Customer Reviews

Official Book of the Neapolitan Mastiff

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As an owner, breeder and trainer I absolutely fell in love with the Neo. I have trained for Schutzhund, French Ring, Personal protection, and Handicap assistance. The Neo is one of the most intelligent animals I have ever worked with, but they are not for everyone. Dr. Allen tells it like it is and is up front and honest about the breed. I disagree with some minor points, but the book is 99% accurate. Read this before you fall in love with and buy your first puppy and you may save yourself heartbreak down the line.

Neapolitan Mastiffs are by far my favorite breed and Dr. Allen has done a wonderful job with her very informative book. She cuts to the chase. In doing so, hopefully, the casual/careless buyers will be ware. We don't want any more Neo's in rescue shelters.

While the book provides a lot of in-depth information regarding the breed, with lots of wonderful pictures, Dr. Allen often presents the breed in a negative light. My impression is that she wants to warn off the casual buyer, and for this I can forgive her. Owning a Neo is not for the faint-of-heart. My advice: Get the book and be aware of the issues she raises. Then - be pleasantly surprised when your Neo turns out not to be the aggressive monster she describes.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to get a Neo. As the book depicts, they are not the dog for everyone. Please re-consider if you are not sure. This book will explain the breed in full detail.

Dr. Allen writes exactly like she talks and her expertise is obvious in this important book for the Neapolitan Mastiff breed.

The author does not sugar-coat anything and she is not sentimental, although she cares deeply about the breed and also that people understand what they are getting into. This shows throughout the book.

It may indeed seem to someone who is newly enamoured of the Neapolitan Mastiff that this book goes a little heavy on the "these are big monstrous dogs who can cause quite a lot of damage" but in fact, it is true! Sure, not every dog will do everything or have every problem but the fact is these are giant dogs who do not understand how big and clumsy they are and their human companions, especially those with children, must be aware of possibilities.

If you ARE aware of the potential problems you can be prepared to manage and ideally, prevent them. Everyone who falls in love with the breed absolutely LOVES the wrinkly, clumsy, adorable puppies. It is only when the little puppy begins to be the clumsy, active, wild-child adolescent that most people realize they may have bitten off more than they could chew, and it is when the dog reaches the young adult stage of two years of age or so that we see the results of that....dogs abandonned or turned over to rescue. Or even worse, dogs, who through well-meant but inapprpriate management for the Mastino, have been allowed to develop troubled personalities and temperaments which then gives the general public the idea that the entire breed is like this. This is a huge problem for all breed fanciers.

If people are properly educated BBEFORE they buy, and given the proper resources to help them AFTER they buy...well, then they can fully enjoy the power and majesty of owning the Neapolitan Mastiff. That's really the message in this book and the book provides a wealth of useful information. No, no one agrees 100% with everything...but that is true in all of life. And I submit to you that most expereinced breeders / owners of the Neapolitan Mastiff agree with 95-99% of what is in this book!

Properly managed owning the mastino is a wonderful experience.

Reading this book, and re-reading it, and re-re-reading it, can be a HUGE and useful part of that wonderful experience.

Thorough in nature, yet an easy flow of information palatable to anyone wanting to know the truth about the breed. The author is concise, passionate, and well versed on the topic with both decades of companionship and breeding Neos coupled with a Doctorates in Veterinary Sciences. This marriage gives Dr. Allen's book a most comprehensive find on Italian Mastiffs, ranging from breeding, feeding, behaviors, every topic incredibly observed on many levels. Full of exquisite photos of incredibly regal creatures. A must for anyone considering or owning a Neapolitan Mastiff.

Lots of nice illustrations, covers all areas of interest from the breeds development to breed standard today, from young puppyhood to adulthood. Invaluable advice for any owner of a Mastino.

The author does a wonderful job describing the Neapolitan Mastiff, warts and all. The history, behaviour, standard, breeding, health issues and much more, are written in an easy to read and entertaining way. She pulls no punches when it comes to informing the reader of the possible devastating outcomes of poorly socialised Neos, they are after all an exceptionally powerful dog. She does not recommend the dog for everyone, in fact she goes to great lengths to warn people about the breed in an attempt to dissuade people that may not be fully committed to the animal. She uses many interesting anecdotes to describe these curious dogs, being an owner of these dogs I fully appreciate what she says. The book is lavishly illustrated throughout with hundreds of photos of beautiful dogs from all over the world. I fully recommend this book to anyone that is interested in the breed. It would be of use to many veterinarians as I have found precious few that are knowledgeable in the specific requirements of the breed. If you are considering bringing a Neo into your life you must read this book first, it could save a lot of heartache.

Excellent book, A must buy before you buy the dog.
great information and photos.

great photos of dogs from around the world. the writer does a great disservice to the reader and the breed by extolling hypothyroidism.