CC Puppy loses temper

[VinniesMom]

Hello and thanks for your advice. We just got our CC puppy, Vinnie, 2 weeks ago when he was 8 weeks old. He was the runt of the litter, and had some health issues when we got him: a large hernia, underweight, and worms. He adjusted very well to our home and family. He is not overly aggressive or submissive. He loves to cuddle and be held. He does well with our female boxer. Overall he is very receptive to strangers. He wiggles his tail and licks them and cuddles with them. I keep him at work with me during the day and he has met many different types of people and seems to enjoy it. However, once in a while, when you correct him from tugging on your pant leg or even just pick him up if he doesn't want you to, he goes off! I mean ballistic.....he barks and snarls and gives you the evil eye. He bares his teeth and if he wasn't 10 weeks old, it would be terrifying.

When this occurs, I do not react to his behavior. I calmly tell him 'No, Vinnie be nice and when he calms I pet him, give him a treat and tell him good boy. If he doesn't calm down when I try this ( which is usually when it is someone other than me that he is mad at) I say "Shame on you, Time Out" and put him in time out for a few minutes. This seems to work well...he is a pleaser. This behavior occurs about once or twice a day. I thought it may be because he has been overstimulated, but it can occur at any time.

My question is if there is a better way to handle these outbursts. I will be enrolling him in puppy school and obedience training. I haven't so far because of his health issues. (I took him to the vet immediately for a puppy check up and vaccinations and we have seen a specialist for his hernia which is quite large).

I appreciate your help. Some of the articles you read on CC paint them as vicious and difficult to train. All of them state that the way they are trained as puppies will influence their demeanor as adult dogs. I know they are wary of strangers and are territorial. I researched the breed before committing, and we wanted a guard dog but also a family dog. But I will be honest here...I am not prepared to have a ferocious dog that attacks over the slightest thing. Our German Shepard passed away last October after 13 wonderful years with him. Vinnie is a part of our family now, and I just need to know the right way to approach this. Most articles say never use force on your dog: we would never hit or hurt him. Other articles say to love on him, which we do! (He is very much loved..am I spoiling him too much?) I am worried about these outbursts. Any advice and reassurance (please) is welcomed!

 

[Steven C]

While I am not a CC expert, I have learned a tremendous amount in the 7months I have owned mine. I can tell you that these dogs will always attempt to gain alpha status and test you for a long time. Doesn't mean they'll attack just means they like to see what they can get away with and how much will be enough to scare you into losing the control you have. These dogs are much different in a stubborn sense than the GSD dogs or Rotties you may be used to. They are extremely dominant and it takes getting used to.

This is the first puppy Mastiff for my wife and she is surprised how difficult it really is as when she married me, my DDB was already trained. Being only 9 months old, the dog still wants to grab a broom or mop out of my wife hands while cleaning, or pulling her blanket off while watching tv on the couch unless I am around. It seems that the CC is accepting alpha status much easier to the more dominant person in the house, but taking more time for my wife to fully be alpha over the CC. You'll soon start to learn how dominant these dogs are in comparison to other breeds, but you got this.

First of all for you it will be better to never play tug with that dog as it creates a rough excitement, like pulling a rope from her mouth. Too much excitement in these breeds can sometimes put someone in a jam or a situation that becomes a little more stressful than needed.

It is good to learn to redirect on every single outburst (perfect age for that). A solid "No" will not work at this point. As she has an outburst have a kong nearby and hand it to him, or a tug, or a deer antler and after a while when you say no, they automatically redirect themselves.

They have a massive amount of energy and sometimes have a tough time controlling it so they have outbursts. On my nightly walks with my CC she sometimes has energetic outburst jumping high in the air almost like she was going for my arm, but she is not. So I learned to bring a tug with me (secretly) and if she has an outburst, I hand her the tug which keeps her occupied the rest of the walk. This is the same tug I use to train her after building the foundation with food when she was younger. So when she see's it its like giving a filet mignon to a dog that hasn't eaten in 2 weeks.

