Breeds 101: Meet the Cane Corso
Today’s focus for the “Breeds 101” series is the noble, yet affectionate Cane Corso. Corsi have been treasured for centuries due to their bold, protective nature and versatility to adapt to whatever job they were required to do.
The Cane Corso is a relatively new breed to join the American Kennel Club, only being recognized in 2010 despite being developed in Greece long before. When the Western Empire was no longer, Corsi had to adapt to new jobs and almost hit extinction as a breed in the 20th century. In the 1970s, a group of Italians were able to revive the breed. They remain widely popular dogs today, ranking 25th out of 195 on the Most Popular Dog Breeds of 2020 list put out by the American Kennel Club.
According to the American Kennel Club breed standard, the Cane Corso is a “medium-large size Molossus Dog. Sturdy, with a strong skeleton. Muscular and athletic, it moves with considerable ease and elegance.”
Their size can make the Corsi an intimidating breed which has been bred down from their ancestors which were used as protection for the ancient Greeks. While today the Corsi stand at 25-27.5 in males or 23.5-26 in for females with a weight proportion to height, usually in the 90+ lbs range, this is still smaller than their predecessors.
The Cane Corso has a long history of diverse protection jobs throughout the Western Empire, today they thrive in a variety of competitions and are valued for their majestic appearance, trainability, and loving heart.
An extremely intelligent breed, the Cane Corso aims to please their owner. They are a very trainable dog but starting early is key because they can be a more dominant dog with protective tendencies due to their centuries long guard dog background.
As a working breed, the Cane Corso requires a lot of exercise to satisfy their energy level and keep them happy. The best exercise is something that stimulates both mind and body, because of this they are known to thrive in many events such as: obedience, tracking events, agility, protection sport, and dock diving.
Corsi have a double-layer coat that is short and stiff. The undercoat will grow longer in the cooler months to help accommodate the colder temperatures. A good brushing helps to remove loose hair as it sheds.
The Cane Corso has a variety of accepted colors. They can be seen in: black, black brindle, chestnut brindle, fawn, gray, gray brindle, and red. The markings that are allowed are: black masks and gray masks. Other colors can be seen but be cautious in seeking out dogs that are marketed for their “rare colors.” Breeders that prize coloration often put health and confirmation as a much lower standard which can be detrimental to the individual dog as well as the breed as a whole.
As a deep-chested large dog, Corsi owners need to watch for bloat. Other health issues to watch out for in the Cane Corso include: hip dysplasia, idiopathic epilepsy, demodex mange, and eyelid abnormalities.
Next. Breeds 101: Meet the Shetland Sheepdog. dark
Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes has Cane Corso named Silver that joined the family in 2019 and can be seen on her instagram that is shared with her pooch bother Steel. Another famous Corsi owner is Vin Diesel who owns pup Roman. Corsi have also made numerous appearances in paintings done by Bartolomeo Pinelli.