Neapolitan Mastiff 203

Like their other Mastiff cousins, the Neapolitan Mastiff is a Molosser-type dog descended from the ancient canis pugnax. Their ancestry can be traced to as far back as 3000 BCE when this type of dog emerged in Tibet. During the Roman Empire, these dogs were gladiators, war dogs, and home guardians. They maintained popularity throughout Europe for centuries, but were almost lost after World War II.

After the war and rediscovering this ancient dog breed, Piero Scanziani, an Italian painter and reporter, founded a kennel to develop and breed the Mastiff-type dogs in Italy into the Neapolitan Mastiff. The goal was to create a massive guardian dog with loose, heavy skin that would serve to protect them during a fight. They also wanted dogs that would be loyal to their families and affectionate with them.

The Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI), the international dog registry, recognized the Neapolitan Mastiff in 1949. Jane Pampalone is credited with bringing the first Neapolitan Mastiff to the United States in 1973. But, it’s important to note that Italian immigrants may have brought some dogs over as early as the 1880s.

The Neapolitan Mastiff Club of America, the first national breed club for the Neapolitan Mastiff, formed in 1973. The United States Neapolitan Mastiff Club and the American Neapolitan Mastiff Association formed in the 1990s. The American Kennel Club recognized this dog breed as a member of the Working Group in 2004.