The Cane Corso Dog Breed

The Cane Corso dog breed is a very old breed. It is one of the very few breeds to have maintained its original characteristics over time. Despite its name, it does not originate from Corsica, the French island, but is an all-Italian breed. It is the ancient Roman molosso (canis Pugnax) that accompanied the ancient legionaries on the battlefields.

Its name has several meanings; one is said to derive from the Latin cohors, meaning courtyard, farm, indicating that this dog is a guardian of houses and farms. Another meaning of the word is also companion, which indicates its ability to stand by its master's side. Another translated from the Celtic-Provençal ‘cursus’, translates as strong, powerful, robust.

This dog was also used extensively to defend herds of cattle and horses and for hunting, especially wild boar. Given the absolute loyalty it bears to its master and his family, it is also an excellent guard dog, without being too aggressive.

In the 1960s it began to be less and less in demand and risked extinction, but thanks to a few breed enthusiasts it has recovered well. However, this breed is currently widespread in southern Italy and especially in Apulia, and is not very well known in the rest of the world.

Character of the Cane Corso dog breed

The Cane Corso is faithful, intelligent and well-balanced towards its owner and family, with whom it establishes a very strong bond. It is one of the dog breeds that has these characteristics the most.

It is by no means a dangerous dog; if well trained, it always listens to and follows its owner's instructions. And it is not a difficult breed to train, its docile and malleable character also makes it perfectly suitable for training to frame its behaviour to certain standards or for self-defence.

But it all depends on the type of training and the owner, who may train these dogs to guard and relegate them to the garden tied to a chain or, worse still, train them to attack. If trained properly, it is an excellent companion for families and children with whom it loves to play a lot.

It absolutely does not like loneliness, it always seeks contact with its owner who follows it everywhere, and it needs this a lot, so whoever gets a Cane Corso must have time to devote to it every day. This does not mean that it is a clingy dog, instead it is discreet and intelligent and understands when it is time for cuddles and when to step aside.

This dog also lends itself to flat living, as long as it is taken for a long walk at least three times a day, but as it is a lively dog, the ideal is a garden where it can spend a few hours in the open air and where it can move freely.

It gets along well with the family cats, if there are any, after a suitable introduction, however, being territorial, it often does not get along with dogs of the same sex and size. With strangers it is naturally wary, and being a guard dog, if it senses a real threat, it may be aggressive, thus revealing its brave and powerful character, but most of the time it will simply bark to make the intruder desist, which given its size is very easy for it.

Appearance of the Cane Corso dog breed

The Cane Corso is medium to large in size. Males range from 64 to 68 cm and weigh between 45-50 kg, while females range from 60 to 64 cm and weigh between 40 and 45 kg. It is solid and vigorous while remaining elegant. Its sharp contours reveal a powerful musculature. It is somewhat longer than it is tall. Even the Corso dog's neck is very muscular and continues on a compact trunk, but everything in its bearing is agile and elegant.

The limbs, both hind and forelimbs are well in line, strong and robust and characterised by a good bone structure. The tail is high, starts out thick then tapers down to the tip.

The head of the Cane Corso is proportionate to the body, the muzzle appears wide and deep, accompanied by a voluminous and flat grey or black truffle. The teeth are well developed although the clasp of the jaw may often show a slight prognathism. The eyes are fairly large, well spaced and are dark in colour with an alert and watchful expression. The ears are medium-large, triangular and pointed.

The coat is hard to the touch, almost bristly. The colour can be black, grey, fawn or tigerish. The brindled version exists both with a fawn and grey base. The coat is thick, glossy with a very dense undercoat that makes it very waterproof.

Health and care of the Cane Corso dog breed

The Cane Corso generally enjoys excellent health although, like other purebred dogs, it is prone to certain congenital disorders, such as hip dysplasia, torsion of the stomach, excess prognathism is a defect that can afflict the Cane Corso. In common with all molossoids, it may suffer from eyelid problems.

This dog has a life expectancy of 10 to 12-13 years. Having a short coat, this breed feels the cold a lot, whereas heat does not give it too many problems. It is not prone to obesity as long as it gets adequate exercise and as far as coat care is concerned, brushing once a week is sufficient. It does not lose much hair except during shedding periods, in spring and autumn.