The Neapolitan Mastiff is a direct descendant of the Middle East war dogs: the Molossus. It was often used to fight against lions, bears or gladiators in Roman arenas.

The Neapolitan Mastiff fought with the Roman legions. This is how they got spread everywhere in Europe. This breed was rediscovered approximately in 1940, in Italy, and is now becoming more and more popular.

The dog’s color can be gray, blue, black, mahogany and tawny. It can also come in darker shades of these colors.

The coat is short, smooth and dense. It has straight hairs, no longer than 1 inch.

The Neapolitan Mastiff is a steady dog. It is very intelligent and stubborn. It’s extremely protective and courageous as well as very suspicious of strangers but affectionate with the family and their friends. If not provoked, it is calm and silent. Females are better family pets because the males are more aggressive and dominant and females are better with children. Plus, males do not tolerate other males.

The Neapolitan Mastiff is very easy to take care of. Removing dead hairs with a brush once in a while is all it needs. It is an average shedder.

For the Neapolitan Mastiff, obedience training is a must. The training should start at a young age to avoid high dominance. The dog also needs to be socialized early to be sure that they don’t become too protective. The training approach should be strict and constant.

The Neapolitan Mastiff needs regular exercise. It has to be walked at least twice a day to stay healthy in what should be a big yard.