Back: Wide and strong. Highest part of the shoulder blade barely rising above the strong,
level topline of the back. Loin: well-muscled and harmoniously joined to the back.
Croup: Wide, strong,muscular and slightly sloped. The top of the croup rises slightly
and is level with the highest point of the shoulder. Tail: set on slightly lower
than the topline, wide and thick at the root, tapering gradually toward the tip. It is docked by about
1/3. When at rest, the tail hangs straight or in slight "S" shape. When in action, it is raised
to the horizontal or a little higher than the back.
Severe fault: Tail carried straight up or curved over the back. Kinked tail
Disqualification: Lack of tail or short tail, which is less than 1/3 the length from
point of insertion of the tail to the hock.
Commentary
This massive dog has a massive back. It should be distinctly wide. The withers are also wide. While
there may be a slight dip behind the withers, the back should be level to the loin.
Our standard says level, and we do want a level topline.
However, in a big heavy dog of the mass we want, it is far more common for the topline to not be exactly
level. We will certainly expect you to accept a less-than-perfect topline if the dog has the appropriate
mass and other characteristics.
It often happens in the ring that the dog with the best topline is lighter in bone and tighter in skin.
Do not pick a lighter-boned or tighter-skinned dog because it has the best topline! Certainly, if the
best dog (WHaM-wise) has a good topline....commento n it and reward it! But in this breed, the perfect
topline is not something to obsess over.
These are some pictures of nice bodies and toplines for our breed.
The Croup is angled behind the loin, and the tail is joined at the croup, lower than the topline. The
croup is angled to give spring to the hindquarters which must be able to propel this big heavy dog from
a lying position into instantaneous action.
The tail is joined slightly lower than the topline. It must not be held too high, and we judge too high
as straight up (right angles) or curved over the back. A young dog, with more energy and alertness, may
hold its tail higher for a while than a mature dog, and a very alert mastino may hold its tail very stiffly
slightly higher than the back. In general, the tail is held low, it does have a slight "S"
shape, sometimes described as a "pump-handle" shape.
The tail is typically docked by 1/3 of its original length. The standard doesn't say how long is too
long, and we really don't care about that. On the Mastino, an undocked tail (and we do see that sometimes)
is REALLY REALLY long...like a Bloodhound tail. As long as the tail, however long it may be, isn't carried
too high, and doesn't curl over the back, it's ok.
A too short tail, however is a different story. One of the defects that can occur in breeding programs
is a kink in the tail. A kink is ugly, a big ugly knot, sometimes the tail turns at right angles. A
kink is a serious fault. Simply because it is ugly.
But if, in docking the tail, someone cuts the kink off, the tail will be too short. So a short tail is
a disqualification.
Sometimes dogs are born with short tails or even missing tails. These are also undesirable traits.
SEVERE FAULT: TAIL CARRIED STRAIGHT UP OR CURVED OVER THE BACK
SEVERE FAULT: KINKED TAIL
DISQUALIFICATION: LACK OF TAIL OR SHORT TAIL WHICH IS LESS THAN 1/3 THE LENGTH FROM POINT OF INSERTION
TO POINT OF HOCK.
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