Newfoundland Mastiff originated in 100 BC and has a history of thousands of years. In the past, it was not well known until the Italians rediscovered it in 1940. It has a slow and heavy pace like a bear, similar to other breeds of mastiffs, with a very large head. The prominent dewlap folds from the top of the head all the way to the neck, forming a multi-layered cheek appearance. The loose skin has folds and wrinkles. It is very quiet and gentle, and is very close to familiar people. People seem unable to associate it with the formidable fighter it used to be in the arena.
Neapolitan Mastiff is intimidating due to its heavy bone mass and large size. People breed this breed mainly to develop it into a guard dog and a protector to ensure the safety of the owner and property at home. Its typical features are: a savage appearance, a terrifying head and body, and a serious and horrifying expression. Due to its overall structure, it tends to appear swaying and clumsy when moving, as if it lacks grace.
This dog is strong and powerful, capable of protecting itself and the owner's belongings and home. It is smart and confident, although its expression may be serious, but it is actually very gentle and loyal, and stable. It is especially friendly to children and desires to dominate other dogs. It is cautious with strangers. When provoked, it can be frightening. It needs continuous training from an early age to improve its obedience.
It is absolutely loyal to the owner. Although its appearance is intimidating, it will never provoke fights or bite people without reason. When guarding the owner and the family, it shows strong vigilance and does not allow outsiders to enter its territory, calm and alert.
The Neapolitan Mastiff originated in Italy around 100 BC. It has a history of thousands of years and was not well known in the past. It wasn't until 1940 that people in Italy began to pay attention to it again. It has a slow and heavy bear-like gait, similar to other mastiff breeds, with a very large head. Prominent loose skin folds extend from the head to the neck, creating a multi-layered cheek appearance with wrinkled folds. It is known for its natural protective instincts and can display extreme aggression, so breeders need to train and restrain this instinct, and should not indulge it.
Although it is a large breed of dog, its exercise needs are not as significant as other large breeds. It only requires moderate exercise, about one and a half hours of daily walks should be enough. However, its inherent aggressive nature makes it unsuitable for regular household keeping, and even less appropriate as a family pet.
Toes infection
Symptoms: Dogs frequently lick their toes, and the spaces between their toes become red and moist. In severe cases, limping may occur.
Preparation: Iodine, erythromycin ointment, Elizabethan collar
Instructions: Wear the Elizabethan collar, remove the hair on the feet, rinse with soapy water or wipe with iodine. After the inflammation is completely dry, apply erythromycin ointment to the toes once a day, repeat for a week.
Ear mites
Symptoms: Dogs scratch and shake their ears. The dogs' ears have a strong sour smell, accompanied by increased tear stains, ear hair loss, dark brown secretions, and earwax.
Preparation: Ear cleaning solution, ear wash
Instructions: Clean the hair inside the dog's ears, flush the ear canal with ear wash or Vicks ear wash, gently rub the base of the ear for 30 seconds, wait for the dog to shake out the ear wash, use a cotton ball to wipe off the secretions and gently clean the ear auricle and ear canal.
Skin disease
Symptoms: Dogs feel itching, the skin becomes red, itchy, dogs scratch randomly, hair becomes dull and rough, more dandruff, and even patches of hair loss.
Preparation: Saline, topical ointment or skin spray, vitamin B.
Instructions: Put an Elizabethan collar on the dog to prevent scratching and licking. Trim the problem skin and surrounding hair. Then wash with saline to sterilize, and then apply ointment or use spray, with antibiotics and vitamin B.
Due to its unique facial features, the jowls and folds in the neck of the Newfoundland Mastiff need to be cleaned daily, especially the folds. It is important to pay attention to a balanced nutritional diet. Although its hair is not very long, it is important to brush off the shedding hair every day during the shedding period.
Obedience training should start when it is young. The trainer must be confident and strict. It only requires an average amount of exercise for large dogs, such as short walks every day to help maintain its perfect shape.
If the Newfoundland Mastiff completes socialization training early, it can get along well with children. If it does not feel threatened, it can accept contact from strangers. Overall, it can live harmoniously with other dogs and household pets.
Note: It is considered one of the world's three major attack dogs along with the Pit Bull (including the American Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and American Staffordshire Terrier) and the Tosa Inu. This shows how strong its attack ability is. It is said that the Newfoundland Mastiff used to be the guard dog of the Italian Mafia and would bite people when it becomes fierce. Most countries strictly regulate the breeding of these three types of fighting dogs, considering them dangerous or aggressive breeds. For example, in Taiwan, China, these three types of dogs must wear masks, be accompanied by adults, and wear a leash of no more than 1.5 meters in length when going out, otherwise they are not allowed in public places. In Hong Kong, China, the breeding of these three types of dogs is strictly limited and they are not allowed to appear on the streets or in public places.
1. Do not bathe frequently
When bathing a dog, of course, it should not be too frequent. The frequency of bathing a dog depends on the dog's hygiene condition. Bathing a dog more often in hot weather, and reducing it in winter. However, the total number of baths should not exceed 5 times. Otherwise, it will damage its fur and skin!
2. Be diligent in brushing
Dogs shed fur almost every day, especially in spring and autumn. Regular brushing is an important step in maintaining good fur growth. Pet owners can use special pet brushes to help dogs remove naturally shed fur and avoid tangling. Brushing once in the morning and once in the evening, for about five minutes each time, is sufficient.
3. Sunbathe
Sunbathing is beneficial for the growth of a dog's fur. Besides making the fur more shiny, letting a dog sunbathe can also help kill bacteria. While sunbathing, pet owners can let their dogs do some exercise to improve their physical fitness, promote blood circulation, and help grow healthier fur.
4. Deworming
Poor fur condition is also closely related to parasites. Parasites absorb a large amount of nutrients from a dog's body, depriving them of nutrition. So deworming is indispensable. During deworming, it is suggested to do both internal and external treatment. Also, deworming medicine can cause great harm to a dog's gastrointestinal tract, so it is recommended to feed probiotics regularly to relieve gastrointestinal discomfort.
5. Pay attention to diet
To ensure that a dog has shiny fur, it is necessary to lay a good nutritional foundation and pay attention to daily diet. On the one hand, feed the dog with nutritious and healthy dog food, choose a brand that is suitable and has abundant nutrition to meet the dog's needs. On the other hand, the dog can be given a moderate amount of lean meat, cooked egg yolks, and vegetable oil.
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