KENAI
Neapolitan Mastiff

The breeds · working

AKC Working · UKC Guardian · FCI standard 197

Neapolitan Mastiff.

AKC standard: bred for use as a guard and defender of owner and property; an ancient breed rediscovered in Italy in the 1940s. FCI utilization: protection and guard dog; descended from the Roman mastiff, re-selected since 1947. UKC: first and foremost a working and utility breed, a farm helper and protector. RKC: forebears were fighting dogs and dogs of war; modern breeders work to reduce the exaggeration of loose skin. AKC history feature: guarded Neapolitan courtyards, farm and flock; shown in 1946 as 'cani da presa' (catch dogs); Piero Scanziani and Mario Querci shaped the modern breed, and some breeders later bred for excessive loose skin before an international correction.

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

9.3YRMedian lifespan8.8 to 10.2, measured on real dogs.
0INHeightdogs null, bitches null. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
110–154LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 132 to 154 lb; breed bitches 110 to 132 lb.
1HRSExercise, every dayRKC: up to 1 hour per day. AKC breed page: energy level 2 of 5. The constraint most homes get wrong.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 25.5 to 31 in · bitches 23.5 to 29 in

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2004

AKC runs about 2 in above UKC and FCI at the top; low and high span all. FCI converted from cm.

Weight

dogs 132 to 154 lb · bitches 110 to 132 lb

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2004

AKC prints an average, not an ideal or ceiling; center blank. FCI converted from kg.

Coat

AKC: short, dense, uniform length and smoothness, hairs straight and not over 1 inch, no fringe; solid gray (blue), black, mahogany and tawny with tan (reverse) brindling allowed. UKC: glossy, dense, fine, maximum about 5/8 in; thick loose skin forming head wrinkles and folds and a well-divided dewlap. FCI: short, hard, dense, 1.5 cm maximum, no fringing

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2004

Shedding

RKC: sheds (yes). AKC breed page: shedding level 3 of 5

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Heat tolerance

4 of 5 · AKC: coat short, dense and of uniform length and smoothness, hairs straight and not longer than 1 inch, no fringe. UKC: glossy, dense, fine, about 5/8 in maximum. FCI: short and hard, dense, 1.5 cm maximum

DerivedAKC breed standard, 2004

Derived from the coat description (4 = short dense). Coat-only; the loose skin, dewlap and very large size are not in the rule.

How long they live, and what they cost

Measured on real dogs, with the sample and the spread. Never a guess.

Median lifespan

9.3 years (8.8 to 10.2)

MeasuredMcMillan KM, 2024

Median age at death in a UK sample; a population figure, never a prediction for one dog. Registry page bands (the AKC header's life-expectancy range) are not medians and are not used here.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

RKC: up to 1 hour per day. AKC breed page: energy level 2 of 5

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped: up to 1 hour = 60.

Exercise need

RKC: up to 1 hour per day (large house, large garden, country). AKC breed page: energy level 2 of 5, mental stimulation needs 3 of 5

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

Energy

AKC breed page energy level 2 of 5; playfulness 2; trainability 3; barking level 1; drooling level 5 of 5 (AKC bands, 1 to 5). AKC standard: movement is rolling and lumbering, not elegant or showy

Breed clubAKC

Grooming load

2 of 5 · RKC: grooming once a week; coat length short; sheds. AKC breed page: coat grooming frequency 2 of 5

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band mapped: once a week = 2. The breed's loose facial skin and wrinkles are not in the coat band.

Grooming

RKC: once a week. AKC breed page: coat grooming frequency 2 of 5, shedding level 3 of 5, drooling level 5 of 5

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

AKC standard: bred for use as a guard and defender of owner and property; an ancient breed rediscovered in Italy in the 1940s. FCI utilization: protection and guard dog; descended from the Roman mastiff, re-selected since 1947. UKC: first and foremost a working and utility breed, a farm helper and protector. RKC: forebears were fighting dogs and dogs of war; modern breeders work to reduce the exaggeration of loose skin. AKC history feature: guarded Neapolitan courtyards, farm and flock; shown in 1946 as 'cani da presa' (catch dogs); Piero Scanziani and Mario Querci shaped the modern breed, and some breeders later bred for excessive loose skin before an international correction

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 2004

Guard breed, not a gun dog. AKC history feature is editorial.

Also used on

UKC history: farm helper and protector, also a herding dog, flock protector, cattle drover, cart dog, large game hunting dog and personal protection dog

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

Single registry source (UKC history text); the other standards do not list hunting use.

Range

Short and close: AKC history feature says the mastino was built for short bursts of speed, with just enough range to reach anyone with ill intent

EditorialAKC

Single editorial source; no standard states range.

Field trial standard

None: FCI classes the Neapolitan Mastiff 'without working trial'

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

49.3% · 49.3% dysplastic of 278 OFA hip evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 47.5% normal; mild 21.9%, moderate 18.3%, severe 9.0%; breed rank 9 of the breeds listed

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Voluntary registry: affected dogs are under-reported and evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, so true prevalence is likely higher. Rank 1 = highest dysplasia rate among the breeds listed. Small sample (n = 278 hips), so the percentage is less stable than for the larger breeds.

Elbow dysplasia

34.7% · 34.7% abnormal of 121 OFA elbow evaluations on record (current all-data, accessed Oct 9 2026); 64.5% normal; grade 1 22.3%, grade 2 8.3%, grade 3 4.1%; breed rank 7 of the breeds listed

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

Voluntary registry: affected dogs are under-reported and evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock, so true prevalence is likely higher. Rank 1 = highest dysplasia rate among the breeds listed. Small sample (n = 121 elbows), so the percentage is less stable than for the larger breeds.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 2; Mental Stimulation Needs 3; Trainability Level 3; Barking Level 1; Watchdog/Protective Nature 5; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 3; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 3; Coat Grooming Frequency 2; Drooling Level 5; Affectionate With Family 3; Playfulness Level 2; Adaptability Level 3.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 9 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Neo, Mastino Napoletano

Every breed, read the same way.

The breed index grows as entries clear the standard. Gun dogs first.

All published breeds

Your neapolitan mastiff, on the record.

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