How to Pick a Neapolitan Mastiff From the Litter

Neapolitan mastiffs are massively large dogs, with males averaging around 150 pounds and females around 100 pounds. While Neapolitan mastiffs may appear fierce, they are usually peaceful in demeanor. Some have striped (brindle) coats while others are a solid black, mahogany, tawny or gray (blue). The Neapolitan mastiff is a loyal and protective breed, but due to the dogs' size they are not recommended for first-time dog owners or families with small children. Knowing the American Kennel Club's recognized characteristics specific to the Neapolitan mastiff will help you to pick the best puppy from the litter.

Things You'll Need

  • Tape measure
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Instructions

    • 1

      Examine the puppies in depth. Look for a lot of wrinkles, especially under the neck area. The sides of the lips that droop down from the nose should hang below the bottom lip. The puppies' eyelids should droop enough that they almost hide the eyes. The color of its eyes should almost match the color of its coat, while the eye rims should match the coat identically.

    • 2

      Feel each coat to ensure that the skin is very loose. Lay your hand across the top line of the head to the nose. These two areas must be parallel to each other. Massage the hindquarters a bit to see if the puppy is becoming muscular. By eight weeks they should have developed some muscle in this area. The coat should feel smooth all over.

    • 3

      Measure the length of the puppies' coats and their tails. The hair should be straight, not more than an inch long and the same length throughout. The tail should be one-third the length measured from where the tail starts down to the ankle of the puppy.

    • 4

      Check the coloring of the coat. Brindle Neapolitan mastiffs should have stripes that are only tan in color. If white appears on the coat, it must be a solid white found under the chest and throat area stretching from the chin. White may also appear on the underside of the body, the leg bone directly above the foot in the front legs and on the toes.

    • 5

      Observe the puppies' behaviors, first as a group and then individually. The puppies should be playful and curious if they are between seven and 12 weeks. A tail between the legs or running off are signs of timidity, which is not a characteristic you want in a puppy. Ask the breeder to remove all but one of the puppies at a time so you can observe how each acts individually. Puppies should act relatively the same with or without the group.