Cane Corso

A Cane Corso is not a good match for every home. Although they can make great family pets, they should ideally be introduced to family members such as children when they’re young or a puppy.  

Because of this breed’s guarding instincts, they’re not ideal for families with busy lives, especially if they have many comings and goings in the home. They won’t be happy if you regularly host parties at home! Most Cane Corsos need careful, structured introductions around new people as they aren’t very social around strangers.  

Cane Corsos form a strong bond with their family and are known to be protective of children. Whilst they can be extremely gentle, they need lots of management in their early years. Like many young dogs, they’ll be boisterous and still learning about appropriate etiquette. Cane Corsos can love children in their family, but it doesn’t mean they will be friendly with visiting children. 

Cane Corsos are affectionate with their owners and inner circle. They’re typically laid-back companions and don’t wear their heart on their sleeves – preferring calm affection. Some are quite reserved, while others are more outgoing. 

Whilst they like to spend time with their owners, they’re not really ones for cuddles. Chilling by your side on a comfortable pad or cushion is more their thing! 

This breed is emotionally sensitive to their favourite people’s mood and body language. These means a Cane Corso’s relationship with their owner can be defined as easy-going, with depth and subtle affection. 

The Cane Corso does have a playful nature, especially when they’re younger. Their play style is very much ‘rough and tumble’. Play can be a great way to build a relationship and it’s also a useful tool in training. It’s important that you teach a Cane Corso some rules and boundaries in play. They can get carried away easily, which can become unsafe due to their size and strength. This also means that you need to be physically able to manage a dog their size.  

This breed isn’t an overly vocal dog. In fact, they typically have a calm demeanour. But, if they hear an unfamiliar noise, or someone approaches the house, they will bark to let you know something needs your attention. So, they are not really a dog that’s suitable for built-up or busy areas, as barking could become an issue.  

The Cane Corso can also be vocal during play and are known to do ‘roo-roos’ when ‘talking’ to their owners.  

The Cane Corso needs to be well socialised from a very young age. This enables them to learn appropriate behaviour around people and other animals. Because of their guarding instincts, they’re not very sociable towards strangers. Combine this tendency with poor socialisation or behaviour management, and they could potentially pose a risk to the public.  

Due to their size and strength, basic training like loose lead walking and learning general manners around people is crucial. This will ensure they are manageable and safe in pubic.  

This breed can have a high chase drive (natural instinct to chase prey), so care must be taken around wildlife. They’re also territorial and protective of their home and family, so even if you have a generally sociable Cane Corso, it’s still advisable you follow a plan to introduce your dog to new people and visitors. This will help your dog to know what to expect – giving them a level of reassurance they don’t have to step in and defend the home. You’ll also need a secure garden with sturdy fencing and a locked gate, so you won’t have unannounced visitors walk in. Be mindful of any foot traffic passing your garden too. If this is likely, don’t leave your Cane Corso unsupervised.  

If socialised with other dogs from a young age, this breed is usually docile around dogs they meet. They often get on better with similar sized dogs from the opposite sex. It’s important during socialisation that you don’t let them rough and tumble with other dogs too much. They can become bullies who will throw their weight around if not managed appropriately. A Cane Corso who’s not socialised properly can become aggressive towards dogs. Their size and strength means this can pose a risk to them. 

This breed loves being around their favourite humans and they form a strong bond with them. They wouldn’t cope with long hours left on their own. If they’re stressed or bored due to a lack of stimulation, they’ll start to become frustrated. This leads to destructiveness and unruly behaviour.  

A Cane Corso is best suited to owners who have experience with similar breed types which also have a guarding background.  

As a breed which isn’t particularly sociable around strangers, they’re an ideal match for someone who has a quiet family life, with a few known regular visitors. This also means they’re not the best breed to live in an apartment or built-up area.  

Cane Corsos have a natural instinct to chase smaller animals, which can be problematic if they’re not properly trained and socialised with smaller pets. Even with good intentions, a big dog like a Cane Corso can easily knock over or injure a small pet due to their size and strength.

As a dog which is on the larger side, they benefit from a medium to large garden. This breed also sheds, drools and takes up quite a lot of space, so they’re not a great choice for someone who is very house-proud! 

The Cane Corso is a large dog which needs medium to high levels of exercise. Daily physical activity is a must to maintain the health of their heart, lungs, and muscle tone. We recommend two walks a day, each lasting around 45 minutes to an hour. 

Anyone living with a Cane Corso should be able to devote at least 20 minutes a day to working, training, or playing with them. Without enough mental and physical stimulation, these dogs are prone to mischief and poor impulse control – not a good mix! 

This breed is moderately harder to train because of their size, strength, and strong-willed nature. 

Regular training is crucial to ensure these dogs are manageable when out in public. They could easily pull you over if you’ve not done any loose lead training. Likewise if you’ve not worked on getting them to focus on you when around distractions. Training will also help to prevent any over-the-top behaviours or reactivity. 

Again, because of their size and strength, it’s important to teach them how to play appropriately. This includes not jumping up on people, as they could easily injure someone unintentionally. 

A good relationship between the dog and their human is key to this breed engaging in training. Reward-based training is very important as these dogs will not tolerate being manhandled and often don’t respond to harsh training methods.  

The Cane Corso has a short and stiff double layered coat which needs brushing once or twice weekly. This might be more when they’re shedding their coat, which happens on average twice a year during spring and autumn. Regular brushing is important to stimulate natural oils and remove loose hairs. Because of their size, bathing and grooming can be a tough job. Regular ear cleaning and cleaning their skin folds is a must to ensure your Cane Corso is healthy and doesn’t develop any infections.  

Typically, the Cane Corso is known to be a heatlhy and strong dog. But, with any large breeds there are some common issues you need to know about: 

Joint issues such as hip dysplasia or early onset of arthritis. Managing their exercise levels, especially when they’re younger and developing may help to prevent these conditions. Avoiding certain high impact activities such as excessive ball chasing or jumping up is advisable. Joint supplements can also go a long way in supporting your Cane Corso. 

Idiopathic epilepsy: this causes seizures in Cane Corsos, usually between the ages of one and five. Experts believe it’s caused by a hereditary genetic issue but the exact cause remains unknown. If your Cane Corso has idiopathic epilepsy, there’s medication available to make this disorder more manageable to live with. 

Demodectic mange happens when parasitic mites damage your dog’s skin. These mites are often found on the skin of Cane Corsos (and other dog breeds). They normally don’t tend to cause an issue unless your dog’s immune system is compromised. A dog with demodectic mange will typically show signs such as inflamed and scaly skin lesions, and hair loss. 

Entropion or ectropion. This happens when a dog’s eyelid turns inward (entropion) or outwards (ectropion). As a result, their eyelashes and fur can rub against the cornea of their eyes. This can cause several other problems, including corneal ulcers, erosions, and chronic eye pain. Dogs with skin folds or loose skin are prone to developing this condition. To resolve the issue, the dog will need surgery and regular eyedrops.  

As with any large, deep chested breed, you need to be watchful of bloat and gastric torsion. This is where the stomach fills up with air after eating and gives the dog a bloated look. This is a medical emergency and requires immediate veterinary intervention to save the dog’s life.