Neapolitan Mastiff Breeders UK: Advertise Your Kennel Free

Advertise your Neapolitan Mastiff puppies, litters and stud dogs

Do you breed Neapolitan Mastiffs? List your kennel on caninebreeder.co.uk so that experienced owners and show homes can find you. A free basic profile shows your kennel name, website, social media, location and categories. When a litter is planned you can advertise Neapolitan Mastiff puppies for sale, promote your Neapolitan Mastiff stud dog, and set out the hip, elbow and eye results that careful buyers ask about. Add your breeder listing today, or see pricing for premium profile options.

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Is it free to advertise here?

Yes. A breeder profile and your litter and stud dog adverts are free. Premium profiles, featured placement and sponsored articles are optional paid extras; see pricing.

Do I need a licence to advertise puppies?

In England you need a dog breeding licence from your council if you breed three or more litters in 12 months or breed and sell dogs as a business, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes. Licensed breeders show their licence number and issuing council on every advert. Puppies must be at least eight weeks old before they go to new homes.

Is my listing already here?

We add licensed breeders from councils' public registers. Search for your kennel name; if it is listed you can claim it and edit everything.

About the Neapolitan Mastiff

The Neapolitan Mastiff is a large, heavily built mastiff from Italy, shown in the Working group by the Royal Kennel Club (RKC). The RKC traces it to the war dogs of ancient Rome and records that its forebears were used for fighting and as dogs of war. The modern breed owes much to the Italian painter Piero Scanziani, who kept a large kennel and drew up a careful breeding plan to fix and improve the type. It first reached the show ring in 1946 in Naples, the city the RKC calls the breed's home. The RKC adds that today's breeders are trying to hold on to breed type while toning down the loose skin.

Size and build

The breed standard asks for a heavy-boned, muscular and powerful dog whose body is slightly longer than its height at the withers. It gives heights of 65 to 75 cm (25½ to 29½ inches) and weights of 50 to 70 kg, allows some tolerance, and says bitches are somewhat smaller. Some loose skin on the head and body is permitted, but not to excess. On the move the breed is unhurried, covering the ground with long steps and a strong push from behind, and it rarely gallops.

Coat and grooming

The coat is short, close and hard to the touch, with a good shine and no fringing. The standard prefers black, blue and any shade of grey, but brown, fawn and red are also accepted, and any of these may be brindled. A small white star on the chest and white on the toes are allowed. The RKC suggests grooming once a week and notes that the breed sheds. Because Breed Watch flags dermatitis in skin folds, it is worth checking the folds as part of that routine.

Exercise and space

The RKC puts exercise at up to an hour a day and suggests a large house with a large garden, ideally in the country.

Temperament and suitability

The standard describes a steady, loyal and devoted dog that is watchful and a little aloof. A vigilant dog of this size and weight benefits from early socialisation and calm, consistent training. The RKC gives a lifespan of under 10 years. You can browse other Working group breeders or see current Neapolitan Mastiff puppies.

Neapolitan Mastiff health tests

For the Neapolitan Mastiff, the RKC Health Standard lists three screening schemes. Hip and elbow X-rays under the BVA/RKC schemes sit at Good Practice level, the minimum the RKC expects before breeding, and the RKC breed page also lists prioritising genetic diversity at that level. An eye examination under the BVA/RKC/ISDS Eye Scheme is at Best Practice level, ideally within the 12 months before a mating. The hip scheme scores X-rays from 0 to 106, lower being better, and the BVA advises breeding from dogs scoring below or close to the breed median. The elbow scheme grades each joint from 0 to 3, and the BVA recommends breeding only from dogs graded 0. A dog must be at least a year old for either scheme. The RKC offers no breed-specific DNA testing package for it.

The breed is in Breed Watch Category 3, for breeds whose visible concerns linked to exaggerated conformation call for extra, proactive measures. Judges look out for eyelids turned in or out, excessive skin, dermatitis, hair loss or scarring in skin folds, excess weight, and faulty hind conformation or poor rear movement. At general and group championship shows, a Best of Breed winner must pass a veterinary check before competing in the group. Health testing reduces risk but cannot guarantee a healthy puppy.

Health tests and schemes for the Neapolitan Mastiff:

Hip testing using the BVA/RKC Hip Dysplasia Scheme (RKC Good Practice)
Elbow testing using the BVA/RKC Elbow Dysplasia Scheme (RKC Good Practice)
Prioritising genetic diversity, for example by checking the inbreeding coefficient of a planned mating (RKC Good Practice)
Eye testing using the BVA/RKC/ISDS Eye Scheme (RKC Best Practice)
DNA tests: the RKC does not offer a breed-specific DNA testing package for this breed
Breed Watch: Category 3

Choosing a Neapolitan Mastiff breeder

A responsible Neapolitan Mastiff breeder should be able to show you hip and elbow results for both parents under the BVA/RKC schemes, and ideally an eye certificate from the 12 months before the mating. For RKC-registered dogs you can check these on the RKC Health Test Results Finder. Because the breed is in Breed Watch Category 3, look at the parents as well as their paperwork: their eyelids should sit normally against the eye, their skin folds should be free of soreness, and both should move soundly at a healthy weight. Ask, too, how the breeder approaches the RKC's aim of reducing loose skin.

Expect to see the puppies with their mother where they were bred. A good breeder will want to know about your experience with large, powerful dogs, your fencing, your car and who is at home during the day, and will stay in touch after the sale. In England, anyone who breeds three or more litters in 12 months and sells any puppies, or runs a business breeding and advertising dogs for sale, needs a council licence and must show the licence number in adverts. Read our buyer safety guide before paying any money.

Questions to ask a Neapolitan Mastiff breeder:

Can I see hip and elbow results for both parents, and when were their eyes last examined under the BVA/RKC/ISDS Eye Scheme?
What is the inbreeding coefficient of this mating, and how does it compare with the breed average?
Have either parent or any close relatives needed treatment for eyelid problems or skin-fold dermatitis?
How are the puppies socialised with visitors, children and everyday household noise before they leave?
Do you hold a council breeding licence, and will the puppy be RKC registered and microchipped?

Neapolitan Mastiff questions

How big does a Neapolitan Mastiff get?

The RKC breed standard gives heights of 65 to 75 cm (25u00bd to 29u00bd inches) at the shoulder and weights of 50 to 70 kg, with some tolerance allowed and bitches somewhat smaller. Individual dogs can fall outside these figures.

How long do Neapolitan Mastiffs live?

The RKC gives a lifespan of under 10 years for the breed. Choosing a puppy from hip and elbow scored parents and keeping your dog at a healthy weight are sensible steps, but no test can guarantee a long life.

What does Breed Watch Category 3 mean for the Neapolitan Mastiff?

Category 3 covers breeds with visible health concerns linked to exaggerated conformation, for which the RKC takes extra, proactive measures. For the Neapolitan Mastiff, judges watch for eyelids turned in or out, excessive skin, skin-fold dermatitis, excess weight and poor rear movement. At general and group championship shows, Best of Breed winners must also pass a veterinary check before competing in the group.

Is a Neapolitan Mastiff a good choice for a first-time owner?

Think carefully before choosing one. The breed standard describes a vigilant, slightly aloof dog weighing 50 to 70 kg, and the RKC suggests a large house and large garden, ideally in the country. Meet adult dogs and talk to breeders before deciding, and be ready for early socialisation and consistent training.

Neapolitan Mastiff breeders