Meet the Giants: Cane Corso

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Next up on our Meet the Giants series, the Cane Corso! I’ve only met one Cane Corso and he was such a stunning boy. Since I don’t know much (well, really anything) about the breed, Teresa Mysyk is going to help us out today! All information and photos are credited to Teresa Mysyk.

If you currently have a Cane Corso, please list the name, age, and gender for each.
Moose, 4, male

Are there any other names/nicknames for the Cane Corso? If yes, list here.
Corso, Cane, and Italian Mastiff

What are three words you would use to describe the Cane Corso?
Powerful, sensitive, and intelligent.

What is the average size of a Cane Corso?
Around 26” inches at the shoulder and 90 to 100 pounds.

What are the acceptable colors of the Cane Corso?
Black, Black Brindle, Chestnut Brindle, Fawn, Gray, Gray Brindle, Red are the acceptable colors with or without markings of Gray Mask or Black Mask.

What is the average lifespan?
10 to 11 years

What was the Cane Corso bred to do?
This is a hunting mastiff. They are the light sporting mastiff.

How much exercise does a Cane Corso typically need?
This is an energetic mastiff. They are considered a medium energy breed but I would classify it more medium high. They love to run and play and are a far cry from the English Mastiff or even the other Italian Mastiff, the Neapolitan.

What are some common health problems?
They are a strong well-built animal but being large breed dysplasia, bloat are to be considered as well as other orthopedic issues.

They are also reported to have high rates of seizure disorders and heart disorders.

How much grooming does the Cane Corso require?
They are a short coated dog. Grooming is minimal but mine love to roll in mud so there is some bathing.

What do you wish people knew about the Cane Corso before bringing one home?
This is an intelligent sensitive breed. I am a proponent of positive training and this breed demands it. This is a dog that needs to have a strong bond with its family. This large, impressive animal/ little, adorable puppy needs you for love, direction, comfort, protection as well as shelter, food, and water for the entirety of its life.

Why do you love the Cane Corso?
When Moose came into my life I swore I wouldn’t have another. I have since had three more. They are smart and eager to please. His first foster home was unable to care for him so I was asked to help out. Moose came in with issues. He would jump on people. He would seek out eye contact with folks and growl, he meant it too. He was an 85-pound fearful ball of teeth and fur. He was especially pushy with women and kids.

I have kids. This was an issue. Operation life is awesome began. Moose loves other dogs. He is a little more excitable than I like on a leash but he gets on well with them. He is also great with other animals, all his stuff was focused on people. So we showed him a posh life with good food. When he would act out he would be removed from the room and sent to his bed. He decided pets and cuddles are the way to go. He now sleeps with the oldest.

Moose had a high bite resistance. He would have bitten had he been pushed but he gave us loads of warning so we could diffuse and not escalate. I would not recommend this with other dogs and kids.

He is now a very much beloved member of the family. He has become invaluable with other dogs we foster. I wouldn’t dream of giving him up but when we took him it was because we didn’t want him to get in trouble somewhere else.

My other foster Corsos were less Athena, female, fawn with a gray mask. She had anxiety, likely from the many homes she had. She was here a year before moving on to her furever home. She was so smart, she would catch onto anything we asked her to do. She loved agility, long walks, playing rope. She didn’t like carrying a backpack, though. Now, she is an only dog and I hope her life is perfect and full of snuggles.

Garth, male, black with brindle legs. He was a sweet goofy 10-month-old puppy. At 100 pounds, he was a lot to handle, though. He came in with the worst aggression story, but I never saw it. He was a 100 pound, 10-month-old puppy. He had no size awareness, but there was no mean in that dog. He was so smart and learned so many tricks. He loved to chase his ball and play in the snow. He has a great life now in a wonderful home.

Yoda, male, gray brindle. Yoda was a talking growling monster. He had been relinquished to the humane society and was garnering the wrong kind of attention. I brought him home to foster. Yoda is 130 pounds, he is very large for a Corso. Yoda was a fearful dog. He was short on bite resistance with people he wasn’t familiar with. He made a lot of noises constantly growling and demanding things. He stole my heart. This was one of the hardest times I have had giving up a foster. He has a wonderful home with another amazing dog.
They are smart, they need a solid relationship with their people. Love, direction and connection are the keys.

Anything else you want to say?
This is really the best way for all breeds, but the smaller ones do less damage.

Interested in adding a Cane Corso to your family? Check out Big Dogs Huge Paws to see their available Corsos and determine if they’re the breed for you!

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