It seems as though you got a very drivy dog that just needs to be redirected and exercised daily with rigorous obedient training. I personally don't like the obedience classes for these dogs as I feel they are much different from what the trainers are used to. So I would recommend learning from places like Leerburg or a plethora of youtube videos working with CC's.

 

[Boxergirl]

This isn't a Corso thing. It's an overstimulated puppy thing, and yes - it can happen in an instant and it can sound terrifying. Consistency in rules and patience are what you need right now. Do not be heavy handed with a puppy like this as it will make the situation worse. Every minute of every day is a training opportunity. Dogs do what works for them, so reward what you see that you like. If puppy is being calm, reward it. Every time puppy looks at you, reward it. Sitting for things he wants? Reward it. Walking next to you in heel position? Yep. Reward it. Redirecting and time outs are excellent. Start now teaching your pup how to relax. Chilling on a mat is hard work. It's much easier to teach what you do want than to punish everything you don't want. Most of those things you do want will prevent other issues from developing simply due to behaviors being incompatible. And remember ... he's still learning the rules of living in a human world. It's going to take time.

I'm sure that some will take offense at what I'm going to say, but here goes anyway. Animal learning is not breed specific. It's honestly more about the individual than the breed itself. Not all dogs of the same breed are going to respond the same way to the same stimulus. Positive reinforcement works for all breeds and all animals. Of course there are certain traits that individual breeds may have, but they still learn in the same way as other dogs. Animals repeat behaviors that are reinforced and cease behaviors that are not reinforced. It doesn't matter if you're training a chicken, a dolphin, a cat, a Corso, or a Yorkie. They all learn the same way.

I don't see any reason not to take an introductory obedience class with a motivational, force free trainer. Classes are great for working during distraction. A good instructor will evaluate the individual dog and work with you on any problem areas. Even if that means you're doing something different than the other students are doing.

 

[Steven C]

I would love to see someone put my dog at any age of her life in a time out. LOL or my DDB. Unless you've owned a DDB, Presa, Fila, TM or Corso, you will not understand how they are very different in dominance and require a far different level of training. For that reason Cane Corso or DDB or Presa are not recommended for first time dog owners. There is a reason why there are few Mastiff's if any in the IPO ring besides Corso. There is also a reason why Corso rescues are filled with those cute one time puppies.

No offense taken, just want to give a real world view on Corso ownership and training.

 

[Jarena]

I have a 10 month old Corso, Lettie. She was the same way at that age. We called the crazy outbursts “shark attacks”. Time outs and redirecting her attention were life savers. We would first try to redirect her attention to something puppy appropriate, if that didn’t work, then we would distract her with training. She is very food motivated so she will almost always work for treats. We started her on “sit” and “down” right away. If she was too crazy to work on training, than we went to time out.

Consistency was another really important thing. Before we brought her home, my boyfriend and I made sure we were rock-solid committed to being on the same page with all rules and commands. We would discuss how to handle every situation with her, so that we were both having the same responses to her behaviors. We are strict with her, she doesn’t get away with anything she’s not supposed to do, not even once. She also has to work for everything. For example, she loves ice cubes, she’s not allowed to even have an ice cube until she earns it (as simple as “sit” and “back”). And she knows she won’t get ANYTHING she wants if she is being crazy. To leave the house, to eat her food, to have snuggles, to get a new toy, she has to be sitting and CALM.

She is also crate trained (probably one of the most important things we did with her). So she hasn’t ever had the chance to destroy anything of ours. Not ever. (Fingers crossed it stays this way). She is a FANTASTIC puppy and I believe it’s because we were so consistant with our rules and she learned structure from day one. And since she is such a great puppy, now she is earning some freedom. She no longer needs a crate when we leave the house, and still has never destroyed anything of ours.

Don’t show your frustration, do your best to remain calm when he is crazy. We noticed that Lettie picks up on our emotions easily. She is a lot less likely to obey if she knows we are flustered or angry. If you get mad at the pup, it’s best to just go in another room for a minute. If Lettie knew we were upset, it just confused her and fueled the shark attack.

