Neapolitan Mastiff
Learn about the temperament and personality of the Neapolitan Mastiff. Discover what he's like to live with, his traits and characteristics and how he generally behaves. And look at lots of Neapolitan Mastiff photos.
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Neapolitan Mastiff Temperament
The Neapolitan Mastiff, Neo for short, is a guardian breed who bonds strongly with his owner and family. They can be territorial and are considered a dominant alpha breed. They are naturally protective, calm yet wary, with unmatched devotion. This devotion can manifest itself as jealousy. Neos can sometimes even be jealous of the children in the family. They seem to have a firm grasp of the concept of "mine" and can be overprotective of their toys and food. The Neapolitan Mastiff absolutely thrives on human companionship. He will want to be within patting distance of you at all times and will follow you from room to room, whether he'll fit or not. Being excluded from the family can result in serious behavior problems. They are prone to separation anxiety. Obedience training is important for this breed because of his size and strength. Neos respond well to consistent training, but they are a bit stubborn. Early socialization is also important because shyness is common in the breed. Neos are often intolerant of other dogs, so early socialization helps with this too. It is not recommended to have two same sex Neos in one house. They do well with children, and are protective of them, but many breeders will not let a Neapolitan go to a home with young children, simply because the Neo is so large that he could accidentally injure a child. They will also, frequently, knock over your furniture. The Neapolitan Mastiff needs daily exercise, but a spirited walk around the neighborhood should suffice. They do not make good jogging companions. And this breed does not do well in extreme heat, so you need to make sure he is able to stay cool. Neos like to sleep a lot. He can move with alarming speed if he thinks his family is being threatened. He is called the King of Droolers, yet Neo parents call it Neo-nectar. Be prepared to have slobber rags placed strategically throughout your house. He is also a talented snorer and it's been said that Neo owners sometimes wonder if a train is running through their house. The Neapolitan Mastiff is a fulltime pet, a high maintenance commitment, but he makes a devoted, loving, and charismatic companion. He will protect you and provide you with unconditional love and loyalty. He will also scatter dog food throughout your house.
Neapolitan Mastiff Training
The Neapolitan Mastiff is harder to train than most other dog breeds. He learns new commands more slowly than the majority of other breeds. You will need to be extra patient when Training him.
Neapolitan Mastiff Shedding
The Neapolitan Mastiff sheds a fair amount of hair. You'll find hair stuck to your couch, carpets, clothes and everything else in your home.
Neapolitan Mastiff Grooming
The short coat of the Neapolitan Mastiff only requires an occasional brushing. But because he sheds you may find yourself brushing him once or twice a week to remove loose hair. (What you get out with a brush doesn't fall out in your home!)
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Neapolitan Mastiff Photos
Rating: Ease of training
Tells you how easy or difficult a breed is to train.
A higher rating means the breed is easier to train, a lower rating means the breed is harder to train.
An easy to train breed require less time and patience to train.
Rating: Intelligence
Tells you how intelligent a breed is in terms of how quickly it can learn commands from humans. A higher rating means the breed will learn your commands faster (and is therefore generally considered to be more intelligent), while a lower rating means the breed will learn your commands more slowly (and is therefore generally considered to be less intelligent).
Keep in mind that this is only one way to measure a dog's intelligence and a low rating might still mean the breed is highly intelligent in other ways.
Rating: Shedding
Tells you how much hair the breed sheds. The higher the rating the more hair the breed sheds.
Rating: Watchdog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a watchdog and raising the alarm when a stranger approaches. A higher rating means the breed will bark vigorously to warn you of a stranger's presence on your property. A low rating means the breed probably won't bark much if a stranger enters your property.
Rating: Guard dog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a guard dog due to the appearance, size, and strength of the breed. A breed with a high guard dog rating will make an intruder think twice before stepping foot on your property.
Rating: Popularity
Tells you how popular the breed is in terms of ownership. A higher rating means that more people own the breed. The more popular a breed is the easier it is to find and purchase one because there are more breeders breeding it.
Rating: Size
Tells you how large or small the breed is. A lower rating means the breed is smaller and a higher rating means the breed is larger. It gives you a quick idea of how physically large or small the breed is compared with all the other breeds.
Rating: Agility
Tells you how agile the breed is. A higher rating means the breed is fast and nimble on its feet while a lower rating means the breed is heavier and slower on its feet.
Rating: Good with kids
Tells you how good the breed is with children. A higher rating means the breed is good with children. Note: all breeds are generally good with kids when they're raised with them.
