed, which in 1949 was officially recognised by the Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana.[2] It received full acceptance from the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1956.[3]
Characteristics
The Neapolitan Mastiff is large, massive and powerful, with a weight in the range 50–70 kg (110–150 lb) and a height at the withers of 60–75 cm (24–30 in)[1] The length of the body is about 15% greater than the height.[1]
The skin is abundant and loose, particularly on the head where it hangs in heavy wrinkles. The preferred coat colours are black, grey and leaden, but mahogany, fawn, fulvous, hazelnut, dove-grey and isabelline are also acceptable; all coats may be brindled, and minor white markings on the toes and chest are tolerated.[1][6]
A Neapolitan Mastiff may be expected to live for up to 10 years.[7]: 92 . A survey in the United Kingdom found an average lifespan of 7 years, with some 16% living past the age of 9 years.[8]
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Neapolitan Mastiff profile
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A male Neapolitan Mastiff
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A blue Neopolitan Mastiff puppy
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A female Neapolitan Mastiff
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First breed standard
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An isabelline Neopolitan Mastiff
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A young Neopolitan Mastiff
References
- ^ a b c d e Mastino Napoletano (in Italian). Milano: Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana. Accessed March 2020.
- ^ a b c Mastino Napoletano: Storia (in Italian). Milano: Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana. Accessed March 2020.
- ^ a b Mastino Napoletano (197). Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Accessed March 2020.
- ^ Canis Pugnax
- ^ Image of the Roman legion's Canis Pugnax
- ^ Palmer, Joan (February 2006). Dog Breeds. Wellfleet, MA: Wellfleet Press. p. 157. ISBN 978-0785800309.
- ^ [Bruce Fogle] (2013). The Dog Encylopedia. London; New York: Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9781465408440.
- ^ "Average Age Survey Results". The Neapolitan Mastiff Club. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
See also