Neapolitan Mastiff

The Neapolitan mastiff, or “mastino,” is the estate guard dog of Italy. Its roots go back to the war dogs used by the Romans, and even further back to the giant Molossus of Alexander. Today’s mastino is a stay-at-home guardian for the estate, home and the family. The Italians purposely created a dog to amaze and astonish the on-looker, and consequently the mastino looks and moves like no other dog. Many say that the Neapolitan mastiff’s fantastic wrinkle and head, massive bones and lumbering movement create an astonishing animal whose looks are often enough to deter an intruder.