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Official Standard of the Neapolitan Mastiff General Appearance: An ancient breed, rediscovered in Italy in the 1940's, the Neapolitan Mastiff is a heavy-boned, massive, awe inspiring dog bred for use as a guard and defender of owner and property. He is characterized by loose skin, over his entire body, abundant, hanging wrinkles and folds on the head and a voluminous dewlap. The essence of the Neapolitan is his bestial appearance, astounding head and imposing size and attitude. Due to his massive structure, his characteristic movement is rolling and lumbering, not elegant or showy. Size, Proportion, Substance: A stocky, heavy boned dog, massive in substance , rectangular in proportion . Length of body is 10 to 15 percent greater than height. Height: Dogs 26 to 31 inches, Bitches 24 to 29 inches. Average weight of mature Dogs 150 pounds; Bitches 110 pounds; but greater weight is usual and preferable as long as correct proportion and function are maintained. The absence of massiveness is to be so severely penalized as to eliminate from competition. Head: Large in comparison to the body. Differentiated from that of other mastiff breeds by more extensive wrinkling and pendulous lips which blend into an ample dewlap. Toplines of cranium and the muzzle must be parallel. The face is made up of heavy wrinkles and folds. Required folds are those extending from the outside margin of the eyelids to the dewlap, and from under the lower lids to the outer edges of the lips. Severe Faults - Toplines of the cranium and muzzle not parallel. Disqualifications - Absence of wrinkles and folds. Expression - Wistful at rest, intimidating when alert. Penetrating stare. Eyes - Set deep and almost hidden beneath drooping upper lids. Lower lids droop to reveal haw. Eye Color - Shades of amber or brown, in accordance with coat color. Pigmentation of the eye rims same as coat color. Severe Faults - Whitish-blue eyes; incomplete pigmentation of the eye rims. Ears - Set well above the cheekbones. May be cropped or uncropped, but are usually cropped to an equilateral triangle for health reasons. If uncropped, they are medium sized, triangular in shape, held tight to the cheeks, and not extending beyond the lower margin of the throat. Skull - Wide flat between the ears, slightly arched at the frontal part, and covered with wrinkled skin. The width of the cranium between the cheekbones is approximately equal to its length from occiput stop. The brow is very developed. Frontal furrow is marked. Occiput is barely apparent. Stop - Very defined, forming a right angle at the junction of muzzle and frontal bones, and the sloping back at a greater angle where the frontal bones meet the frontal furrow of the forehead. Nose - Large with well-opened nostrils, and in color the same as the coat. The nose is an extension of the topline of the muzzle and should not protrude beyond nor recede behind the front plane of the muzzle. Severe Faults- Incomplete pigmentation of the nose. Muzzle - It is ⅓ the length of the whole head and is as broad as it is long. Viewed from the front, the muzzle is very deep with the outside borders parallel giving it a "squared" appearance. The top plane of the muzzle from stop to tip of nose is straight, but is ridged due to heavy folds of skin covering it. Severe Faults - Top plane of the muzzle curved upward or downward. Lips - Heavy, thick, and long, the upper lips join beneath the nostrils to form an inverted "V". The upper lips form the lower, outer borders of the muzzle, and the lowest part of these borders is made by the corners of the lips. The corners turn outward
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