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Cane corso owners get in here!

Gixxer

Well-Known Member
I've done a lot of research, but never had the chance to meet this breed in person. And what I wanted to ask, is what are your expierences with the cane corso breed? And I don't want to hear a bunch of "I read off the internet" I could do that also, I'm looking for owners, handlers, or breeders.

I was wondering if this would be a good dog for protection as well as companion. I will be taking the dog to obedience classes and he will be properly socialized. I have owned large dogs all my life.... I thought about getting another akita but the climate here isn't suited for them.​
 

mia

Well-Known Member
I would ask what are your experiences with dogs, prior to picking a breed.
 

Cody

Well-Known Member
I have had 2 Corso, am getting # 3 in a few days.
The first was very poorly bred, has serious fear issues and a weak temperament. She was pts @ 12 months when both of her knees went and her hips were not great so there was concern that her hips would/could become a issue during the stress of a bilateral surgery. There was also the issue that she would inn most probability fear bite during her physical Therapy. :(
The 2nd I got at 8 months. She is a great dog, has her CGN and is a working therapy dog. She comes from old southern Italian lines, not bred for the show ring per say, but by breeders who's families have been doing so for generations. Still, she is within the standard, and I do show her, her littermate is currently in the top 10 in the AKC.
Still she is very much a guardian breed and requires constant socialization and I have to be very aware of the signs she is giving off.
As an aloof dog, she puts ppl off by her demeanor at times. She DOES NOT run up to strangers wiggling her bum and wanting affection. She sits back and watches. She is not afraid, do not misunderstand, she is indifferent. They are/mean nothing to her. Not important enough to warrant her attention. As true temperament should be IMO. She accepts affection from strangers, but doesn't really care if they pet her or not.
I wouldn't say the Corso is an easy dog. They are a dominant breed that require work.
And OB is great, but is not a breed that you can take a class and leave at that, there is always a need to reinforce and work at it.
As far as a companion go, they can't be beat (although we all claim that about our chosen breed I know).
There is no such thing as privacy with a Corso in your life.
They will always be at your side, if permitted. They LOVE their family and their only real desire is to be with them. My dogs are awesome with kids, having never ending patients when it comes to them. That said, I have trained my children what is and isn't appropriate behavior around such a dog.
My soon to be girl is from working lines, so I am planning on getting going with ring sports.
I wouldn't recommend to someone as a first time dog, or someone who has had no experience with a working/dominant breed.
I will NEVER not have a Corso in my life, but they are constant work, is not an easy breed IMO, nor do I want it to be.
My trouble with the breed is that there are relatively few breeders out there that I would even consider. Maybe I can count on one hand.
There are breeders out there, who are breeding watered down versions, dogs that no longer have the temperament of a Corso, the aloof nature that they should have. I am not saying aggressive or scared, but truly aloof.
If you want to get into this breed, my suggestion to you is to RESEARCH like there is no tomorrow.
And be prepared to put in the work required.
There is a lot of different "types" in the CC as well, so know what you want, visit breeders and ask questions.
If a breeder doesn't want to answer questions I would move on to another. Also try not to be swept away by the hype, there are some great sales ppl out there ;)
 

Sabrina

Well-Known Member
I have one 3 year old corso...this is a dog like no other...they can be a very chellenging dog to raise and handle, but the rewards are also great :)
 

BlackShadowCaneCorso

Super Moderator
Staff member
We currently have 2+ and they are the breed we have always been looking for. They seem to always be in tune with their owners and can have a very protective nature. They aren't for people that don't want to put the work in but if you do they will be a wonderful dog. They are also a very versatile breed and seem happy to try anything that you ask them to.

There are many different appearance to the corso at the moment and many different temperaments. Find breeders you like the looks of and if possible get out to meet their dogs and see how they behave in a public location like a show and at home. Some kennels also breed for different things, some prefer conformation, some for working temperament and some for both so also decide what you are thinking you would like to do with your dog and find a breeder that provides that.

Good luck with your search! We are here if you have any more questions.
 

BradA1878

Well-Known Member
I have owned 3 Cane Corso, and still have one (his name is Blue). I've also met several other examples of the breed. Great breed. If protection is what interests you I would look to get a pup from a breeder who tests the protective instincts of their dogs and I would caution you that most of the "working line" Cane Corso out there should really be called "sport line" Cane Corso as they are much more sporty by nature than a true PPD. JMHO

I was wondering if this would be a good dog for protection as well as companion.
I think this depends on what you mean by "protection"...

Do you want a Personal Protection Dog (a dog trained to protect you at any time - usually a rather defensive dog with a lot of civil aggression - these dogs are a very high liability)?

Or do you want a dog to do Protection Sports with (a sportier dog that loves to bite a sleeve, suit, or tug but not necessarily people)?

Or do you want a Property Guard (a dog that will guard your "stuff" with his/her life)?

Or do you want a Watch Dog (a dog that will bark and give a "display" at an intruder but not engage them)?

In my experience with the breed, they make GREAT companions and have a nice protective instinct which is enough for most people. Whether the level of their protectiveness is right for you depends on what you are looking for (see questions above).

I have one 3 year old corso...this is a dog like no other...they can be a very chellenging dog to raise and handle, but the rewards are also great :)
What about the CC do you find to be very challenging? Just wondering.
 
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BradA1878

Well-Known Member
I want a Property Guard dog for sure.

Do you want a "man eater" property guard or a big dog to scare off intruders? In other words, do you need a guarantee that your property guard will engage an intruder (bite them) or are you ok with a big dog that makes a lot of noise and looks very scary that*might* bite an intruder?