It sounds like you are on the right track with your pup. Just be patient and enjoy the awful/wonderful puppy stage.

 

[glen]

While I am not a CC expert, I have learned a tremendous amount in the 7months I have owned mine. I can tell you that these dogs will always attempt to gain alpha status and test you for a long time. Doesn't mean they'll attack just means they like to see what they can get away with and how much will be enough to scare you into losing the control you have. These dogs are much different in a stubborn sense than the GSD dogs or Rotties you may be used to. They are extremely dominant and it takes getting used to.

This is the first puppy Mastiff for my wife and she is surprised how difficult it really is as when she married me, my DDB was already trained. Being only 9 months old, the dog still wants to grab a broom or mop out of my wife hands while cleaning, or pulling her blanket off while watching tv on the couch unless I am around. It seems that the CC is accepting alpha status much easier to the more dominant person in the house, but taking more time for my wife to fully be alpha over the CC. You'll soon start to learn how dominant these dogs are in comparison to other breeds, but you got this.

First of all for you it will be better to never play tug with that dog as it creates a rough excitement, like pulling a rope from her mouth. Too much excitement in these breeds can sometimes put someone in a jam or a situation that becomes a little more stressful than needed.

It is good to learn to redirect on every single outburst (perfect age for that). A solid "No" will not work at this point. As she has an outburst have a kong nearby and hand it to him, or a tug, or a deer antler and after a while when you say no, they automatically redirect themselves.

They have a massive amount of energy and sometimes have a tough time controlling it so they have outbursts. On my nightly walks with my CC she sometimes has energetic outburst jumping high in the air almost like she was going for my arm, but she is not. So I learned to bring a tug with me (secretly) and if she has an outburst, I hand her the tug which keeps her occupied the rest of the walk. This is the same tug I use to train her after building the foundation with food when she was younger. So when she see's it its like giving a filet mignon to a dog that hasn't eaten in 2 weeks.

It seems as though you got a very drivy dog that just needs to be redirected and exercised daily with rigorous obedient training. I personally don't like the obedience classes for these dogs as I feel they are much different from what the trainers are used to. So I would recommend learning from places like Leerburg or a plethora of youtube videos working with CC's.

I would like to know why you think you should never play tug with this breed, i have 3 male ccs my eldest is extremely dominant, its in the training when i play tug with him and that started as a pup it was a great learning tool for the leave it command, i did the same with our rottweillers, a lot of people may disagree but i like to train with this play as a pup, i dont want to come across a fully crown cc or any dog and have to wrestle something out of his mouth,
All 3 of mine can be put in time out if needed, if im on the field next to my property and i tell them to stay, come or whatever command they do it,
I agree with boxergirl each dog is an individual, each one of mine are, as pups you leaarn what is the best way each one reacts to training, the more time you put into them the better the dog is as an adult.

 

[Boxergirl]

I would love to see someone put my dog at any age of her life in a time out. LOL or my DDB. Unless you've owned a DDB, Presa, Fila, TM or Corso, you will not understand how they are very different in dominance and require a far different level of training. For that reason Cane Corso or DDB or Presa are not recommended for first time dog owners. There is a reason why there are few Mastiff's if any in the IPO ring besides Corso. There is also a reason why Corso rescues are filled with those cute one time puppies.

No offense taken, just want to give a real world view on Corso ownership and training.

If your puppy can't be put in a time out, then there's a problem. With the possibility of it becoming a bigger problem down the road. Just as there is no one size fits all for training, there is also no one size fits all for breeds.

Vinnie's Mom, Jarena's post is excellent. And her suggestions work for all breeds.

 

[Steven C]

I would like to know why you think you should never play tug with this breed, i have 3 male ccs my eldest is extremely dominant, its in the training when i play tug with him and that started as a pup it was a great learning tool for the leave it command, i did the same with our rottweillers, a lot of people may disagree but i like to train with this play as a pup, i dont want to come across a fully crown cc or any dog and have to wrestle something out of his mouth,
All 3 of mine can be put in time out if needed, if im on the field next to my property and i tell them to stay, come or whatever command they do it,
I agree with boxergirl each dog is an individual, each one of mine are, as pups you leaarn what is the best way each one reacts to training, the more time you put into them the better the dog is as an adult.

