The Mastino's character is steady and loyal, not aggresive or apt to bite without reason. By instinct a watchful protector of his property and persons, he is intellegent loyal, noble and majestic. He is affectionate with his family and friends and wary around strangers, but will accept stangers and relax when his master is present. As a breed they can be stubborn but he does not require repetitious training, once he understands what you want, he only wants to please and will do what you want him too, the key to training is to be clear so they understand what you want them to do. He is generally dominant and must be taught from puppy hood that your are the master.
Points to remember are:
Males can be much more dominant than females.
Males do not always get along with other males, but can get along well with non canine pets if raised with them from puppy hood.
Females may usually get along with other females for a time, until you breed from one of the females then heirachy takes over and they will fight for status
If you choose to have a male or female, unless they are show specimens and you intend to breed, It is recommended they are neutured as soon as your vet advises it is possible, they are less dominant when neutered, a spayed bitch will not be as messy in the home and neutering reduces the chance of cancer in later life.
The Neapolitan Mastiff is not a breed for everyone and certainly not a dog for beginners. Children should be taught respect and not be allowed to tease or rough play with them. (Can you imagine?... a young puppy rough playing with a 7 year old....That pup will soon be 12 stone would you want your 7 year old to rough play with him then? For your child's sake and your dog's DO NOT allow it!
The Mastino should be well socailised with children, people,other dogs and animals,from an early age...even inanimate objects should be introduced! I remember the first time Cass came across a moving wheelie bin!! Funny now, but not at the time, someone was taking it back up their driveway after it had been emptied, the sudden noise startled her, she sprang into action, jerking me forward so i stumbled forward and let go of the lead, she jumped at the wheels of the bin snarling and barking, jumping backward and forwards, the poor chap let go of the bin ran into his porch and watched laughing from the safty of the porch while she continued to attack it and i ran around trying to catch her and get hold of the lead, it took me 5 minutes to drag her away and 5 years to live it down. So be warned, lots of socialisation in public places with lots of noise while they are young, and you will avoid over-protectiveness or shyness as both these aspects can cause aggression in later life. The Mastno will be protective of you regardless of the socialisation or training he receives. amount of socialisation he receives, it's in his instinct.
The Mastino has a high pain threshold and is generally very tolerant of pain, probably due to the breed's early fighting background. They are known to drool but do tend to drool more in hot weather or after drinking water.
These dogs are generally not over active but are usually content to lie near, or on you!! Do not, however, think of the Mastino as slow moving or over lazy, when he or his master is threatened, he can move with alarming speed and energy! It's been said, Whereas another breed of dog might bite the arm of a perceived assailant, the Mastino may leave with the arm.
Due to its power and mass, many question the advisability of having this dog in a house with small children. Though the family dog would not purposely injure a child, the mastino could easily knock one down. Just the weight of the paws on a sensitive body part could injure a youngster or distress them. A female works best in a family home, as she is usually more docile and better with children. These dogs are extremely loving with all the family providing they are brought up to respect and be respected!
The price you will pay for one of these dogs depends on many factors, whether the breeder is a reputable one or not is an important one to consider as there are many back street breeders out there exploiting this breed and who do not consider quality dogs in their breeding programe, they breed indiscriminately and for money alone! Therefore after finding a reputable breeder, the price you will pay for a puppy will then depends on the age, quality and breeding of the pup. A puppy of "pet" quality, that is, a pup who has been bred with all consideration as a "show" quality puppy, but a minor imperfection or reason prevents this dog from official competition would cost between £750 - £1200 (from a reputable breeder). This doesn't mean it can't win your heart and that of your family!
A show quality pup can cost £1500 and upwards. Expect to pay somewhat more for a full grown dog than for a puppy. After all, the previous owner has absorbed the risk and cost of the puppy during the growth period and you are now buying a high quality older puppy or dog with no risks attached.