Cane corso
The cane corso is an Italian mastiff descended from Roman war dogs, used on southern farms as a guardian, cattle drover and hunter of large game.
It declined almost to extinction with the mechanisation of Italian agriculture and was rebuilt from the 1970s by a small group of enthusiasts.
It is a large, athletic mastiff — lighter and more agile than most — with a broad head, short dense coat and a notably serious expression. The temperament is confident, watchful and strongly attached to its family. This is a genuine guardian breed and it needs an owner who understands what that involves.
- Origin
- Southern Italy
- Size
- 40–50 kg, 58–70 cm at the shoulder
- Lifespan
- 9–12 years
- Coat
- Short, dense and stiff
- Temperament
- Confident, watchful, biddable with its own people
- Exercise
- At least an hour daily plus training
3 cane corso photos, newest first
Living with a cane corso
Weekly brushing and a check of any facial folds. Some lines drool.
The important work is social. A corso is naturally suspicious of strangers, and without broad early socialisation and consistent training that becomes a serious liability in a 45 kg dog. They are responsive and trainable, which makes the effort productive — but the effort is not optional, and ownership is restricted in some countries.
Hip and elbow dysplasia should be screened. Entropion, ectropion and cherry eye are common in the loose-eyed lines, and the breed is at risk of bloat and of idiopathic epilepsy.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
Worth reading alongside this
More dogs by breed
Every dog breed somebody has posted a photo of.
- Labrador retriever18
- Afghan hound3
- Airedale terrier3
- Akita3
- Alaskan Klee Kai3
- Alaskan malamute3
- American bulldog3
- American eskimo dog3
- American hairless terrier3
- American pit bull terrier3
- Aussiedoodle3
- Australian cattle dog3
- Australian shepherd3
- Basenji3
- Basset hound3
- Beagle3
- Belgian Malinois3
- Bergamasco sheepdog3
- Bernedoodle3
- Bernese mountain dog3
- Bichon frise3
- Biewer terrier3
- Black and tan coonhound3
- Bloodhound3