Neapolitan Mastiff - FCI

FCI Standard No. 197 Neapolitan Mastiff Mastino Napoletano; Matin Napolitain; Mastin Napolitano Classification: Group: II ...................... Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossians and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs. Section: 2. .................... Molossian Type Subsection: 1. .............. Mastiff Type Origin: Italy Info: F.C.I. Standard No 197 dated 27/11/89 Translated by: Originally by Mrs Peggy Davis with amendments by Mrs Mitchell from the French translation by Dr J. M Paschoud and Prof. Triquet and from the Italian Standard. Please Note: Words placed in normal brackets (.......) are as in the Standard. Words placed in square brackets [......] are explanations or alternative translations. Brief Historical Summary: The Neapolitan Mastiff is a descendant of the great Roman Mastiff described by Columelle in the 1st century A.D. in his book, "De Re Rustica". Spread throughout Europe by the Roman legions alongside whom he fought, he is the ancestor of numerous mastiff breeds in other European countries. Having survived many centuries in the countryside at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius and in the region of Naples, the breed was revived after 1947, thanks to the tenacity and devotion of a group of dog lovers. General Appearance: A heavy, massive, thick-set dog of great size, whose length of body exceeds its height at the withers. Important Proportions: The length of the body is 10% more than its height at the withers. Length of head is equal to 30% of the height at the withers. The ratio of length of skull to muzzle is as 2 is to 1. Characteristics: [See General Appearance, Temperament and Gait/Movement]. Temperament / Behavior: Steady and loyal in character, not aggressive nor liable to bite without reason, a defender of property and its inhabitants, he is always vigilant, intelligent, noble and majestic. DESCRIPTION: HEAD AND SKULL - The head is short and massive, with a broad skull at the level of the zygomatic arches; its length is approximately 30% of its height at the withers. Abundant skin with wrinkles and folds, of which the most typical and most marked extends from the outer corner of the eyes down to the corner of the lips. The planes of the skull and of the muzzle are parallel. Skull: The skull is broad, flat, particularly between the ears, and, seen from the front, slightly convex in the fore part. The width between the cheekbones is more than half the length of the head. The cheekbones are very prominent but covered with flat muscles. The brows are well developed; the frontal furrow is pronounced; the occipital crest is barely visible. Stop - Pronounced. Foreface - Nose - As an extension of the topline of the muzzle, it must not protrude beyond the outer, vertical line of the lips. It must be large with large, well-opened nostrils. Its color is according to the color of the coat; black for black dogs, dark gray-brown in dogs of other colors and chestnut for brown coats. Muzzle - Is very wide and deep; its length corresponds to that of the foreface and must be one third of the length of the whole head. The sides are parallel to each other, so that, seen from the front, the shape of the muzzle appears to be practically square. Lips - Fleshy, thick and full, the upper lips, seen from the front, form an inverted "V" at their junction. The lower profile of the muzzle is formed by the upper lips; their lowest part is the corner of the lips with its visible mucous membranes and situated on the vertical line dropped from the outer corner of the eye. Jaws - Powerful, with strong jaw bones and dental arches which join perfectly. The lower jaw must be well developed in width. EYES - Forward facing, they are set well apart from each other; almost round; slightly deep set. The color of the iris is darker than the color of the coat. The color may, however, be lighter in coats of diluted shades. EARS - Small in relation to the size of the dog, triangular in shape, they are flat, held close to the cheeks and set above the zygomatic arch. When they are cropped, they have the shape of an equilateral triangle. [Note: Dogs with cropped ears may not be exhibited in Australia.] MOUTH - Teeth are white, well developed, well aligned and complete in number. Scissor bite, (i.e. the upper incisors closely overlap the lower incisors in close contact and set upright in the jaws,) or pincer bite (i.e. the upper incisors meet edge to edge with the lower incisors.). NECK - Is slightly arched. Rather short in length, it measures about 28%of the height at the withers. Blunt cone shaped, it is well muscled. At mid-length, the cir*****ference is about equal to 8 tenths of the height at the withers. The lower edge of the neck is replete with loose skin which forms a double dewlap, well separated but not exaggerated; it starts at the level of the lower jaw and does not extend beyond the middle of the neck. FOREQUARTERS - On the whole, the forelegs from the ground to the point of elbow, seen from the side and from the front, are vertical with strong bones in proportion to the size of the dog. Shoulders - The length of the shoulders are about three tenths of the height at the withers. They are angled at about 50 - 60 ° from the horizontal. The muscles are well developed, long and well defined. The