Cane Corso - A Dog Mean On The Outside, Soft On The Inside

The Cane Corso is a dog that nearly went extinct during World War two, due to obvious reasons; only recently have people become interested in this massive dog which has survived for hundreds of years.

The Cane Corso started out in the Tibetan highlands, right around one thousand years ago, they were the guards trusted to keep ancient monasteries safe. The Roman people discovered these dogs and were so impressed by them that they brought them back to Rome…there they would no longer serve as guards but as lion fighters! Not only did they get to fight lions but they also made it into Alexander Macedonian’s army.

As the years passed, the Cane Corso became many things and performed many duties, such as: guarding, game hunting, herding, and everything else a farm dog would do. One other thing that the Cane Corso was used for was dog fighting; dog fighting became illegal a long time ago but this did not stop people from taking the cane Corso and turning him into an aggressive animal that would tear another dog up. These people, in an effort to enhance the aggressiveness of the breed, bred the Corso up to dogs such as the Doberman and the Alano…this led to the degradation and near extinction of the breed that was luckily saved by a group of enthusiasts in the 1970’s; on a better note, today you cane still find the Cane Corso working on the farms in Italy…there has been virtually no change in this dog’s appearance, he is just as big just as fast and just as powerful as he was one hundred years ago.

The Cane Corso did not survive over the years on luck alone; this dog is extremely intelligent and highly trainable...this in itself requires a person equally as smart and someone with a lot of experience because animals like this need to know why they should listen to you, they are not one of those breeds of dogs that follow orders just because they are too dumb to do otherwise! Even though the Cane Coro can be a handful at times, his love for his owner is unequaled...they need their family to survive, they are truly happy only if they are near to the ones he loves.

This not only makes the Cane Corso an excellent guard dog but also a dog that needs to be socialized at an early age. Because they will protect their family, (it is because of his natural desire to protect the family) you can be completely at ease when the dog is around your children. Even with all his qualities, the Cane Corso needs to have obedience training to be truly manageable and trustworthy.

The Cane Corso is a big dog; he has been described as "brave and fierce looking". They have a deep wide muzzle that is flat on top and even though they have big cheeks they do not drool hardly at all…something that you don’t see in other big cheek breeds.

The Cane Corso usually has a docked tail and cropped ears (cropped every close to the head). This is a bred that has to look lean and mean but also have the lines of an athlete, they have short thick fur that comes in different shades of black and red…some white is accepted but not that much, just a little on the neck, feet and the muzzle.

The Cane Corso should stand at about 60-68 centimeters at the withers and they can weigh up to 100 pounds. The Cane Corso does best when he has something to do, this makes him unsuitable for apartment life, unless you are going to enter him into all kinds of competitions…give him lots of exercise etc.

Whenever looking for a Cane Corso always find a good breeder who can give you proof of health examinations and vaccinations, if you are going to pay a couple of hundred dollars for a dog, then at least get your money’s worth. Try to avoid pet shops and puppy mills when looking for a dog to buy because they are usually poorly bred and they can have serious health conditions.

The Cane Corso is a beautiful dog that will bring a warm ray of love and happiness into even the coldest of hearts!