He’s big, he’s friendly and he’s really adorable. The neapolitan mastiff is one of the biggest dogs you might ever encounter, and few will blame you if you decide you’re a bit too timid to make it up to the dog’s face for a quick hello. These large dogs can reach as many as 15 pounds, and that’s something that they are proud of. They’re dogs that can be as big and as lovely as you might imagine, but they’re just as scary to those who know nothing about them as any other animal. While they are not aggressive in any way, they are big. And that’s sometimes all it takes to terrify a person into wanting to steer clear of these animals. We don’t blame them, of course, considering the fact that they are animals that are big and brawny. Those who know them know that they are not scary at all, but it is fun to watch other people freak out a bit based on nothing other than the size of the dog’s head and body. So now that you know this big dog is more of a teddy bear than an attack dog, what else don’t you know about this animal?
Training is Tricky
That statement might be a bit of an untruth. Training a Neapolitan mastiff might not be tricky, per say, but it is if you try to get this dog trained by someone it does not know. This is a breed that is very loyal to its owners, and that means it’s not all that interested in learning from others. It wants to spend more of its time learning from someone it trusts and love more so than from a stranger. For this reason, you should be very interested in the training process since your dog will probably learn better from you than it will from anyone else in the world. It just wants to learn from you; not a stranger that it just met.
What’s His Personality Like?
There are so many different dog breeds in the world that it might be a bit impossible to say specifically what any given dog breed is like. However, it might be a good idea to use this word, ‘dignified,’ when describing this breed. There are so many other dogs you might consider dignified before this big old dog, but it’s just an adjective that works for this breed. He is a dignified dog. He is one that might be more dignified in some ways than others, but he’s also very loyal and he is very intelligent. That’s what makes him the kind of dog that people want to call their own. And while he is a big dog, he does not have big energy. He’s a dog who does have energy, but not as much as one might expect of a dog this size.
Does He Like Exercise?
Everyone likes to go for a long walk, and the Neapolitan mastiff is no different. However, this is not a dog that wants to go for a run or spend hours in the back yard throwing the ball around. He is a dog that likes a walk and wants to get some physical activity under his belt every day, but he’s not looking for a very active lifestyle. He’s not going to swim with the family or spend too much time chasing the kids around the yard. He might engage for a few minutes before he decides he’s just tired and in the mood to enjoy his time doing something else, and that’s just fine. He’s a big boy and he needs to conserve his energy.
He’s a Drooler
While this dog is pretty easy to care for as far as grooming is concerned, he is a dog that drools a lot. And by a lot, we mean in every possible sense of the word. This is a dog that likes to spend time with his drool coming right out of his mouth all over you and the people in your house. It’s really kind of gross, but it’s also kind of cool. If you’re going to get one of your own, you should know that you have to be very careful of all the drool that will come out of its mouth and ruin your furniture and your clothes on a regular basis.
They’re Healthy Dogs
As a whole, people assume that this is a breed that probably has some breed-specific health issues if for no other reason than the fact that it’s a large breed. This is not the case. This dog is not particularly ill or in need of health watch because of his size. According to the American Kennel Club, in fact, this is a breed that is generally very healthy, which is something that appeals to dog owners. This is not to say, however, that the Neapolitan mastiff is exempt from illness or health worries. All dogs are susceptible to health issues that might make them a bit ill, but it’s no more prone to those health issues than any other dog of any other size in any other breed family.
It’s not the Most Popular Dog
Despite the fact that these dogs have a great reputation for being very active and very healthy, they are not dogs that are typically very popular in many households. They’re the 114th most popular breed, according to the American Kennel Club. Chances are good that most people would prefer a smaller, more active dog, especially if they have kids. Additionally, it’s also safe to say that a dog this size tends to intimidate a number of people. You can tell them all you want about what a beautiful dog this is, but that does not change the fact that it’s a dog that many people are too intimidated to consider bringing home. Those who do have one, however, are very pleased with the way that their Neapolitan mastiff fits in with the family, which is always a nice addition.
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