Description

The Cane Corso is elegant yet muscular, though not too bulky. They have a powerful look, and are built for strength and athleticism. This shows in their build: their powerful muscles make Corsos look sleek and strong rather than chunky and slow.
The head of the Cane Corso is large, giving the dog an imposing appearance. They have a flattened forehead and muzzle. The muzzle is almost as wide as it is long. The Corso’s almond shaped eyes, preferably dark, are set straight and slightly above the muzzle. The Cane Corso’s ears are naturally flopped, though traditionally they were cropped (now illegal in many countries). The skin around the neck is slightly wrinkled, and the lower lip droops a little. In its natural state, the tail is long, but should not be curled over. Although the tail was traditionally docked, today this is often illegal.

Origin: Italy

Look

The Cane Corso is a short-haired breed, with stiff, dense, shiny fur. Although the fur is short, it is definitely not smooth and shiny, but thick and textured.

Common coat colours are fawn and black, though they often have small white markings (larger white markings are not accepted). Other colour variants include brindle, blue, and various shades of grey. Black or grey mask markings are very common on fawn and reddish dogs.

Health

The Cane Corso is quite hardy and healthy, but is prone to a few health conditions:
• Hip dysplasia
• Eyelid abnormalities (such as entropion, ectropion, and cherry eye)
• Demodectic mange (which can be heritable)
• Gastric torsion (bloat)
At Newdoggy.com, we recommend that you buy your Cane Corso puppy from reputable breeders, use genetic testing and good breeding practices to remove genetic conditions from their breeding lines.

Learning

The Cane Corso is brave and ready to meet any challenge. This personality necessitates a confident owner who can bring out the best in this dog. You know to provide good leadership for your Cane Corso. With the right handling and training, the Corso is an exceptionally loyal family dog. In the wrong hands, this breed has the potential to be aggressive and dangerous. As such, we recommend this dog for more experienced dog owners.
Despite their imposing appearance, they are generally affectionate dogs. The Corso is both highly intelligent and a little stubborn and bossy. They often test their owner’s boundaries. It’s important to teach your dog what you expect from him, and to do so as early as possible. These dogs are sensitive and clever, and often respond well to positive reinforcement training methods. If there’s a reward in store for him, the Cane Corso will happily learn the commands you choose to teach him.

Temperament

The Cane Corso is a quiet dog with an intelligent mind and a loyal character. The Corso generally sticks to its family like glue. Their loyalty makes them excellent family dog and great watch dogs; in fact, the Cane Corso was originally bred as a guard dog.

The Cane Corso was not bred for fighting, but their size and tenacious temperament means that they will not hesitate to defend themselves, or their family, if attacked. Be sure to socialise your Corso with people and dogs from an early age. The Cane Corso may benefit from obedience training classes.

Their intelligence and strength of character means that Corsos sometimes challenge their owners, seeing how far they can push their boundaries. Gently but firmly discipline your dog: do not let him do whatever he pleases. Combine this with regular exercise, and you will have the pleasure of owning an incredibly loyal, affectionate, and clever family dog.

Living with

Despite their size, Cane Corsos can adapt to living in apartments; however, they must have adequate exercise every day. A jog or a brisk walk will keep the Cane Corso in shape and content. The Corso is quite hardy and will also cope well with living outdoors, though it is essential to provide them with adequate shelter, complete with food and water.