Neopolitan Mastiff???

Today while looking at photos of the Westminister show I ran across the photo of the Neopolitan Mastiff. Anyone have any experience with this breed or own one?? What is up with their mouth is what I'm actually wondering. It looks almost impossible for one to be able to eat or drink with their gums hanging down so far. How hard is the upkeep/health issues on these dogs?? I found quite a few sites but most of them are puppies for sale with a quick "run down" of the breed characteristics, nothing really "informative"

This is not the one in the show I think this one looks better than that one did. This is just a photo I found on the net.

 

From what I hear they are suppose to be excellent guard dogs. They are one of the oldest dogs bred for that purpose. I have seen vids of them working they seem kind of slow to me. But I guess there size makes up for it. They are very popular in creating Bandogges. When crossed with a pit it just comes out looking like a big pit. Check this site out http://hometown.aol.com/bamsbandogges/index.html

http://www.seriouskennels.com/_wsn/page12.html
http://www.seriouskennels.com/_wsn/page8.html

If you want to see a vid of a Neo working go here and click video. Go down to where it says "Large Ring" Russian Dog Sport. The first vid is a neo. Now there are other dogs as well the have GSD, American Bulldog and the APBT. Now I DO NOT advocate using APBT for protection work but look how much faster it is than the other breeds. http://www.bandog.tv/

 

Like Hawk said: “they are excellent guard gods”. Most of the Neo’s have been ruined by the “show and pet” breeders (sound familiar) and have way too much excessive skin and health problems now. The true working Neo’s don’t have half as much loose unnecessary skin and excessive jowls as the show bred mongrel’s do. They used to be a formidable guard dog, but now most are just non-athletic slobbering mutts. There are a select few still preserving and breeding the performance oriented Neo’s. If one has the space, time, and desire to search for a true Neo. They will have a great dog that’s loyalty is hard to match in the canine world. <O:p</O:p

 

WOW - those were some sights, LOL. There's a whole world out there I don't even know about, LMAO - I need to get out more.. I appreciate the feed back that you did provide though the first time I didn't go to the "video" section and wound up here
http://www.goldcoastk9.com/competition012905results.htm This was an interesting site too with some clips and the pit bull took 1st in some of their comps. Only thing was on clip #3 it seemed like the dog went straight for the crotch area and stayed there?? I thought they were trained for arms?
Anyway, though I still have question about the breed itself... I really didn't know these dogs were crossed with pit bulls, to make the other dogs. WHY, I still don't get that either but I guess that's besides the point..
Sure seems like all that flap in their face would get in the way of protection work or work of any kind..

 

Here is an example of a more working type neo. Likw texasbulldogs said they do not have as much loose skin. http://hometown.aol.com/bamsbandogges/page1.html

 

lol, looks like they got those Neo's in a hog pen. Guess thy're ...fat but cant jump out..LOL

 

THANKS FOR THAT, and for the pic Hawk. I must have been still typing my other reply. That helps me to understand a little better, I had mixed feelings seemed like all that skin drags their eyes down and everything. Just looked sad and unhealthy.

 

They are crossed to increase the size the APBT and increase the atheletisism of the neo. With how these dogs can look this is why I question a lot of these "new" pits that get over 100lbs. And this is the reason we have problem with look alikes.
Here is some info on the neo
http://www.neapolitanworld.com/
http://www.moloss.com/breeds/mn/m005/

 

That's what happens when you breed a dog for show. You get a caricature of the original animal. This will happen to our breed as well when they are not bred to original standards.

 

I'm even sorrier now that I asked the question.... Some of those pictures, even though I understand thats how they are, actually make me sick to my stomach. Sorry, but they do, some of those dogs almost seem to look like they have tumors or something.
I've always wanted a mastiff breed - more specifically a BULL MASTIFF. I had no idea that there were so many different types of mastiff breeds and banddogs (spelling?) until today. Like I said - guess I should have got out more.... LOL

 

I've always wanted a mastiff breed - more specifically a BULL MASTIFF. I had no idea that there were so many different types of mastiff breeds and banddogs (spelling?) until today. Like I said - guess I should have got out more.... LOL
LOL- please dont get a Mastiff Jenn, we need ur help with this breed....

 

Check out some of the breeds here http://www.moloss.com/001/ptxt/breed.html
A bandogge is basically just a mixed bred dog. They take a pit and mix it with various mastiffs to give it size.

If you like the Bull Mastiff check this breed out. I think they are a little more athletic that the Bull Mastiff and a little bigger. Go to the dog Mufassa and click on his name. I think he is a very impressive animal if you like Mastiffs. Also click on were it says basson kennels and check out the dog Potlood. At 178lbs his neck was 34" and I guess now he weighs 186. http://www.profferskennel.com/

 

:eek: DON'T WORRY - LOL


For now I'll be sticking with my watered down pits :rolleyes: ! If I ever do own another breed the bullmastiff is one that sounds and looks very interesting. I lost the bullmastiff battle (he said their ugly) and we purchased Ben. I've heard good things about them, but I'm not running right out to buy one. The Neo was an accident I didn't mean to run across it at all. It was that dam Westminister dog that got me wondering...

 

HEY I like those dogs - WHEW that's a BIG dog though. :eek: I would imagine those dogs could be a terror in the wrong hands!!

 

Their aren't too many problems healthwise with the breed as long as they are kept in shape just like any other breed.As far as cosmetic and skin types of issues.You have to keep the skin folds wiped out often with a damp rag to keep the dirt and gunk from building up.They tend to get really bad yeast infectionsin the folds because of it being a spot that is always moist and dark.They are prone to cherry eyes also.As far as them being able to eat and drink,it's about the same for a St Bernard .They eat perfectly fine but it is sooo nasty because they naturally drool constantly.So imagine dropping a bowl of kibble down for Tiny (Lol) and cleaning up after he eats,with all the funky sticky drool all over the place.Or wake up one morning runnin round in you skimmies and sit down on the couch where his head was laying before you walked in.EWWWWWW!.

 

I know this all too well. I try to clean Tank's face once a day or it builds up pretty bad. As far as drooling, I have to change into my work clothes before I tend to the dogs because he slobbers so damn bad. You WILL gag at the sight of the stuff sometimes (and I have a pretty strong stomach). It's elasticity amazes me.

 

I really didn't know these dogs were crossed with pit bulls, to make the other dogs.

If you want to get an awsome bandogge that is athletic, intelligent, and will excell as a ranch dog, a guard dog, a catch dog, or a protection dog instead of going for a pit x neo, you can breed 1/2 high drive pit, 1/4 dane, 1/4 neo. I've seen these dogs. They are awsome. They look exaclty like an aulant, a dog that went extinct about 100 years ago or so. This breeding gives you a dog with incredible athletic ability, good bite, increased size and long legs and a deep chest. The dogs are leggy, tall and lean, with males at about 90 - 110lbs. They look like small great danes on steroids. They are incredible working dogs, but they are NOT for everyone.

 

Neopolitan mastiffs are wonderful protection dogs, due to over breeding for the wrinkles in their faces that make for cute puppies they are succeptable to skin, eye, hip, joint and respiratory problems. That info is from my experiences only but the older versions didn't have the excessive wrinkles and they were purely working dogs. Also I think they only come in gray. But the jowels are meant to be that way to a certain extent. Nowadays they are bred to have a gimmic.

 

Grey is not the only color they come in.I have also seen black ,and of course we can't forget Tom Hanks' partner ole Hooch in "Turner and Hooch" which was red.

 

What breed was Hooch?