If you want a "man eater" then I'd pass on the Corso. If you are ok with a dog that might not bite an intruder, but will give a nice BIG display, then a Corso would be great. IMHO
 

Sabrina

Well-Known Member
Brad: My Corso, and many others i have come into contact to, have extremely strong temperments. He needed firm leadership from the beginning. I honestly believe if he had fallen into different hands, there could be a very different outcome for my dog. He has been extremely dog aggressive since we got him at 8 weeks. He has also always been very weary of strangers, even with extreme socialization...
 

BradA1878

Well-Known Member
Brad: My Corso, and many others i have come into contact to, have extremely strong temperments. He needed firm leadership from the beginning. I honestly believe if he had fallen into different hands, there could be a very different outcome for my dog. He has been extremely dog aggressive since we got him at 8 weeks. He has also always been very weary of strangers, even with extreme socialization...
Our Blue is VERY dog aggressive too, so I know all about that. He's had 100s of hours of training and socialization but is still intolerant of strange dogs. He is acceptably weary of strangers too but is also very loving with people he knows. He's a great dog, but the dog aggression can be a lot to deal with.

I was just curious what issues you had ran into with your CC. Thanks for sharing.
 

VegasGirl

Active Member
I own a three year old Cane Corso named Thor. As others mentioned these dogs can be extremely dominant and a challenge at times. Since you've owned Rotties previously I think you would be fine with a Corso. Thor is more the old-school, aloof, extremely drivey type of Corso. He's tolerant of people as long as I'm okay with them, but he doesn't really warm up to them. He is very DA with dogs outside his family. In addition to Thor I own a pit and two English Mastiffs. He adores "his" dogs, but hates all others, especially other males. They are a TON of work. They will always be distrustful towards strangers even if you socialize them to a thousand new people every day. The Cane Corso loves their family intensely, if you want a good guardian I'd say it's the breed for you.
 
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Gixxer

Well-Known Member
I will admit I'm not a fan of cane corsos with the boxer look to them.

---------- Post added at 07:01 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:39 PM ----------

Other breeds I paln on doing more research on are the presa canario and the south african boerbeol. does anyone here have any input on those breeds as well?
 

Gixxer

Well-Known Member
Other breeds I paln on doing more research on are the presa canario and the south african boerbeol. does anyone here have any input on those breeds as well?
 

VegasGirl

Active Member
We had a Boerboel puppy for a couple months, but we ended up sending it back to the breeder because of skittish temperment. He was literally fearful of everything no matter how much training we did to build his confidence and how much we brought him out to expose him to new things. I'm not saying all Boerboels are weak nerved, but unfortunately the dog we got was.

I've heard Presas are even more aggressive than the Corso, so they might be twice the handful. I know a guy who has two, and they are actually very good natured and sweet so I guess it depends on finding a breeder who produces solid dogs.
 

BradA1878

Well-Known Member
The dog aggression in Presa can be pretty crazy, otherwise there are some really nice working Presa out there.

We have a Boerboel pup now, he is AWESOME. Love him... but, he's not the norm in the breed IMHO. I think you would have better luck getting a predictable temperament in a CC than a BB. The BB just doesn't seem to have a consistent type - the temperament range is too large in the breed IMHO. At least in CCs you get either a "show" temp or a "working/sport" temp.

If your main concern is to have a property guard, then have you considered a less "clingy" breed than the CC or BB? Like the Fila, Ovcharka, or Tibetan Mastiff? I find our BB and CC prefer to be with us than our guarding the yard, while our Caucasian Ovcharka would rather be out in the yard guarding. Our BB and CC will guard the yard, but we had to work them into it unlike our CO who took to it right away.
 

Cody

Well-Known Member
I think it would be easier to answer the question if you explained what you wanted the dog for in more detail. Like city vs country living, mainly companion vs guard dog...
The CC can be a protective breed, depending on the lines, BUT I wouldn't say they are a guard dog per say. They want to be with their family, they don't like to be away from their ppl for long. As Brad stated earlier.
Some may go after an intruder, some will not. But if after the display they do give, if some one is coming into your house then they have a gun and are taking down what ever dog is inside, and I would say was personal. Most intruders would just go to the next house without the +100lb dog throwing it's self at the window.
There are a lot of CC breeders out there, breeding all sorts of temperaments, from fearful and skittish, to labs that love everyone, to down right aggressive. You really need to know what it is you want in the breed then, try to find the right breeder to match it.
As for type in the Corso, the breed still varies, unfortunately. The more you study the breed, the more you will recognize the type.
The Boxer / Bull Mastiff influence is called Hypertype in the breed.
 

Ralo

Well-Known Member
Mine is only 9 months and has recently started being more protective. He has only had issues with one dog he has been around and that was at around 6 months. It was a adult male boxer and he was in the boxer's home. It seemed like the boxer was really pushing his dominance and my corso just wasn't accepting that. My parents have a standard poodle that my corso has been around since he was 7 weeks and they have no issues at all. He is also around a mini bull terrier (female) and 2 other small dogs regularly and has no issues. He is nice to people that come around but he's been around most of them since he was 7 weeks. When I walk him if he sees kids he acts like he wants to play but sometimes barks at adults. He is used to playing with my girlfriend's nieces and loves kids. Anytime I go into the front yard he goes with me an never strays. If the neighbors are out he will bark at them but never leaves my side or acts like he's going to go after them.