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Trying to determine if I should adopt/save aggressive cane corso.

AllieD

New Member
Hello,
I'm new here and I'm hoping some of you can help me decide if I should take on an aggressive cane corso, please read the whole thing thanks

So I've been wanting a cane corso for years and sorta keeping my eye out so when I saw a corso for rehoming I asked about it and after talking to the person for awhile I set up a time to come meet the dog. They acted as though everything was good with the dog and didn't tell me anything so when I arrived they wouldn't let me see the dog until they put a muzzle on it and when I did approach it it lunged at me and tried to bite several times but it had a muzzle on. Come to find out afterwards that it has bitten a 3yo child, it doesn't get along with any other dogs even ones it was raised with and its food aggressive.

So after deciding not to get the dog and going home I couldn't quit thinking about him. It's either I take him or he is getting put down, I don't want that to happen. He looked like a nice dog and when I was right inside the glass door he sat out there not even watching me. It wasn't like he was sitting there barking and growling.

So essentially what I'm wondering is does anyone know how far this dog could be rehabilitated with the help of a good trainer? I am already talking to one who specializes in cases like this but I would like to hear from people who have experience this.

I can't even get him to my house without the help of a trainer but I am confident I can do my part to help him learn. It would be nice if eventually he could be fine with my dog and my 2 cats and be ok with people coming to the house and walks in public. I know thats a long way away if possible.

If I don't take him me will be put down.
 

Big Gus

Active Member
How old is the dog and how long has the present owner had the dog?
Has he been neutered? Is he aggressive towards his current owner and family?
He may be a different dog once outside it’s domain. I’m no expert on dog behaviour but maybe get him muzzled and take out off the property on leash to see how he responds.
 

glen

Super Moderator
Staff member
Firstly id like to say thankyou for trying to give this noy a chance.
I own ccs.
Iv helped rehome ccs, some with aggression issues, what i will advise is, make sure youre ready, take it slow, and i dont want to give false hope, some of his aggression may be where he is, id give him a chance. Please please let me know.
 

AllieD

New Member
Thank you for the response.

He is a year and a half old. He belongs to the ex boyfriend of the lady who's house he is at, she is terrified of him because she got bitten while trying to break up a dog fight. He has not been neutered yet.

I called he last night to let her know where I was at with it and she let me know she had the animal control come pick him up. So I'm going to call this morning and see what I can do as far as getting him from them.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Honestly? I'd pass. You have animals at home that deserve to feel safe. Aggression often can't be predicted and you have zero history with this animal, so no basis of trust to start working with. To give him what he would need to *maybe* help him you'd have to put 100% of your time and effort into him and that means your other animals will suffer. Do you know the circumstances surrounding the bite of the child? I just saw you posted again. So this young dog has at least two bites on record. Have you ever worked with aggression cases before? How will you keep your current animals safe? How will you keep your guests safe? Are you married? Do you have children or do children ever visit? These are all things that need to be considered. There definitely can be a genetic component to aggression. Do you know who his breeder is?
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
Yes. What Michele said. Management would be critical. The thing about management is that it always fails. At least one time. We're human and we make mistakes. If you're lucky it's just a wake-up call to be more careful. If you're not then something tragic can happen to a person or your animals. I say this from experience. I know this isn't what you want to hear. If a Corso is what you want, there are many in rescues that have been temperament tested or we can help you find a responsible breeder and you can start with a well-bred pup.
 

AllieD

New Member
The trainer is Nancy Higgins.

The other dog I have belongs to my husband and he is a outside dog. If I get the cane corso he would be staying in a separate room in the house away from the other animals. And my first day having him i would be having the trainer there also to help me integrate him into the house. There would be no meetings with the other animals until the trainer approved.

I am a firm believer that aggression is taught not bred. You breed mentality and whoever raises/trains the dog it what determines the outcome.

Raising a puppy wouldn't be as much work but it would still be a lot of work and my thought is, if I'm going to put the work in I might as well try and save a dog in the process.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I am a firm believer that aggression is taught not bred. You breed mentality and whoever raises/trains the dog it what determines the outcome.
Behavioral science would disagree with you. While socialization and other early factors can absolutely influence behavior, genetics plays a role as well. There have been many recent unbiased studies done on this. I wish you the best of luck with whatever you decide to do.
 

Michele

Super Moderator
Staff member
The trainer is Nancy Higgins.

The other dog I have belongs to my husband and he is a outside dog. If I get the cane corso he would be staying in a separate room in the house away from the other animals. And my first day having him i would be having the trainer there also to help me integrate him into the house. There would be no meetings with the other animals until the trainer approved.

I am a firm believer that aggression is taught not bred. You breed mentality and whoever raises/trains the dog it what determines the outcome.

Raising a puppy wouldn't be as much work but it would still be a lot of work and my thought is, if I'm going to put the work in I might as well try and save a dog in the process.
I disagree. Some dogs are just not wired the right way and no amount of training will fix it. It doesn't matter if the dog you have now is an outside dog. Accidents happen. You cannot be around the new dog 24/7 and neither can the trainer. And all it takes is one second for something to go terribly wrong. And you didn't mention where you would be keeping the cat. You are going to get this dog, put him into a separate room to integrate him into the house? It takes a new dog at LEAST two weeks to de-compress and get used to new surroundings. This idea is bad and honestly, if you do this, you are not only setting up the new dog to fail, but you are also setting up the animals you have now up for failure, not to mention if the new dog has the opportunity to go after a human.

Raising a pup may not be as much work, but you are taking an unsound dog into your home. You are comparing apples and oranges.
 

AllieD

New Member
I appreciate your concern but my question wasn't whether or not I'm capable of handling it.
My question is how far will the dog come, will he get better enough.
 

Michele

Super Moderator
Staff member
I appreciate your concern but my question wasn't whether or not I'm capable of handling it.
My question is how far will the dog come, will he get better enough.
If the dog is genetically unsound, the dog will never get better.
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
I appreciate your concern but my question wasn't whether or not I'm capable of handling it.
My question is how far will the dog come, will he get better enough.
Nobody can answer this. If someone says they can then they're not telling the truth. Behavioral issues are complex and there are no guarantees. I do hope you give us an update, whatever you decide to do.
 

Michele

Super Moderator
Staff member
Behavior issues are one thing. Genetic issues are another. There is a chance to fix a behavior issue. There is NO chance to fix something that is genetic.