Description: The Neapolitan Mastiff is a very strong dog, whose height is 26 to 30 inches in the dog and 24 to 28 inches in the bitch; this breed can weigh up to 165 pounds, with the largest recorded male being just short of 200 pounds. The body is large and stocky with great quantity of skin on the head and large dewlap. The head is flat and fairly wide and looks bigger than the rest of the body. The muzzle is one third the length of the head and is as broad as it is long. With a large nose that has opened nostrils, and the colour matches the coat.

The Neapolitan Mastiff teeth can meet in a slight undershot bite, pincer or scissor bite. They have deep set eyes that are almost hidden by the dropping upper lids; the eye colour is either amber or brown depending on the coat colour. The Neapolitan Mastiff ears may be cropped, in countries that do not permit it, these are left natural. The tail is carried straight up and is rounded over the back. With sturdy legs this dog has rounded feet with well arched toes. Their coat is straight, very dense and short furred. The colours that come with this breed are; black, blue, grey tawny and mahogany and very rarely chocolate. A little white is permitted on the chest and toes, but there should never be white on the face. This breed has a short life expectancy of up to 10 years.

History: This breed descends from the Tibetan Mastiff, as do all European mastiffs. It's generally believed to be the earliest member of the canine species. Being seen in Greece, in around 300 BC, and it was brought from India by Alexander the Great. The Greeks went on to introduce the dog to the Romans. Who use these dogs in circus combat. Another thought of how this breed started is that the Phoenicians brought this dog to Britain in 500 BC.

The Neapolitan mastiff is a straight descendant of the Roman Molossus. The breed became extinct throughout the rest of Europe and survived only in Campania, this is why it is said that the Neapolitan Mastiff has existed in Campania for 2000 years. This dog has been used in war, and the blood sports, that the Romans were so fond of. This dog has a well-deserved reputation as a guard dog. This dog was first shown in Italy in 1946 and its standards were set in 1949. This is a rare dog to have in America and was recognized by the AKC in 2004.