Neapolitan Mastiff vs German Shepherd – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Neapolitan Mastiff vs German Shepherd" Compare Neapolitan Mastiff and German Shepherd. Which is better: Neapolitan Mastiff or German Shepherd?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Neapolitan Mastiff	German Shepherd
Origins	Italy	Germany
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Working Dogs	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)
Popularity Rank	107	2
Reviews	1	12
Rate

Other Names	Neo, Italian Bulldog, Italian Mastiff, Mastino Napoletano, Italian Molosso, Can39;E Presa	Alsatian, Berger Allemand, Alsatian wolf dog (UK), Deutscher Schäferhund, Schäferhund
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 2004 as a Working breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1908 as a Herding breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattledogs group, in the Molossian type section.	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.
Breed Recognition	No set	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club German Shepherd Dog Club Of America
Price	$1500-$2000	$800-$2000

General Appearance - Neapolitan Mastiff vs German Shepherd

Size	Giant	Large
Weight	Male: 130-150 pounds (59-68 kg), Female: 100-120 pounds (45-54 kg)	Male: 66-88 pounds (30-40 kg), Female: 49-71 pounds (22-32 kg)
Avg. Weight	Male: 140 pounds (63.5 kg), Female: 110 pounds (49.5 kg)	Male: 77 pounds (35 kg), Female: 60 pounds (27 kg)
Height	Male: 26-30 inches (65-75 cm), Female: 24-28 inches (60-70 cm)	Male: 24-26 inches (60-65 cm), Female: 22-24 inches (55-60 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 28 inches (70 cm), Female: 26 inches (65 cm)	Male: 25 inches (62.5 cm), Female: 23 inches (57.5 cm)

Hair & Care - Neapolitan Mastiff vs German Shepherd

Coat	Dense	Fuzzy
Colors	Mahogany Blue Tawny Black	Silver Tan Red Black
Grooming	Easy to groom: The Neapolitan Mastiff doesn't require a lot of grooming.	Average: The German Shepherd requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	Neapolitan Mastiffs shed moderately.	German Shepherds are heavy shedders.

Characteristics - Neapolitan Mastiff vs German Shepherd

Temperament	Protective Fearless Stubborn Dominant Obedient Trainable	Alert Courageous Intelligent Obedient Confident Curious Loyal Watchful
Intelligent Rank	Low to average: This canine intelligence is not the brightest one.	Outstanding: German Shepherd is one of the brightest dog breeds.
Trainability	Neapolitan Mastiffs aren't famous for their trainability.	German Shepherds are easy to train.
Playfulness	Neapolitan Mastiffs are not the most playful dog breed.	German Shepherds, like any other dog breed, like playing.
Sensitivity Level	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	German Shepherds don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.
Affection Level	Neapolitan Mastiffs are average dogs regarding their affection level.	German Shepherds are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Neapolitan Mastiffs need for social interaction is average.	German Shepherds need for social interaction is average.
Barking	Low to Average: The Neapolitan Mastiff rarely barks.	Low to Average: The German Shepherd rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Neapolitan Mastiffs are one of the best watchdogs.	German Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.
Territorial	Neapolitan Mastiffs are extremely protective guard dogs.	German Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Low The Neapolitan Mastiff has a low chance of biting somebody.	High The German Shepherd has a high chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Neapolitan Mastiffs have lower than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	German Shepherds have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Neapolitan Mastiffs are not the biggest explorers.	German Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.
Prey Drive	Neapolitan Mastiffs don't have an impulse to catch or chase small animals.	German Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.
Apartment Friendly	Neapolitan Mastiffs are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.	German Shepherds are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.
Adaptability	Neapolitan Mastiffs don't adapt well to lifestyle changes and different living environments.	German Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.
Fighting Dog	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.

Good With - Neapolitan Mastiff vs German Shepherd

Stranger Friendly	Neapolitan Mastiffs are not stranger friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Neapolitan Mastiffs are average friendly dogs towards children.	German Shepherds are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Neapolitan Mastiffs are average friendly towards cats.	German Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.
Dog Friendly	Neapolitan Mastiffs are not dog-friendly.	German Shepherds are not the most dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Neapolitan Mastiff is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No German Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Neapolitan Mastiffs are commonly okay with elderly people.	German Shepherds are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Neapolitan Mastiffs are generally with other pets.	German Shepherds are generally with other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No Neapolitan Mastiffs are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No German Shepherds are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really Neapolitan Mastiff breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really German Shepherd breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Yes A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Neapolitan Mastiff vs German Shepherd

Health Issues	Very healthy dog breed.	German Shepherds are commonly healthy dogs.
Health Problems	No set	Allergies Blindness Bloat Cancer Cataracts Cherry Eye Chronic Diarrhea Cruciate Ligament Rupture Cushing's Syndrome Degenerative Myelopathy Demodectic Mange Diabetes Digestive Problems Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency Heart Disease Hemophilia A Hemophilia B Hip Dysplasia Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy Lens Luxation Lupus Megaesophagus Myasthenia Gravis Nail Bed Disease Osteochondrosis Pannus Panosteitis Paralysis Perianal Fistula Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Retinal Dysplasia Seborrhea Vitiligo Von Willebrand's Disease Wobbler's Syndrome
Life Expectancy	8-10 years	10-13 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Neapolitan Mastiffs have an average energy level, so if you live a semi-active life, this breed can be a good choice for you.	German Shepherds are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Neapolitan Mastiffs exercise need is minimal.	German Shepherds need quite a lot of exercise.
Sleeping Need	Neapolitan Mastiffs sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.	German Shepherds don't need too much sleep.
Avg. daily food consumption	5 to 6 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	3 to 4 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	High: The Neapolitan Mastiff breed has a strong tendency to overweight.	Low to Average.
Weather & Climate	Prefers warm weather	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	High The Neapolitan Mastiff has a high chance of bad smell.	Medium The German Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Neapolitan Mastiff is a big drooler, so if you're disgusted by slobber spots on your clothes, you should choose a dog from another breed.	The German Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Neapolitan Mastiff vs German Shepherd

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	6-12 puppies	6-10 puppies
Dog Name Generator – Find A Perfect Name For Your Puppy

Popular Dog Compares

Despite the best intentions, there may be errors. If you find one, please let us know and we will fix it as soon as possible. Contact us here.

Rate This Comparsion - Neapolitan Mastiff vs German Shepherd

Reviews