They have the looks, temperament, and size of a real guard dog. Cane Corso is a 10 out of 10 protection dog if you are up for a lot of training and socialization from an early age.
Their strong protective instincts and natural suspicion toward strangers or anyone wandering close to their territory make them exceptional guard dogs.
But, all the mentioned traits also put them in a group of dogs unsuitable for inexperienced dog owners.
- Cane Corso Size
The height of this dog is not a matter of debate.
- Male: up to 28 inches
- Female: up to 26 inches
However, their weight is the one up for debate. The original breeding programs aimed at dogs weighing from 90 to 120 pounds. For the last couple of years, American and European breeders tend to reach for much heavier dogs going for more than 170 pounds!
That’s why, if you check with the AKC standards for this dog you will find “Weight proportionate to height”.
Females are smaller than males, but they too are very big dogs.
- Cane Corso Color
Because the Royal Kennel Club does not recognize the breed, we are only talking about the American Kennel Club standard colors and they are:
- Black
- Red
- Gray
- Fawn
- Black brindle
- Gray brindle
- Chestnut brindle
Cane Corso can also have a black or a gray mask. If you are looking to register your dog, head over to the official AKC online registration link: Click Here.
- Cane Corso Social Traits
If you are looking for a family dog that easily and without lots of trouble makes friends with other animals or dogs…think twice.
Cane Corso is a wonderful family dog that is highly protective of its inner circle, but you need to be very careful when it comes to others (animals and people) outside their circle.
A firm, strong, and decisive person is needed to handle this dog.
They are lovely and affectionate with the children that are their inner circle, but they cannot be left alone with neighbor children or strangers in general.
These dogs are very suspicious of strangers and very protective and they will do anything to chase away or even hurt badly someone they think is a threat, no matter if it’s an adult man or a child.
- Cane Corso Trainability
Cane Corso is a smart dog. They are quick to learn new commands and what’s expected of them. However, they can be stubborn. Although, this goes hand in hand with a lot of smart dogs.
High intelligence often leads to willfulness if not trained from an early age.
This is not a bad thing. A good dog owner or a dog trainer will know how to use this and make a Cane Corso a well-trained dog with less effort than usual.
Cane Corso is a trainable dog, but it needs a firm hand to guide it from an early age. They are big dogs and will take over the “alpha dog” position from you if you don’t show you mean what you say.
Never use violence! This is not what I mean when I say be in charge. It’s simply showing your dog that he or she has to do as you tell them to.
If you socialize a Cane Corso puppy and start with the training early on, you won’t have a lot of problems. They already have an incredibly strong instinct to protect so that won’t be a problem.
However, training them not to chase a cat or not to think of a delivery man as a threat will be a problem for inexperienced owners.
A professional dog trainer is recommended for this breed.
- Cane Corso Physical Needs
They need daily exercise. Cane Corso is a large and muscular dog that has a lot of energy. You won’t have to apply the same exercise regime as with Huskies, but daily walks of at least 60 minutes are needed to keep the dog happy and healthy.
A dog that has a lot of energy (and is a big dog at the same time) will focus all of that unused energy on doing what it shouldn’t be doing – destroying your furniture or disobeying you when you give them a command.
Also, keep in mind that this dog can’t have his zoomies inside a home unless you have a large room just for dogs to run around in.
They need a yard or a park to properly spend all their energy.
- Cane Corso Feeding Guide
As you’ve already guessed Cane Corso can eat…a lot.
If a Doberman Pinscher that can be almost half the Cane Corso’s weight needs at least 2.5 to 3 cups of kibble food daily, Cane Corso needs at least a cup more than that. So, that’s around 4 cups of kibble daily.
Of course, you will have to keep in mind the dog’s health, age, and activity.
The best option is to talk to the vet and see what type of food is the best for your Cane Corso and how much should you feed it.
I am always up for a mixture of kibble and homemade cooked food. But, that’s all individual and depends on many things, such as time, money, or the dog’s health.
- Cane Corso Grooming Requirements
Cane Corso has a short coat that can become thicker depending on the climate the dog lives in. In either case, you will need to groom your Cane Corso weekly during nonshedding and daily during the shedding seasons.
You can use a short or a medium-length bristle brush or a hand glove. I recommend the Bamboo Hand Brush. It is easy to use and it does the job quite well.
You will also need to bathe a Cane Corso dog at least once a month.
Important: It would be best to remove the dewclaws on all paws to avoid any future injuries. They don’t need these claws and they can only be a problem if a dog breaks it or springs it.
- Cane Corso Possible Health Issues
Cane Corso is considered to be a generally healthy dog, but they too can have some issues. These issues are:
- Bloat
- Heart problems
- Hip dysplasia
- Elbow dysplasia
- Cancer
- Eye problems
The life expectancy is from 8 to 12 years. They are robust, muscular dogs, that usually don’t have health problems.
Conclusion
Cane Corso is certainly a formidable guardian dog who has a strong instinct to protect his territory and family with his life.
They won’t back away from the fight and they have a high pain threshold so they are not easy to handle once they get into a fight.
This makes them unsuitable for first-time dog owners or owners without a lot of experience. If you had a Yorkie or a Beagle before deciding to get a Cane Corso either think again or get ready to pay a professional dog trainer who can guide and train this strong dog into a confident and obedient one.
