AKC Cane Corso Breed Standard
Ancient Italian breed medium-large size Molossus dog. Sturdy with a strong skeleton. Muscular and athletic, it moves with considerable ease and elegance. It has always been a property watchdog and hunter of difficult game such as wild boar.
Breed Standard Highlights
Size, Proportion, Substance
A muscular, balanced, large-boned dog, rectangular in proportion.
Height - Dogs 25 to 27.5 inches ; Bitches 23.5 to 26 inches.
Weight - Proportionate to height.
Temperament
The Cane Corso as a protector of his property and owners is unequaled. Intelligent, he is easily trained. Noble, majestic and powerful, his presence is impressive. He is docile and affectionate to his owner, loving with children and family.
Gate
The movement is free flowing and powerful, yet effortless, with strong reach and drive. As the dog accelerates, the feet converge toward a center line of gravity in a near-single track. When viewed from the side, the toppling remains level, with minimal roll or bounce.
Head
Molossus, large, its total length reaches approximately one third of the height at the withers. Planes of the skull and muzzle are slightly convergent; they are not parallel. The circumference of the head measured as the cheekbones is more than twice the length of the head; skin is firm and smooth.
Body
Depth of the ribcage is equal to half the total height of the dog, descending slightly below the elbow. Ribs are long and well-sprung. moderate tuck up.
Chest- Broad, well-muscled, strong forefront.
Back- Wide. strong, muscular. Highest part of shoulder blade slightly rising above the strong, level back.
Loin - Well-muscled, and harmoniously joined to the back.
Croup- Long, wide, slightly sloping. Rump should be quite round due to muscling.
Summary
The overall conformation of the dog should be well-balanced and proportionate. The foregoing description is that of the ideal Cane Corso; any deviation from the above described dog is penalized to the extent of the deviation.
What to know before you purchase a Cane Corso...
The Cane Corso is a dominant, guardian breed and is not for the first time dog owner. They should only be considered by a person or family unit that is confident, assertive, and understands pack hierarchy. Any potential owner needs to understand that dominant guardian breeds may exhibit bossy, even aggressive behaviors at times while growing up. The owner needs to understand how to read and correct this behavior. An owner must be willing to draw these boundaries and make the correction without hesitation.
The Cane Corso needs room to play and the correct type of containment. They require a secure, 6 foot high, heavy duty fenced area that is not accessible by anyone but the family. They are NEVER to be left unsupervised outside their containment area. This protects the dog from accidental contact with those that are not Corso savy and avoids unpleasant incidences. The Corso puppy should be crate trained, but should NOT be crated at all times.
The Cane Corso requires a tremendous amount of socializing and training. Please note that socialization does not mean that your dog has to "love" all dogs and people. Socialization is teaching your dog to be non-reactive to outside stimuli when in public. This means to not be over-excited, aggressive or fearful when strange things occur.
The Cane Corso is an up-close and and personal type of dog. He bonds very closely with his family. If the owner is gone more than 10 hours a day for work most of the week, the Cane Corso is probably not the dog for that owner.
A Cane Corso is an indoor dog. They long to be with their people and don't do well isolated. They are never to be a yard ornament.
A Cane Corso should be the only puppy in the house. Corsi need to bond with their family, not another puppy. If two puppies bond to each other, a Corso is too independent and aloof with the owner. There should be a minimum of 8 months between puppies in a Corso home. A home should never have more than 2 dogs, running together unsupervised that are a dominant, guardian breed.
If there are children in the home, kids and dogs should never be left unattended. Proper boundaries are to be taught to both children and puppy. The owner must be willing to spend the time and be consistent to ensure the relationship between puppy and children is based on mutual respect.
Puppy kindergarten and basic obedience class is a must!! The Corso is a large breed and needs to be under control at all times. The owner needs to be prepared to set aside time to personally take the puppy to class for socialization and training. Board and trains are not ideal for a Corso. They need to learn to obey and bond with their people, not a trainer.
The Cane Corso isn't cheap to keep! Anyone considering the purchase of a Corso should realize that it is not inexpensive to buy top quality food, afford secure containment, attend obedience classes and seek proper vet care for your dog. Buyer should be financially stable with sufficient disposable income before considering a Cane Corso.
Resources
American Kennel Club
The cane corso breed magazine by showsight
Cane Corso Association of America
More information about purpose bred dogs can be found on the American Kennel Club website.
AKC is the primary Pure-bred Registry in the United States.
Cane Corso Association of America
The cane corso breed magazine by showsight
Cane Corso Association of America
The Cane Corso Association of America is the official American Kennel Club (AKC) Parent Breed Club for the Cane Corso in the United States of America.
The cane corso breed magazine by showsight
The cane corso breed magazine by showsight
The cane corso breed magazine by showsight
Showsight has put a focus on Breed education by publishing specific magazines for every breed recognized by the American Kennel Club.