angulation of the point of shoulder is from 105 - 115 °. Upper arm - The length is about 30% of the height at the withers, its angulation from the horizontal is from 55 - 60 ° and it is furnished with significant musculature. Elbows - are covered with abundant, loose skin; they are held not too close to the chest. Forearm - length is almost equal to that of the upper arm. Placed in perfectly vertical position, strongly boned with lean and well developed muscles. Pastern joint - Broad, lean, and smooth, continues the vertical line of the forearm. Pastern - Flat, it continues the vertical line of the forearm. Its angulation from the horizontal towards the front is between 70 to 75 °. Its length is equal to about one sixth of the length of the leg from the ground to the elbow. BODY - The length of the body exceeds the height at the withers by 10%. The topline is straight; the withers are wide, long and not very prominent. The back is broad and in length about one third of the height at the withers. The loin must be smoothly connected to the back , muscular and wide. The rib cage is roomy with long and well sprung ribs. The cir*****ference of the thorax is about one quarter greater than the height at the withers. The croup is broad, strong and well muscled. It is angled at about 30 ° from the horizontal measured from the hip bone (coxal). Its length equals about three tenths of the height at the withers. The hip bones project level with the highest point of the loin. The chest is broad and wide with well developed chest muscles. Its width is in direct relation to that of the rib cage and reaches down to 40 - 45 % of the height at the withers. The prosternum is on a level with the point of shoulder. HINDQUARTERS - Hind legs must be, on the whole, powerful and sturdy, in proportion with the size of the dog and capable of the required propulsion in movement. Upper thigh - length measures one third of the height at the withers and its angulation from the horizontal is about 60 °. It is broad with heavy, prominent muscles but which are clearly distinct from each other. The femur and the hip bone (coxal) form an angle of 90°. Lower thigh - Slightly less in length than the upper thigh and with an angulation [from the horizontal] of 50 - 55 °, strongly boned and with clearly visible muscles. Stifle - The femoral-tibial angle [upper and lower thigh bones] is about 110 - 115°. Hock Joint - Very long in relation to the length of the lower thigh, it is about 25% of the height at the withers. The angulation of the tibia and the metatarsals [bones of the lower thigh and the hock] form an angle between 140 - 145°. Hock [Rear pastern] - Strong and dry [lean], almost cylindrical in shape. perfectly straight and parallel, its length is about 25% of the height at the withers. Dewclaws should be removed. FEET - Front feet - Round, large with well arched, close knit toes. Hind feet - Smaller than the front feet, round with close knit toes. The pads are firm, hard and well pigmented. The nails are strong, curved and dark. TAIL - Broad and thick at its root; strong, tapering slightly towards the tip. its natural length reaches to the hock joint, but usually is docked to about two thirds of its length. At rest is carried hanging down and curved in sabre fashion, in action is lifted horizontally or slightly higher than the top line. Gait / Movement: Forms a characteristic typical of the breed. At the walk, the movement is feline like a lion. At the trot or pacing, it is slow and resembles that of a bear. The trot is characterized by a strong thrust of the hindquarters and good reach of the forequarters. The dog rarely gallops; usual gaits are the walk and the trot. Pacing is allowed. COAT - The skin is thick, abundant and loose all over the body, particularly on the head where it forms numerous folds and wrinkles, and at the lower part of the neck where it forms a double dewlap. Type of coat - Short, stiff, hard and dense, of the same length all over; uniformly smooth, fine and measures 1.5 cm [just over ½ ins] maximum. Must not show any trace of fringing. COLOR - Preferred colors are gray, leaden gray and black, but also brown [mahogany], fawn [tawny] and deep fawn [deer red], sometimes with white patches on the chest and on the tips of the toes. All these colors may be brindled. Hazel [light brown], dove-gray and Isabella [light fawn] are tolerated. Size: Height at withers - Males 65 - 75 cm. [25 ½ - 29 ½ ins] Females 60 - 68 cm. [23 ½ - 26 ½ ins] Some tolerance of 2cm. [1 ins] more or less is allowed. Weight - Males 60 - 70 kg [132 - 154 lbs] Females 50 - 60 kg. [110 - 132 lbs] FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportions to its degree. Serious Faults - Pronouncedly undershot mouth Gay tail (trumpet tail) [curved over the back] Sizes larger or smaller than the limits allowed. Disqualifying Faults - Overshot mouth Accentuated convergence or divergence of the facial-cranial axes [Dish- or down-faced] Bridge of nose concave or convex or very aquiline (Roman nose). Total lack of pigmentation on the nose. Total lack of pigmentation on the upper and lower eye lids. Wall eye; cross eyed. Absence of wrinkles, folds and dewlap. Absence of tail, whether congenital or artificial. Extensive white patches; white markings on the head. Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.