History of the Neapolitan Mastiff

The Neapolitan Mastiff belongs to the group of large, heavy boned, short muzzled, wrinkled-browed dogs that were used as fighters and protectors of persons and property. These dogs are known from ancient artwork and writings to have existed 5000 years ago.

Artwork found in the Mesopotamian region that dedplicts Mastiff-like dogs which are remarkably similar to the present day Neapolitan Mastiff. These terracotta statues, bas-reliefs, cylinder seals and tiles show giant dogs with enormous heads, short muzzles, dewlaps, wrinkled forheads, cropped ears and massive legs, are common relics found in the region and they date from as early as 3000BC.

One minature terracotta dog found buried at the North Palace of Ashurbanipal (668-627BC) at Ninevah. Its name was written on the body of the sculpture. The name of the dog was "Enemy Catcher"

These Mastiff dogs were important enough to be maintained and propagated from one people to the next. Alexander the Great treasured these ferocious war dogs, it is said he pitted them against all types of wild animals, Including Lions, bulls and elephants. In those days a man's power and ability to aquire wealth and prestige, were dependant on his degree of ferocity, strength and cunning. These dogs were a status symbol, When Alexander died and Macedonia and eastern europe fell to the Romans, these great war dogs were seized and then propagated by the Romans. Since Roman men were always at war and conquering more lands, they needed someone to protect their homes and families, since slaves had a tendancy to run away, the mastino guardian would not, hence the development of the Roman house guard dog. Through literature and artwork from these times we are able to trace the lineage of our Mastiff dogs from one conquering people to another through to modern times. It was in the region of Naples and surrounding countryside of Mt Vesuvius that dogs fitting this description of the Roman House guard dog were conserved and bred. These dogs were highly prized by the people who had them, so much so they were not openly traded. There were no written documentation of the linage of these dogs, it was these dogs that were promoted in the late 1940's by piero Scanziani, and these dogs which were christened with the name Mastino Napoletano and thus became a recognised breed.

(Extracts taken from the Official Book of the Neapolitan Mastiff by Sheralyn Allen)