REDDMOLOSSER DOGS - MASTINO NAPOLETANO HISTORY

Hidden away in the Italian countryside, and almost unchanged in appearance and personality over the last 5,000 years the Italian Mastiff is a living relic of a time when man had to rely on only himself for his needs and his safety. Truly a Giant of the canine world...

The Neapolitan Mastiff, or The Molosso Italiano, The Italian Bull, The Mastino, The Mastino Napoletano or simply the Neo. Whatever you choose to call it; what is beyond dispute is that it is quite simply the giant guard dog of Italy.

Images of dogs resembling the modern-day Neo including an Assyrian (9th Century) terracotta relief have been found, several of which can be found in Musuems across the world including The British Museum.

The Neapolitan Mastiff belongs to a group of large heavy-bodied and heavy boned, short strong muzzles, huge and powerful heads, wrinkle-browed, frightful looking dogs that were used as fighters and protectors of both family and property. These dogs must be considered as direct descendants of the ancient Tibetan Mastiff.

Throughout ancient civilizations, the ancestors of the Neo were prized as fighting dogs of early courts, palaces and warrior leaders. It is said that they fought anything, guarded everything and, in suitable armour, even went to war. The Neapolitan Mastiff's predecessors were bred for performance and ability rather than consistency in looks. Alexander the Great was instrumental in creating the Neapolitan Mastiff that we know today. In the 4th century B.C., he apparently crossed his giant Macedonian and Epirian war dogs with short-haired Indian dogs to create a breed called the Molossus, which he used to fight lions, tigers, elephants and men.

The Romans later adopted the Molossus for their own use in battle, hunting and Coliseum competitions; handler and mastiff against other handlers and mastiffs, mastiff against wild animals. Over the ensuing centuries, Neapolitan farmers in southern Italy selectively bred the Mastino dog (descending from the Roman Molossus crosses) to retain the huge size, loose skin and heavy dewlap of its ancestors, but to be more of a stay-at-home dog that blended well with families while still being proficient at deterring intruders. Many reports suggest that the Neapolitan Mastiff was purposely developed to be alarmingly ugly, with looks alone sufficient to repulse and repel unwelcome visitors. It is also reported but never confirmed that the feet of the guard-dogs were removed to ensure they did not stray too far from the properties they were bred to protect. The ensuing years are very sketchy with regards to the history of the Neo, what is without question is that some very impressive dogs were produced.

While the Neapolitan mastiff's ancestors have been prized in historic Rome, they fell out of favor for quite a lot of centuries. It wasn't until the 1940s that they had been rediscovered in Italy close to Naples. Italians began to seriously focus on the breed after the Second World War. The Mastini began to become regarded as a National treasure. The breed standard was drafted by the Italian painter and so-called father of the modern Neapolitan Mastiff, Piero Scanziani, in 1948. The Neo was officially recognized in Italy in 1949, by both the Italian Kennel Club (Ente Nazionale della Cinafilia Italiana) and the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI).

Possibly one of the most renowned breeders of the Neapolitan Mastiff was the late Mario Querci. Mario made a great contribution to the evolution of the breed, breeding Mastiffs from as early as the 1950s until his death in 1990, "Di Ponzano" his kennel name can be found in most of the great dogs of today. Mario Querci was one of the original Mastinaro.

Mastinaro is the Italian term for a breeder of Neapolitan Mastiffs who has undertaken insurmountable amounts of work for the sheer passion for this breed of dog. This is not a name applied lightly to any would-be breeder of Neapolitans. Mastinaro is only reserved for those dedicated artists and connoisseurs of Mastini who have paid their dues in time spent, tribulations, disappointments, and loss of money, and yet have persisted in bringing to creation that astounding relic of a by-gone age.

The 1980s saw a large exodus of both puppy and older dogs across Europe as the popularity of the breed started to spread globally.

In October 1998 a group of enthusiasts who wished to increase their knowledge and understanding of this highly individualisic breed founded "The proposed Neapolitan Mastiff Club" In February 2002 the "proposed" Neapolitan Mastiff Club was officially Recognised by The Kennel Club, as the UK's Official Breed Club. The Neapolitan Mastiff remains a 'Rare Breed' without Championship Status and as such, are not yet allocated Challenge Certificates in recognition of wins at Championship shows.

The Neo's type and unique appearance were created in the Neapolitan countryside by years of inbreeding. As a result, the traits that make the Mastino an unusual dog - its wrinkles, dewlap, loose skin, enormous bone and distinctive rolling gait - are created by an accumulation of recessive genes. To breed a sound dog with these attributes is truly an art...and a challenge.

The modern Neapolitan Mastiff is a calm and steady companion, as well as an imposing (but not flashy) competitor in the conformation ring. Neos have been used as police dogs and draught dogs (cart-pullers). They are natural guard dogs, despite their sometimes lazy appearance. If his owner is threatened, a Neapolitan Mastiff can react with alarming swiftness and ferocity. It is said that where a "normal" guard dog may bite an intruder's arm, a Neapolitan Mastiff may remove the arm entirely. Neapolitan mastiffs are fearless and good at defending their territory, although they're unlikely to bark. These dogs are more likely to creep up on a stranger than bark and trigger alarm. Latin author Columella, first century A.D wrote in his work De Re Rustica "...because a dark dog has a more terrifying appearance; and during the day, a prowler can see him and be frightened by his appearance. When night falls, the dog, lost in the shadows, can attack without being seen..." These words although written over 2,000 years ago still apply to todays Neo.