I was talking about an inexperienced owner that was not looking for an IPO type dog or a specific training style in the breed. I actually own a tug and use it sometimes for recall training. The problem with mainstream using tugs and ropes and this is well documented is that in many hands in can create an aggressive dog. When used the wrong way it can easily get a dog in a bad situation.

From the original post I read that they were having a problem with aggressive puppy instincts and the last thing I would recommend is to start tugging which will promote a biting dog. Later after the OP has some type of control over the dogs aggressive outbursts, maybe depending on what they want can introduce tug and recall. In most cases I would totally recommend against it with these dogs in family households.

When I got my DDB I was actually happy I paid so much for it (3k) knowing that they wouldn't get into the wrong hands and end up all over the streets like Pitbulls. It seems many people want to promote CC dogs as Labs and its simply not even close to true. It reminds me when the NY Times promoted Medellin, Colombia post Escobar as being an up and coming safe city, countless gringos started traveling to Colombia and seeing first hand that its still a thieving, murderous drug infested city where life is cheap.

Cane Corso and family are the only dogs in the world that are born with natural guard ability. They are also some of the strongest toughest dogs in the world. In the wrong hands it is recipe for disaster. Since they are born with natural guarding ability means they are untrusting of anyone outside the family until taught, but always have a skeptical feeling.

When doing a Google search everywhere it shows these dogs are more dominant than other dogs. I can confirm with 100% certainty that is true. I can also confirm that these dogs take months longer to potty train and there is an entire different training situation for these type of dogs than GSD's ect. Training styles are the same with Poodles, labs, Pits GSD's, but when you get into a CC category the training is much different and requires an different level of disciplines.

 

[Steven C]

Also by the way for those that believe in dog equality in training. Even Cesar Milan on national TV in a DDB episode said they were not able to be trained the same way as other dogs. Like him or not, he has trained tons of breeds.

And please OP, please let us know if you use the time out how that works for you. Perhaps stand him in the corner of the room for 5 minutes. Apparently this works with CC's well, I am sorry I never tried this method early on. It's possible my dog would not be tearing apart cages now and chewing 24/7. I might even bring in my old Golden retriever training guide for her as this seems very viable in the CC training regime.

 

[Boxergirl]

Cesar is not very well thought of in the training community and isn't a very credible source.

A time out is simply requiring the dog to go to his place, mat, crate, etc. Mat, place, and settle are probably the most valuable things you can teach your dog. Every dog benefits from learning the control it takes to stay in their place and settle.

 

[glen]

I was talking about an inexperienced owner that was not looking for an IPO type dog or a specific training style in the breed. I actually own a tug and use it sometimes for recall training. The problem with mainstream using tugs and ropes and this is well documented is that in many hands in can create an aggressive dog. When used the wrong way it can easily get a dog in a bad situation.

From the original post I read that they were having a problem with aggressive puppy instincts and the last thing I would recommend is to start tugging which will promote a biting dog. Later after the OP has some type of control over the dogs aggressive outbursts, maybe depending on what they want can introduce tug and recall. In most cases I would totally recommend against it with these dogs in family households.

When I got my DDB I was actually happy I paid so much for it (3k) knowing that they wouldn't get into the wrong hands and end up all over the streets like Pitbulls. It seems many people want to promote CC dogs as Labs and its simply not even close to true. It reminds me when the NY Times promoted Medellin, Colombia post Escobar as being an up and coming safe city, countless gringos started traveling to Colombia and seeing first hand that its still a thieving, murderous drug infested city where life is cheap.

Cane Corso and family are the only dogs in the world that are born with natural guard ability. They are also some of the strongest toughest dogs in the world. In the wrong hands it is recipe for disaster. Since they are born with natural guarding ability means they are untrusting of anyone outside the family until taught, but always have a skeptical feeling.

