Xerxes (Mastino Napoletano)
Xerxes (Mastino Napoletano)
Written by Tuesday, 20 December 2011 00:00
Neapolitan mastiffs are exceptional dogs in every single aspect, period. So was my dog, Xerxes. Usually people start this kind of presentation by saying some things about the pet they love. I will not start this way; it would be a blasphemy to this ancient breed. Instead, I will start by quoting one of the most knowledgeable persons when it comes to "gladiator" dogs and a writer of the 1st Century AD:
"I have always felt that a good Neapolitan Mastiff, or Mastino Napolitano, is probably the single most impressive animal in all the world of dogdom. Not only the size and the fearsome appearance of these dogs render them awesome but also the "presence of mind" of a good mastino takes me aback. This breed was once described to me by a famous Doberman judge as being, in her opinion, the closest thing to a pure beast among dogs, and she was right. It is a beast. You should look into buying a Neapolitan mastiff if you are interested in owning a dedicated beast; a beast that will die for you". (1)
"Because a black dog has a more terrifying appearance; and during the day, a prowler can see him and be frightened by his appearance. When night falls, the dog, lost in the shadows, can attack without being seen. The head is so massive that it seems to be the most important part of the body. The ears fall toward the front, the brilliant and penetrating eyes are black or grey, the chest is deep and hairy, the shoulder wide, the legs thick, the tail short, the hind legs powerful, the toenails strong and great. His temperament must be neither too gentle nor too ferocious and cruel; whereas the first would make him too opt to welcome a thief, the second would predispose him to attack the people of the house. He should be of solemn and not merry character and must always react with rage against all intruders. Above all, those dogs not only must demonstrate vigilance in guarding without making a mistake but must be guarding out of diligence and a questioning nature rather because they are fearful. For the first type will give the warning only when they are sure something bad is happening, and the second type will get excited about every little noise or false suspect. It does not matter that house guard dogs have heavy bodies and are not swift in foot. They are meant to carry out their work from close quarters and do not need to run far. In fact, these dogs want to stay behind closed walls or at the house without even trying to run off. They do their work very well be their astute sense of smell which informs them of who is coming, and they warn with their bark whoever is approaching not to come near. And if the person persists in approaching, they violently attack. Indeed the most important quality in these dogs is that they are guard dogs and do not permit an attack. The second quality is that, if provoked, they will defend and fight with vigor and tenacity." (2)
Quite a few people have asked me how it feels to live with a massive dog like the mastino. Well, it all depends on how much you love animals and dogs in particular. Owning a mastino means that you have to build a reciprocal relationship. It will love you unconditionally and it will be ready to sacrifice its life to protect you, something which is built in its genes and stayed unchanged for more than 3000 years. Yes, this figure is correct, 3000 years. These dogs are shown in Babylonian marble sculptures. A mastino will not wait until your life is at serious risk, it knows its job is to protect you. It will ask for you love. All that it needs, all that it takes to make a mastino really happy, is to be with you, play with you, see you and hear you. When you see this ferocious giant, able to destroy any human being within seconds, to bring you its toys to play whenever it sees you, you immediately know that this relationship has to be built on feelings. Sweet talking it will turn the beast into a poodle, a happy giant poodle.
Mastinos are not for everyone. Whoever tells you the opposite is giving you bad service or does not know this breed at all. It has nothing to do with the Doberman, the German shepherd or the Rotweiller. It is not "just another large dog" and your experience from owning a German shepherd in the past will not help you to deal with a mastino. I have had a German shepherd in the past and I can guarantee you that this dog is completely different in almost every respect but the bare basics. It is a truly independent dog (especially the males) with its own character and - as far as a dog can do it - it expands the meaning of the word "independent" to its limits. It will not sit when you ask it to, it will not come when you call it and it will never bring you back the stick you threw - unless it wants to. Of course, Xerxes is still a young dominant male which is going through the normal "rebelion" stage. A well reared mature male will usually dance the clackets when its owner says so. Once you understand these simple truths, you are already half way through to love it.
