Cane Corso

What is a Cane Corso?

An Italian mastiff of 40-50kg, athletic rather than heavy, bred to guard property, drive cattle and hunt boar. The name is from the Latin cohors, meaning guardian or protector of the enclosure.

They are among the most capable guarding breeds available in Britain, and that is both the appeal and the problem. A well-bred, well-raised Corso is stable and discriminating. A badly bred or badly raised one is 45kg of territorial dog with poor judgement.

History and origins

Descended from Roman war dogs and used on Italian farms for centuries as a general-purpose guard and stock dog. The breed almost died out with the mechanisation of Italian agriculture after the Second World War and was rebuilt in the 1970s from a handful of surviving dogs in Puglia. Recognised by the Kennel Club here only in 2017.

The narrow rebuild is why some health problems are concentrated and why breeder quality varies so much.

Appearance and size

58-70cm, 40-50kg. Muscular and rectangular, slightly longer than tall, with a large head and a pronounced stop. Short stiff coat in black, grey, fawn or brindle, often with a black or grey mask.

Ear cropping and tail docking are illegal in the UK.

Temperament and personality

Confident, watchful and strongly bonded to their family. A Corso is not indiscriminately friendly and should not be - they are reserved with strangers and assess before acting. Within the household they are affectionate, often leaning and following.

They are territorial by design. A visitor arriving unannounced is a situation the dog has opinions about, and managing that is a permanent job rather than a training phase.

Intelligence and trainability

Intelligent and notably more responsive than most mastiffs. They learn quickly and want direction, which is what makes them trainable at all at this size.

They also test boundaries persistently through adolescence, which in this breed runs to about three years. Training must be consistent, reward-based and continuous. A Corso that has learned it can ignore a recall is a problem you cannot physically solve.

Children and other pets

Good with the children of their own household, and their tolerance is genuine. But a 45kg guarding dog and small children require active management - not because the dog is dangerous to them, but because the dog's protectiveness around them can turn on a visiting child's parent.

Same-sex dog aggression is common and prey drive is high. Cats and small animals need great care.

Health problems

Hip and elbow dysplasia, common and worth insisting on scores for both parents.

Entropion and ectropion - eyelids rolling in or drooping out, both of which need surgery. The loose facial skin that gives the breed its head is the cause, and heavier-headed lines are worse.

Gastric dilatation-volvulus, deep chest, same emergency as any large breed.

Idiopathic epilepsy, demodectic mange in young dogs, cardiomyopathy, and degenerative myelopathy, which has a DNA test.

Nine to twelve years is typical.

Daily care routine

Exercise, training and socialisation, every day. Take them places. A Corso that only ever sees its own household and garden becomes reactive to everything else, and that is how the breed gets its reputation.

Eyes checked daily for redness or discharge.

Grooming and coat care

Simple. Weekly mitt, more in the two heavier sheds a year. Ears cleaned, nails kept short, facial folds wiped in heavier-headed dogs.

Exercise needs

Substantial but not extreme: ninety minutes to two hours of walking, plus training and work for the mind. They have more stamina than a bulldog-type mastiff and less than a working gundog.

Controlled exercise until eighteen months, as with any large slow-maturing breed.

Feeding and diet

A large breed food, measured, twice daily with rest either side. Keep lean - extra weight on dysplastic hips is a fast route to arthritis.

Price

£1,200-£2,500 from a breeder scoring hips and elbows and screening eyes and hearts. The breed attracts a lot of casual breeding and there are a great many cheap, untested litters.

Insurance runs £70-£150 a month and some insurers load or decline guarding breeds, so check before you commit. Third-party liability cover is essential and is worth confirming you actually have.

Buying advice

Be honest about experience first. If you have not owned a large guarding breed before, this is the wrong dog, and every good Corso breeder will tell you the same thing. Many will refuse the sale.

Ask for hip and elbow scores, eye certificates, and a cardiac check. Meet both parents if you possibly can and watch how they react to you arriving - you want interested and settled, not frantic or fearful.

Ask what the breeder does for socialisation in the first eight weeks, and what support they offer afterwards. With this breed the answer to the second question matters as much as any test result.

Finally, know the law you are under. The Dangerous Dogs Act applies to any dog dangerously out of control anywhere, including in your own home, and with a dog this size the consequences of getting it wrong are severe for everybody, the dog included.