When doing a Google search everywhere it shows these dogs are more dominant than other dogs. I can confirm with 100% certainty that is true. I can also confirm that these dogs take months longer to potty train and there is an entire different training situation for these type of dogs than GSD's ect. Training styles are the same with Poodles, labs, Pits GSD's, but when you get into a CC category the training is much different and requires an different level of disciplines.

We are all different with our thoughts and training methods, i also agree google does have a lot of information regarding the breed, some i agree with some i dont,
I peraonally feel that in mt experience that if you caterogise a breed problems will occur, they say ccs are hard to train, i wouldnt say they were hard, theyve been my easiest to toilet train, that may be because each time iv had a pup iv made sure im home and put the time in, there not a background dog,
My brother in law traind gun dogs mainly labs, he trained with me for a month with gandalf and said he was easier to train to retreive, stay, heel, and leave it than many labs he had trained, and believe me hes had many that couldnt go on shoots ect as they were too aggressive and yet if you research labs they are great for gun dogs.
Please dont think im disagreeing with you i just think sometimes too much is written on these sites as this wonderful breed as being over dominant and agressive, and the wrong hands are people who want a status dog,.

 

[Steven C]

In my world "time out" is known as place and yes very important aspect, although the most important aspect of training imo is a down in motion in case a dog is running after something or into traffic, it can save its life. I misunderstood what was being referred to as time out. I thought of what would happen to kids in elementary school if they were bad. lol

Yes Glen CC are great to train, I have had great progress with her in working training. Doesn't make her less of a loony, but at least during training time its 100%. I hope the OP doesn't get to worried and sticks with him as surely he will be a great dog in the future.

 

[Boxergirl]

Really though, what's the difference? Dog training and child rearing is pretty much the same thing, lol. Rules, boundaries, expectations, patience, rewarding what works ... the list goes on and on. A time out for a child is to remove them from a situation and give them time to calm themselves down. It shouldn't be used as a punishment. One of the biggest things that is overlooked in early training for pups is teaching them how to calm themselves down and settle. Some dogs need this more than others, but it's something that will help prevent a lot of problem issues that may develop from over-arousal and lack of impulse control. Things like separation anxiety and being destructive. Impulse control and teaching an "off button" is imperative for dogs that are assertive and easily aroused. Mat work is great for that.

I definitely agree that a drop from a distance is very important, but I don't honestly think it's more important than impulse control training. Which is what place is. I think that if you have good impulse control then it makes your drop from a distance easier to train. I'd also put a rock solid recall above a distance drop, at least at a young age. Most owners aren't going to achieve a down at a distance or even think to want one, but they can get a solid recall. And really, the dog shouldn't be off leash if it isn't under complete voice control and has a solid recall. It's important to remember that most of the posters coming here for advice (or the many that are lurking) aren't experienced trainers, nor do they want working or performance dogs. They want well behaved pets and many of them will have very little training experience.

I strongly encourage the OP to start work now on focus and impulse control. And most definitely a solid recall. There are two really good books by Laura VanArendonk Baugh, who is a crossover trainer that works with reactive dogs, called Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out and Social, Civil, and Saavy. The latter is mainly for puppies, but it's good advice for all dogs. I would also recommend that the OP take a look at Control Unleashed for Puppies and Beyond the Back Yard. The last two may seem to be for performance dogs, but they both have really good information for all dog owners. Especially owners with pups that tend to be assertive or easily aroused. I am also going to suggest the Fenzi Academy for online classes. You can take a six week class for as little as $65 and there are some really good ones for young dogs like focus, engagement, and learning through play.

 

[RY86]

@Steven C could you elaborate on what you touched on, about IPO and Cane Corso’s?

You mentioned,
“There is a reason why there are few Mastiff's if any in the IPO ring besides Corso”

Do you mean that a CC thrives in the IPO ring? Could you explain please.

