The Cane Corso is an Italian

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

mastiff A mastiff is a large and powerful Dog type, type of dog. Mastiffs are among the largest dogs, and typically have a short Coat (dog), coat, a long low-set tail and large feet; the skull is large and bulky, the muzzle broad and short (brachycephal ...

. It is usually kept as a

companion dog A companion dog is a dog which is not primarily a working dog but a pet. The primary function of a companion dog is not to perform a useful job but to provide companionship to humans. A companion dog can also be called an emotional support anima ...

guard dog A guard dog or watchdog is a dog used to watch for and guard people or property against unwanted human or animal intruders. A dog trained to attack intruders is known as an attack dog. History Dogs have been used as guardians since ancient ...

; it may also be used to protect livestock. In the past it was used for hunting large

game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...

, and also to herd cattle.

History

According to the breed standard of the

Fédération Cynologique Internationale The (; FCI; ) is the largest international federation of national kennel clubs and purebred registries. The FCI is based in Thuin, Belgium and has 98 members and contract partners (one from each country). History The FCI was founded in 1911 un ...

, the Cane Corso was once distributed throughout much of the Italian peninsula, but in the recent past was found only in

Puglia Apulia ( ), also known by its Italian language, Italian name Puglia (), is a Regions of Italy, region of Italy, located in the Southern Italy, southern peninsular section of the country, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the east, the Strait of Ot ...

, in southern Italy. After the collapse of the '' mezzadria'' system of share-cropping in the 1960s, the dogs became rare. The modern breed derives from

selective breeding Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...

from about 1980 of a few surviving animals. A

breed society Breed clubs are associations or clubs with activities centered on a single, specific breed of a particular species of domesticated animal. The purpose of the association will vary with the species of animal and the goals and needs of the members ...

, the Società Amatori Cane Corso, was formed in 1983. The breed was recognised by the

Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana The , usually known as the ENCI, is the national organisation responsible for the recognition, standardisation and registration of pedigree dogs in Italy. It is sometimes called the Italian Kennel Club. The association provides judging for dog s ...

in 1994; it was provisionally accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1996, and received full acceptance in 2007. It was recognised by the

American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit breed registry, registry of purebred dog pedigree (animal), pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions eve ...

of the United States in 2010. In the period 2011–2019 the number of annual registrations in Italy was in the range of .

Characteristics

The Cane Corso is a large dog of

molossoid The Molossus (), also known as the Molossian hound and Epirus mastiff, is an extinct dog breed from Ancient Greece. History The Molossus were dogs that were kept by the ancient Greek tribe and kingdom of the Molossians, who inhabited the region ...

type, and is closely related to the

Neapolitan Mastiff The Neapolitan Mastiff or is an Italian breed of large dog of mastiff type. It was recognised as a breed by the Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana in 1949, and accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1956. It descends ...

. It is well muscled and less bulky than most other

breeds. According to the international standard, dogs should stand some at the

withers Withers are the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, this ridge is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, catt ...

and weigh ; bitches are about smaller, and weigh some less. Jeune Cane Corso

The head is large, slightly over one third of the height at the withers in length, with a well-defined stop. The top of the cranium is flat and slightly convergent to the muzzle. The eyes are oval in shape, and set well apart. The iris of the eye should be as dark as possible. The coat is short, dense and lustrous. It may be black, various shades of grey (lead-grey, light grey or slate-grey) or fawn (dark fawn, light fawn, or stag red), or dark wheaten (''); it may be

brindled Brindle is a coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cattle, guinea pigs, cats, and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger-striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's coat. Brindle ...

. Minor white markings on the chest, the feet or the nose are tolerated. The Cane Corso is genetically pre-disposed to

elbow The elbow is the region between the upper arm and the forearm that surrounds the elbow joint. The elbow includes prominent landmarks such as the olecranon, the cubital fossa (also called the chelidon, or the elbow pit), and the lateral and t ...

and

hip dysplasia Hip dysplasia is an abnormality of the hip joint where the socket portion does not fully cover the ball portion, resulting in an increased risk for joint dislocation. Hip dysplasia may occur at birth or develop in early life. Regardless, it doe ...

, to

patellar luxation A luxating patella, sometimes called a trick knee, is a condition in which the patella, or kneecap, dislocates or moves out of its normal location. It can be associated with damage to the anterior cruciate ligament. Patellar luxation is a common ...

and to

retinal dysplasia Retinal dysplasia is an eye disease affecting the retina of animals and, less commonly, humans. It is usually a nonprogressive disease and can be caused by viral infections, drugs, vitamin A deficiency, or genetic defects. Retinal dysplasia is ...

. It has above-average susceptibility to

demodicosis Demodicosis , also called Demodex folliculitis in humans and demodectic mange () or red mange in animals, is caused by a sensitivity to and overpopulation of ''Demodex'' as the host's immune system is unable to keep the mites under control. '' ...

ectropion Ectropion is a medical condition in which the lower eyelid turns outwards. It is one of the notable aspects of newborns exhibiting congenital harlequin-type ichthyosis, but ectropion can occur due to any weakening of tissue of the lower eyelid ...

entropion Entropion is a medical condition in which the eyelid (usually the lower lid) folds inward. It is very uncomfortable, as the eyelashes continuously rub against the cornea causing irritation. Entropion is usually caused by Genetics, genetic factors. ...

gastric dilatation volvulus Gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV), also known as gastric dilation, twisted stomach, or gastric torsion, is a medical condition that affects dogs and rarely cats and guinea pigs, in which the stomach becomes overstretched and rotated by excessive ...

(bloat),

hypothyroidism Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disease in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormones. It can cause a number of symptoms, such as cold intolerance, poor ability to tolerate cold, fatigue, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, co ...

, idiopathic epilepsy, mycotic otitis and nictitans gland prolapse (cherry eye). In 2017 a study of 232 Cane Corso dogs from 25 countries found an average life span of 9.3 years, varying with different coat colours. The longest-lived were black brindle (10.3 years), followed by: brindle (10.1 years); grey brindle (9.8 years); black, fawn and grey (all 9.0 years); and dogs of other colours (8.1 years). A study of dogs in the United Kingdom, published in 2024, found an average life span for the breed of 8.1 years overall. A 2024 Italian study found a life expectancy of 9 years for the breed compared to 10 years overall. File:CaneCorso (12).jpg, Grey brindle File:Viggo-Ears-n-Tail.png, Brown brindle File:Cane Corso Aragon.jpg, Black brindle File:Cane Corso Fawn.jpg, Fawn

Use

The Cane Corso is usually kept as a

; it may also be used to protect livestock. In the past it was used for hunting large

, and also to herd cattle. It is subject to a working trial: in order to qualify for registration, dogs must show tranquillity in the presence of inoffensive strangers, indifference to gunfire, and aggressive defence of the owner against an attacker.

Notes

References

FCI breeds Mastiffs Dog breeds originating in Italy {{bots, deny=Citation bot