AKA Neos or Mastini. We have two of them. Medusa is a 2 year old female and Titus is a 14 month old male. I thought I would share some of what I know on the breed. I researched them for two years before buying the first one. Neos are a rare breed that are on the expensive side to buy and own. They are a very hard tempered breed that should have a dominant owner. They are extremely messy due to the amount of skin on their faces and dewlap.
This breed was origanally bred by the Romans to fight in the Coliseum and also to be Roman Soldiers. They range from 160lbs to 200lbs when full grown and they do not reach their full weight until about the age of 4 years. They stop growing up after the first year. One of the costs in owning the breed is surgery to fix cherry eye. It is normal in this breed. They also have other problems the same as other giant breeds or breeds with excessive skin.
If you have seen the Harry Potter movies, Hagrid’s dog is a black Neo with natural ears. These dogs take special handling and precautions as the normal temperament is very dominant. They often test you to take the lead from you. I do not advise anyone to own this breed if they are not a dominant type person. This breed can inflict a great deal of damage very quickly and is very difficult to get stopped.
You might wonder why I am posting the bad parts of this breed. It is in effort to keep people from buying this breed based on looks. They are a very unique breed that require specific handling and care. Puppies range in cost from $2,000.00 to $3,500.00 depending if it is pet or show quality. While some bloodlines are extremely dominant all of the time (Medusa), there are some that are big sweeties most of the time (Titus) but can be dominant at other times.
An owner must be able to handle the mess that they make. When they drink, water goes everywhere as their entire dewlap is soaked. Their slobber is major and also goes everywhere. During heats things can get very ugly if you have other pets. The females will attack any other females and any neutered males that get near her. Males will fight over her as well. These dogs are extremely strong and can go through wood and chainlink fence if they choose to. Hot climates are hard on them and they can die quickly if not provided enough shade and water. Surgeries are very risky because they do not do well when put under.
I love this breed. It is the perfect one for me and I doubt I will ever own any other breed again. We also have a German Shepherd Dog (5), Pitbull (14) and an English Mastiff (10). We have begun to show Titus as he loves people, children and other animals. Even though both have had extensive socialization, Medusa is very choosey about who she accepts so extra precautions are taken when we take her out in public. We are getting our third Neo puppy in a few weeks. Venus is currently 10 weeks old and it will be a challenge to introduce to Medusa. Medusa did not like Titus when they first met. She would have killed him if she got the chance. It took a few months before she finally accepted him, now she loves him. All dogs live in the house as I will not have outdoor animals.
Needless to say, it is difficult to grow anything in the backyard as it belongs to the dogs. Anything I want to keep has to have barriers around it. Potty breaks must be seperated so the young dogs do not hurt the old dogs. The GSD can normaly go out with either group but I am starting to think he is becoming afraid of Medusa so additional steps are needed to protect him from her. She has liked playing rough with him for the past 2 years but since her last heat the dynamics have changed. He had always stood his ground in the past when she started playing too rough. Both Neos play extremely rough and play tug of war with each others faces and necks resulting in scabs but never holes or tears.
This breed was saved from extinction in Italy starting in the 1970s. There is probably less than one Neo breeder per state in the USA and due to their cost and requirements, not very many people own them. The cost does help keep them out of the wrong hands and good breeders will not sell a puppy without a contract. Good breeders warn potential owners of the possible dangers and problems that can happen.