The other half is its sheer size. It is not a delicate dog. It is a massive dog able to reach 100 Kg or more (200 pounds+) and - here comes the best part - it is a clumsy dog. If something can be broken it will break it. Usually its heavy and extremely strong tail is to be blamed for damages. Having said that the dog will chew anything with pleasure (walls included). Again, if you love it enough you will find ways of coping with this behaviour and I can assure you it works very well now - both for our family and for Xerxes. Bear in mind that it is an extremely intelligent dog, able to learn a lot of things - and I mean really a lot of things. This dog will tell your mood in a second and it is one of the best character judges you will ever find. It tops up any shepherd in that aspect.
Raising it is rather difficult and it has to be done the right way. If you take my advice on fishy issues, please do yourself a favour and take my advice on this one too. You need to buy this dog from a breeder who knows this breed extremely well. There are two reasons for that. First to get the correct (typical for the breed) puppy and second to get the correct information on how to raise it. I was lucky to have met a nice guy who adores and loves those animals, a guy who will go to extremes to save a puppy or help a new owner. Andreas Fournarakos (owner of Graecia Magna) has been a real asset for me. His experience has saved me from many pitfalls and if Xerxes finally becomes the dog I dreamed of two years ago it will be largely because of him. The other half is correct feeding. I had to follow a strict diet which helped Xerxes to avoid all health problems associated with this breed. I do not think that this point can be overstressed. Having an excellent and close relationship with your breeder is a must. Following his instructions is absolutely necessary. He has raised tens of mastinos and you are just starting. Ask him - which brings us down to selecting the correct breeder as well. I have spent hundreds of hours with Andreas talking about mastinos, well before even getting Xerxes. When - finally - Xerxes came home, I knew what to expect. I am sure Andreas will always remember our midnight phone calls to resolve urgent issues .. or just talk about mastinos.
The Neapolitan mastiff is a highly territorial animal (a Parachromis dovii - the wolf cichlid - would be the fish equivalent) and will not tolerate any other animal in its territory once provoked. If correctly socialized - something which must take place very early in its life - it will tolerate other animals and strangers in the house or during its (short) walk. "Tolerate" is the correct word here. Do not make mistakes with a mastino. It will just tolerate others - and this will happen up to a point. Its whole world is your house and you - as simple as that. The rest do not matter to it unless it feels they threaten its "world". One thing it will not tolerate is another mastino of the same sex.
You have children? So do I. Johnny was 11 years old when Xerxes came home and they fell in love with each other. They play together, he takes care of it, they spend many hours together - there was never a problem in this relationship. Naturally you have to teach your child how to treat this animal. However this is true for any animal you keep at home - isn't it? The same way you will tell you child not to knock on the glass of your tank since fish get stressed, you will also have to teach it how to behave with this dog. Once you do that, there will be no problem at all.
The advantages of owning a Mastino Napoletano are, in my view:
- It is an extremely intelligent animal
- It has very high profile and 'class', it is unique and beautiful
- It is loyal to death; it will love you more than anything in the world. Only a fully armed bodyguard can protect you better.
On the other hand, the disadvantages of owning a Mastino Napoletano I feel are the following:
- It is difficult to raise
- It is prone to a number of diseases if you really do not look after it properly
- It is short lived
- It is expensive both to buy as well as to keep
- It is a clumsy, really big dog, that requires a lot of space for itself.
- It drools a lot, it is a messy eater and drinker and it snores. It took the neighbours many months to realize that the strange "mechanical noise" they heard every night was not a bike but Xerxes, snoring.
If you meet the requirements (everything, including choosing the right breeder and having available space and lots of patience) then get a Mastino Napoletano and fall in love with it. Following the mastino experience only another mastino can be your dog; this is what people call "malattia di Mastino" (the mastino disease). It may not be that easy, but those who wish to have the dog Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar had will happily go that extra mile. Simply because you will choose the best - as they did in their time.
Photos by the author.
Notes:
(1) Dr. Carl Semencic, The Gladiator Dogs, TFH Publications, p. 196.
(2) Lucio Giunio, Mederate Columella, 1st century AD
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