I have a 6 month old Cane Corso. We started him on IPO style of obedience very early on. I have owned a few dogs before him but never a CC. I read a ton and researched a ton before diving into this endeavour. What I have noticed thus far, my CC during training is extremely focus as if nothing else in his world mattered other then seeking the handlers approval. My CC still has a long way to go he is only six month old. I knew exactly what I was buying when I went to the breeder. I would agree with a statement you made earlier about Cane Corso’s not being like a Lab. I would 100% agree. I do feel like allot of people where I am ( I don’t live in the USA) paint the Cane Corso with a brush like it’s a Lab...... I have seen mine be very friendly to my family and friends that were introduced to him at an early age.... but new people... I have never seen a dog so in tuned to his environment and ready to defend his handler. But with structure, rules, boundaries he is very trainable.


Thank you

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

Worst phrase one can ever here if you have a working guardian breed... "They are such gentle giants!" Are they, with my family... yes. With everyone no! They are not labs and should not be billed as such but we are seeing it more and more.

I am not going to weigh in heavily on the training aspect of things as I don't see training like child rearing, and think that we have a huge issue with today's society and children's behaviors, which is a whole other topic. I don't believe in cookie cutter training working for every dog and will use what works for each individual dog. Your puppy sounds over stimulated, you need to find a way to work that out that is something anyone in your family can do before it can get out of control.

 

[Boxergirl]

Ah, but if people trained their children like we should be training our dogs - with consistency, rules, expectations and boundaries then there wouldn't be so many ill behaved children. That was my point. I also do not agree with cookie cutter training, so we're on the same page there.

 

[marke]

Many unacceptable behaviors in dogs are self rewarding , no reward necessary ………. So to eliminate it , ignoring or not rewarding it is not an option ………

 

[Justin B.]

Worst phrase one can ever here if you have a working guardian breed... "They are such gentle giants!" Are they, with my family... yes. With everyone no! They are not labs and should not be billed as such but we are seeing it more and more.

I am not going to weigh in heavily on the training aspect of things as I don't see training like child rearing, and think that we have a huge issue with today's society and children's behaviors, which is a whole other topic. I don't believe in cookie cutter training working for every dog and will use what works for each individual dog. Your puppy sounds over stimulated, you need to find a way to work that out that is something anyone in your family can do before it can get out of control.

Totally agree.
Huge problem with most working breeds.
Every breed is different and every dog is different. You are 100% right. Do not approach Cane Corso ownership and training the same as you would a non guardian or non working group breed.

People with our breed need to realize that even though all breeds can become out of control or have behavior issues that seem the same....its not the same at the end of the day. At the end of the day owning a certain breed requires A MUCH BIGGER RESPONSIBILITY.

#1 Because our dogs are a "gladiator looking" type dog and already have a BSL reputation any acting out they do will be scrutinised a lot differently than a normal pet type dog. This puts your dog in greater jeopardy with society, laws, and rules/regulations.

#2 A real Corso is a " Man Stopping" breed. This means they easily have the ability to take a fully grown man down to the ground and hold them there no matter how hard the man fights back. Or even maul a person to death. This is VERY different from most dogs. Their mastiff size. Their bite force and jaw strength. Their speed and agility. Their drives. This means that if they do become out of control even for only a short period of time they can cause and inflict a lot more damage than your normal pet or dog.

So cookie cutter, basic, patience, wait and see, they will outgrow it training techniques..... These are a liability to you, your dog, and the public.
(I am not specifically talking about any of the tips given in this thread)

Harder breeds, with harder acts, require harder corrections. Especially for any aggessive behavior towards the owner.

Think about that same outburst or habbit coming out in a 135lb adult Cane Corso towards a child or person that was not even the handler or owner.

I would take it a little more serious than some have suggested in this thread. It does happen, but I would not consider it normal if it continues after a week of appropriate corrective measures.

 

[Steven C]

@Steven C could you elaborate on what you touched on, about IPO and Cane Corso’s?

You mentioned,
“There is a reason why there are few Mastiff's if any in the IPO ring besides Corso”

Do you mean that a CC thrives in the IPO ring? Could you explain please.

