The five important elements of the Neapolitan mastiff breed type is look, head, size, attitude and movement. The order on this list is not by importance. Think about it....do you want a mastiff who has the "look" but can not move?! No ofcourse not, but this is something that does happen when breeders strive towards the wrong goal. Look is great and can win shows, but if the dog is in pain and dies at age four, what good is it? That being said the proper look of this breed is, massive, powerful, bestial appearance, with thick loose skin. Loose skin is what makes this mastiff really stand apart from other mastiff breeds. Most mastini will mature somewhere between two and four, which means until then your dogs look will keep changing! Head and expression is what most people see first when looking at a mastino, which is unique to this breed. The size and weight of a neo can greatly differ from one another. Height somewhere between 24 to 31 inches is correct for showing. Weight somewhere between 110 to 200+ pounds. As long as correct proportion and function is Maintained. This is where finding the proper Balance between all elements is so important! The length of body should be 10%-15% greater then its height. The body should be more of a rectangular shape.
Mastini's are steady and loyal to it's owner. Attitude is Calm but wary towards strangers, and are not apt to bite without reason. The movement of a Neo' is not flashy, but rolling and lumbering. Taking long strides to cover more ground quickly.