Cane Corso

The Cane Corso is a large dog of Italian origin, of molosser-type. It has historically been used to guard property and to hunt large game such as wild boar. Before 1988 this breed was known only in southern Italy and was considered very rare, even in its native country. The Cane Corso is a sturdy, powerful well-muscled dog, but it looks less heavy than other Mastiff type dogs and more agile and athletic. Its muscles are long, and it gives an impression of elegance. The Cane Corso averages 23 to 27 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs an average 90 to 110 pounds, with individual males weighing much more. Its neck is muscular and arched. This breed is brachycephalic (flat-faced); its muzzle is equally broad and deep almost as wide as it is long. The large, powerful head is not wrinkled. The mucous membranes are black. The ears are normally drop and fold forward, but in countries where it is legal they are sometimes cropped, so that the stubs stand erect. The tail is normally docked. The coat of the Cane Corso appears in black, gray, fawn, red, and brindle. The red and fawn may have a black mask. There may be subtle white markings with any color. The double coat is short, dense, and shiny on the top layer, which is very coarse and somewhat like the fur on a cow. This allows optimum weather resistance. The bottom layer is dense and woolly. In warmer climates the bottom coat may be lost. The Cane Corso takes his name from the Latin "cohors"�, meaning "guardian"� or "protector"�. This breed is one of the direct descendants of the ancient Roman dog, the Canis Pugnax; the other direct descendant is the Neopolitan Mastiff, who was bred for strength and power, while the Cane Corso was bred for speed and agilily. This large mastiff-like dog was used in the Roman Legion as a war dog. He stood guard over camp, livestock and supplies and served as an auxiliary warrior on the battlefield. In the arena he fought bear, lion, bulls and human gladiators. Of the large guard dogs developed from the Canis Pugnax, the Cane Corso is the lighter and more agile. In more recent centuries, this dog has been used in various guardian roles. It ran alongside the carriages of nobility to protect from highwaymen and wild animals. It stood guard over cattle and farmstead, and watched carts of supplies when the owner was occupied. It was used to hunt wild boar, wolf, bear and porcupine. Through all its history the Cane Corso appears in various literary references and in sculpture and paintings. It has remained a loyal guardian to family, a gentle giant that was valued by many an Italian family. In the early years of the 20th century, technological advances changed the nature of agriculture. Two world wars had devastating effects on many dog breeds, and the Cane Corso was particularly hurt when many farmsteads ceased to exist. The breed was driven to near extinction. But in southern Italy, isolated pockets were little changed by the changes in the larger world; methods of agriculture remained the same and there was still a job for a large farm guard dog to perform. It was in these areas Puglia, Luciania and Sannio - that the Cane Corso survived. In the 1950's a noted zoologist became interested in the isolated breed. He wrote about it and its history and utility, publishing articles in the 1970's. This inspired a professor friend to begin a breeding program. The two were later contacted by a traveling salesman who had spent time in Sicily and found that the dogs were common there. In the 1980's the three formed a small club of enthusiasts and set about reviving the breed in Italy and beyond. Today the breed is seen across Europe and North America, and although it is still considered rare, it enjoys a strong following of supporters interested in its continuation into the future. The Cane Corso has been recorded in the American Kennel Club's Foundation Stock Service since 1996. It is set to receive full recognition as a breed in June of 2010. The Cane Corso is a naturally athletic dog that wants and needs to exercise daily. This means that it needs a long, brisk walk once a day or the equivalent amount of vigorous exercise in any other form. This breed will be happy to jog with its owner or participate in long hiking expeditions. Given adequate exercise outside the home, this dog can live in any size house or apartment comfortably. The Cane Corso is a light to moderate shedder. It will seasonally shed its undercoat a few times a year, during which time the shedding is a bit heavier, and daily brushing will help greatly to remove the dead hair and keep shedding around the house to a minimum. This dog stays clean and only needs bathing occasionally, at the owner's discretion. The gene pool of the Cane Corso, combined with years of fairy careful breeding, has helped to keep health problems to a minimum in this breed. Those disorders that appear most commonly are the same ones that plague many large-boned breeds: hip and elbow dysplasia, arthritis, and osteosarcoma. The average lifespan of this breed is 10 to 11 years.The Cane Corso is known to be one of the gentler of the guardian breeds. It is enthusiastically affectionate and devoted to family members, and is calm and protective with children. It is generally safe around small household pets and is very tolerant of other dogs with whom it is properly introduced and socialized. It is very important that the prospective owner of a Cane Corso has a good bit of dog handling experience, and understands that this dog, like all of the large guardian breeds, must have obedience training very early in life, and that this training must continue over the dog's life. The Cane Corso is a big, powerful dog, and by the time it reaches adulthood the owner must be fully in control.

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