Neapolitan Mastiff History, Form and Function, Livability and Lovability

The Neapolitan Mastiff is in the Working Group with dogs like the American breed - the Chinook, the Bavarian dog the Giant Schnauzer, and the Swiss breed - the Saint Bernard.  And of course, we'll get into those breeds in future videos, but for now, friends let's digest the Neapolitan Mastiff.  Folks, I'd be lying if I said the Neapolitan Mastiff didn't get me excited to tell you about it since it's an ancient breed originating from Alexander the Great, and was the protection breed from Naples Italy, where its name originates.  And Naples Italy isn't some off-the-beaten-path destination.  Naples is the 3rd largest metropolis in Italy and still has walls built from the Stone Age, and like the Neapolitan Mastiff, it is impressive too.  The coastal metropolis was far from secluded - this was a bustling city from the get-go, and needed protection from both city walls and the Neapolitan Mastiff.  Naples was conquered by both the Greek and Roman empires and its stability was constantly being challenged.  The Neapolitan Mastiff gets its traits from the Molossus of Eperius dog breed, which dates back to ancient Greece and Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC.  Alexander the Great had a breeding program where he bred the Epirian war dog and the huge Macedonian with short-haired Indian dogs to create the Molossus; and he used it to fight men, lions, tigers and elephants.  Friends - this is not the guard dog/couch potato dog breed the Neapolitan Mastiff is today...but it sure is cool!