I have a 6 month old Cane Corso. We started him on IPO style of obedience very early on. I have owned a few dogs before him but never a CC. I read a ton and researched a ton before diving into this endeavour. What I have noticed thus far, my CC during training is extremely focus as if nothing else in his world mattered other then seeking the handlers approval. My CC still has a long way to go he is only six month old. I knew exactly what I was buying when I went to the breeder. I would agree with a statement you made earlier about Cane Corso’s not being like a Lab. I would 100% agree. I do feel like allot of people where I am ( I don’t live in the USA) paint the Cane Corso with a brush like it’s a Lab...... I have seen mine be very friendly to my family and friends that were introduced to him at an early age.... but new people... I have never seen a dog so in tuned to his environment and ready to defend his handler. But with structure, rules, boundaries he is very trainable.


Thank you

As far as I know, CC are the only mastiff breed that does well in IPO. There are show champions that are also IPO champions. I don't know anything about show dogs, but have heard that in CC there are both which is very impressive. Good for you, even if you don't compete its a great way to really get the most out of training. It is also very cool to be a able to do a focus heel or a arc in front of people. When I put my dog into a heel position from a sit in public, people say wow, that was cool. I'm still working on a true outdoor focus heel, which works at night with no distractions but with people around its still very tough.

Since my CC ownership, I do believe that these dogs train and excel really well with an experienced trainer. I think some first time owners would be overwhelmed and scared with this breed. I do think the breed is already in trouble and in many wrong hands, hence the reason they make the news every now and then.

Back 9 years ago when I bought my DDB it was my first dominant breed. When he mouthed it made the room quiet. I knew he was just playing as a puppy but people became very frightened especially if he was vocal as he was clamping down. After the movie Turner and Hooch and DDB's became the cutest dogs to own, families were wondering what they got themselves into as the puppies grown and began giving them up as the wives no longer had that cute great looking big baby they saw in the movie. Some people were claiming their puppies bit them, when experienced people know mouthing is not biting. If a DDB really bit them, they would end up in the ER. Never the less it became a nightmare for the dogue and rescues were filling up.

 

[Steven C]

Totally agree.
Huge problem with most working breeds.
Every breed is different and every dog is different. You are 100% right. Do not approach Cane Corso ownership and training the same as you would a non guardian or non working group breed.

People with our breed need to realize that even though all breeds can become out of control or have behavior issues that seem the same....its not the same at the end of the day. At the end of the day owning a certain breed requires A MUCH BIGGER RESPONSIBILITY.

#1 Because our dogs are a "gladiator looking" type dog and already have a BSL reputation any acting out they do will be scrutinised a lot differently than a normal pet type dog. This puts your dog in greater jeopardy with society, laws, and rules/regulations.

#2 A real Corso is a " Man Stopping" breed. This means they easily have the ability to take a fully grown man down to the ground and hold them there no matter how hard the man fights back. Or even maul a person to death. This is VERY different from most dogs. Their mastiff size. Their bite force and jaw strength. Their speed and agility. Their drives. This means that if they do become out of control even for only a short period of time they can cause and inflict a lot more damage than your normal pet or dog.

So cookie cutter, basic, patience, wait and see, they will outgrow it training techniques..... These are a liability to you, your dog, and the public.
(I am not specifically talking about any of the tips given in this thread)

Harder breeds, with harder acts, require harder corrections. Especially for any aggessive behavior towards the owner.

Think about that same outburst or habbit coming out in a 135lb adult Cane Corso towards a child or person that was not even the handler or owner.

I would take it a little more serious than some have suggested in this thread. It does happen, but I would not consider it normal if it continues after a week of appropriate corrective measures.

Exactly right, I went from a off leash lab to a dogue that even if not aggressive would give people heart attacks off leash so liability city. All of my new neighbors are new to the USA and frightened even as I walk by them with my dog on leash in full control. Society is very sensitive nowadays and as CC owners we need to not only maintain full control but also worry about false claims some of the uber sensitive people can claim.