Petzlover
Grand Gascon Saintongeois is originated from France but Neapolitan Mastiff is originated from Italy. Both Grand Gascon Saintongeois and Neapolitan Mastiff are having almost same height. Grand Gascon Saintongeois may weigh 44 kg / 97 pounds lesser than Neapolitan Mastiff. Grand Gascon Saintongeois may live 5 years more than Neapolitan Mastiff. Grand Gascon Saintongeois may have less litter size than Neapolitan Mastiff. Grand Gascon Saintongeois requires Low Maintenance. But Neapolitan Mastiff requires Moderate Maintenance
Known also as the Virelade, the Grand Gascon Saintongeois hails from the Saintongeois region of France, being a newish addition to the hunting dog breed.
The Saintongeois hound and the Grand Blue de Gascogne are the ancestors of this scentdog as these two breeds themselves, are exceptional hunters. The Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a large dog and favored by the French nobility for its ability to hunt.
After the French Revolution the popularity of the breed waned. It was Baron Joseph de Carayon-LaTour who tried to revive the Saintongeois Hound. The dogs were mated with the Grand Bleu de Gascogne and were so outstanding that breeding was continued. The breed that was created is the Grand Gascon Saintongeois which we know today.
It was in January 1993 that the Grand Gascon Saintongeois was officially recognized by the United Kennel Club.
An ancient breed, the Neapolitan Mastiffs are massive dogs with a history of protecting their family and their property. The breed has deep rooted protective instincts and they are very frightening in appearance. The Neapolitan is of the Molosser group of dogs, all of whom probably came from the same line. It is known that all the mastiffs in Europe are descendants of the Tibetan Mastiff. The Tibetan Mastiff is considered the most ancient of all canines.
The Asian Mastiffs came from India to Greece around 300 BC with Alexander the Great. Then the breed was brought to the Romans by the Greeks and then introduced them in their circus in fights. Another possibility is that around 500 BC the mastiffs came to Britain from the Phoenicians. Either way the Roman Molossus is the ancestor of the Neapolitan Mastiff.
The Romans crossed the breed with the English Mastiff around 55 BC and developed a premiere war dog that was called a Mastini.
The breed eventually became extinct in Europe with the exception of Campania. The breed was recognized in 1946 with the standard accepted in 1949. However, it is believed that the Neapolitan Mastiff has been continuously present in Campania for over two thousand years. The breed was initially developed as war dogs and for the Roman coliseum spectacles.
In 1946 Dr. Piero Scanziani established a program to breed them in Italy. He wrote the breed standard in 1949.
Today the Neo is a farm dog, an army dog, a police dog and a guard dog. They were shown in Italy for the first time in 1946 but only in 2004 was the breed recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). It was 1973 when the Neapolitan Mastiff Club of America was born and 1996 when the standard was approved by the AKC. They are still a rare breed in the United States.
The Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a large, well built breed of dog that looks strong and robust. His head is strong and covered with loose skin that forms wrinkles around the cheeks. He stands at 61-73cm and weighs 30 to 35kg.
He has straight, long legs. He has a short, smooth coat which is white with black patches. Sometimes you'll also find a speckled or ticked pattern. There'll be tan dots over the eyes.
The eyes are brown, the nose black and the long, thin textured ears are low on the dogs head and also well back on the skull. The tail is long.
He is known for his deep voice to voice an opinion. He is a loving, friendly, courageous and affectionate breed with a well balanced temperament, making him a splendid pet. He is also intelligent and so he won't battle at all to learn some rules. Training and socialization will be good for him even though he is such an amicable dog already, but then he just becomes extra obedient.
The Neapolitan Mastiff is a massive dog , so powerful and very intimidating in his looks. With an incredibly large head and hanging folds and wrinkles, the Neo is an impressive animal. His inner nobility and dignity is evident in his stance and the way he holds himself. He is relaxed, calm, quiet yet imposing none the less. His coat is dark whether black, tawny, gray or mahogany. He is muscular beyond imagination. The Neo is 10-15% longer than he is tall.
On his massive head his eyes are deep set and covered by his eye lids that droop. His eyes are blue as puppies then dark and coordinated with his coat. and his nose is large and the color of his coat. Ears are natural or can be cropped, and they carry their tail straight and curving back. The Neo has round paws and arched toes.
Your Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a true hunting dog breed and valued for his hunting prowess. He has another side to him though and is gentle, loving and calm with his human family.
He makes a wonderful family companion, getting on well with children as well as pets in the home. He may show a bit of aggression to strangers and this is why training and socialization works so well with him as it helps him behave well around family and strangers.
Training is never a problem as he is an intelligent dog. He is an energetic dog and won't fit well into city life in tiny properties, also because of his tendency to bark when bored. He fits well into country life or large properties.
When you provide your large pet with good food, a warm place to sleep, exercise and plenty of love and attention, the Grand Gascon Saintongeois is going to turn out to be one of the most loyal, affectionate pets you can imagine.
Older children in their family. No toddlers or strangers.
Protective yet quiet, calm, relaxed
No they won’t adapt well to apartment living or to strangers.
They are intelligent and trainable but must be socialized and know the human is the alpha or they will take over.
Your Grand Gascon Saintongeois is a robust dog, who with good care can reach up to 14 years of age. You're not going to be running to the vet often with this strong looking dog, but even so, there are one to two problems that you'll want to look out for.
Long-eared dogs are more susceptible to canine ear infections. The symptoms of the infection will be dependent on how severe it is. Certainly your dog may experience pain and you'll see him shaking his head and pawing at his ear. If both ears are affected by inflammation, he may even walk in a wobbly fashion and the infection could lead to deafness. It is imperative that he get to the vet as soon as possible.
This is where the ball and socket joint of the hip is malformed. It results in a joint rubbing and grinding. It can lead to loss of function of the hip joints. It is a common skeletal disease in young or old dogs, small or large dogs and in both males and females.
Large dogs are more commonly affected though with hip dysplasia which can see arthritis developing too. Your dog will display decreased activity and difficulty with standing up after lying down. Veterinary intervention will be required.
The Neapolitan Mastiff is prone to many of the same issues as any massive, extra large breed. The most common of these is Cherry Eye.
These large dogs with their short smooth coats have very little grooming needs. Regular brushing twice a week will remove dead hair and also ensure the good condition of the coat.
He has long ears and these will need to be checked regularly to avoid ear infections. It will be a good idea to learn how to clean the ears and to do it in such a way as to avoid damaging them. Signs of ear infection include redness, discharge, irritation and bad odor.
Following the feeding instructions on the packaging of top quality kibble, provide your Grand Gascon Saintongeois with at least 2 meals a day. To steer away from the monotony of kibble every day, mix in some raw meat from time to time, and also include some cooked brown rice, chicken and vegetables as a tasty treat. Fresh, cool water should always be easily accessible to him.
Neapolitans grow fast and so don’t overfeed when they are young. Lower protein and higher fat content.
Don’t overfeed the adult as they can become obese.
This big hearty breed needs exercise but not too much. They overheat easily. The puppy will push himself, so you have to make sure he doesn’t over do it. No tug of war games. They need a long walk twice every day.