RuneStone Druid of Pantheon

His full registered name is Champion "RuneStone Druid of Pantheon" he is a pure bred, AKC registered, AKC champion with 3 major wins, Neapolitan Mastiff.

Runestone Neapolitan Mastiffs of Minnesota

To see Drew's own page on Wendy's site or for more information on stud service Click Here

Drew was 6 months old and 110 pounds in the picture below. He had about 60 more pounds to gain over the next 9-12 months before he would be full grown. The picture is from his Major win at the Land-o-Lakes kennel club dog show January 2006.

In the Assyrian section of the British Museum is the Nineveh bas-relief sculpted about 850B.C. the animal portrait is a long backed, heavy fronted massive dog, the head shows a short trunked muzzle, folds of skin on the cheeks and a pronounced dewlap. Those familiar with the Mastino Napolitano today will recognize the long stride of the foreleg which is typical, and can be seen in the best specimens. We know that such dogs were used in the grant Roman houses as a formidable guard dog,. The description of a dog of this type is found again in the writings of Lucio Giunio Mederato Columela 1st century A.D. in his work "De Re Rustica". Columella states that the house guard dog, which was the Roman Mastiff of that time should be black, "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" Before the 2nd world war this type of dog still existed in small numbers in Italy particularly in the region of Naples it was used as a guardian of the Grand Estates but also was owned by traders, butchers, and members of the Camora. Thanks to all these people which most of the time were poor but kept with passion the tradition of the Cani da Presa we still have today this living relic of the past the Mastino Napolitano

Everything about the Neapolitan Mastiff, often called the Italian Mastiff, the Italian Bulldog, or simply the Neo, suggests top notch suitability as a guard dog. This is a breed that lives and breaths for its owners. It is observing everything that goes on in its environment and learns from that. Neos are born guard dogs, they have more courage than anything else and will bring down the strongest man in seconds. First and foremost, the Neapolitan is a super-loyal family dog. While the breed is generally suspicious of strangers and politely tolerant of friends, it becomes enamored of its human family, particularly to its one master. In fact, among the many Neapolitan Mastiffs I have known, if I have detect any problem at all with the breed's devotion to its family, I would have to say that the problem is that these dogs tend to really miss their owners when they are left alone and will spend long periods whimpering pitifully until everyone is together again. The Neapolitan is also an extraordinarily intelligent dog with a great ability to distinguish its friends from its enemies. Don't let the droopy face of the Neapolitan fool you into thinking that the dog is a dullard. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a deterrent against crime the Neapolitan Mastiff is as perfect as a dog can be. Its overall appearance, both head and body, suggests a potential for unprecedented brutality and, while the dog is exceptionally gentle around its family and friends, this brutality can easily be realized should the Neapolitan's home or family be seriously threatened. Its size is also a substantial deterrent. A good Neapolitan should stand on short but massive legs, and, though it is relatively low to the ground, a large dog will weigh about 180-190 pounds. Every inch of the dog suggests terrific power which is put to work even as the dog moves casually. Functionally, the Neapolitan Mastiff is even more capable than its appearance suggests. When you examine a Neapolitan closely, you will realize that, in spite of its heavy appearance and deliberate movement, this is a dog that can really spring into action like a shot should something unexpected happen. Its heavy muscle is very obvious, even though its tough skin is loose and does not connect to the underlying tissue, as does the skin of other dogs. The head of the Neapolitan is huge, the jaws are short and powerful, and the teeth are big and strong. In general, this is most definitely not a dog you want to find yourself face to face with as you step through a stranger's window in order to burglarize his home.