What You Should Learn Before Bringing Home a Cane Corso Puppy

Cane Corso dogs, or, as they are also called - Corso, Italian Mastiff, Cane Corso Italiano, Italian Corso, or the plural Cani Corsi, are a very special breed of family pets.

This breed has lots of great qualities that make them ideal for large families with children. At the same time, however, they require a bit of know-how and are generally not recommended for novice dog owners. So, what’s so special about Cani Corsi dogs? Here’s our breakdown of their main traits.

What are the key characteristics that make Cani Corsi dogs special?

As a large mastiff breed, Cani Corsi dogs are exceptionally muscular and energetic. This can be intimidating for most parents and for a good reason – these are powerful dogs!

At the same time, however, they are exceptionally loyal, loving, and gentle, and are frequently recommended for families with children and toddlers as they tend to be very protective of their little human family members.

Does this mean that Cane Corso is an easy-to-train dog breed?

Most family dog breeds have to be easy to train if they are to get along well with all family members. And the Cane Corso breed fits that description thanks to its high intelligence and strong food-focused motivation. There are a few specifics about raising and training a Cane Corso dog, however, which is why they are not recommended for rookie dog owners.

The 9 things you should know before getting a Cane Corso

1. The Cane Corso is a large Mastiff breed that needs plenty of space

Large dogs are not suitable for small apartments. Active dogs need lots of space too.

Cani Corsi are both large and active so do not get this breed if you live in a small apartment.

Of course, just having a yard doesn’t remove the need for frequent walks and playtime in the park – those are still a necessity too.

2. The Cani Corsi are exceptionally intelligent and needs lots of mental stimulation

Most wanna-be dog owners are looking for extra smart breeds. However, most people don’t realize what they’re getting into with a smart dog.

Highly intelligent breeds like the Cane Corso are not just fun to train and play with – they need lots of interaction and mental stimulation.

What does this mean exactly?

If you don’t give your Cane Corse dog enough tasks to work on, skills to train, people to interact with, and puzzles to complete, and games to play every day you’ll risk your dog getting bored, anxious, unruly, depressed, and even destructive toward your furniture.

So, if you come home from work one day and you find your couch shredded into pieces and spread evenly across your home – don’t punish your dog or get angry with him/her. Instead, just make sure that you give your pup some extra playtime before going to work and a few doggy puzzle toys for while you’re away.

Ideally, you’ll always have a family member at home to keep your dog company. You can also hire a dog walker to come and give your dog a couple of extra hours of attention while you’re at work.

3. This is a generally healthy breed

One of the very best things about this breed is that it doesn’t have too many health problems. That’s mainly because they’ve been bred very carefully and haven’t been overbred due to overwhelming public interest.

The bottom line for you – this is a healthy dog to get in your home, especially if you’ve made sure to ask the breeder or shelter for a health certificate.

Of course, even the healthiest Cane Corso is not “immortal” – you still need to watch out for certain standard dog issues and get your pup to routine vet check-ups.

Hip dysplasia, eyelid abnormalities, demodectic mange, and gastric torsion are some of the main things to watch out for with Cani Corsi dogs.

4. These Italian Mastiffs are both gentle and careful as well as quite vigorous and playful

While the Cane Corso Mastiff is very energetic and requires lots of walking, playtime, and exercise, these dogs are also very loving and gentle. So, while you should give them plenty of physical stuff to do every day, you can also expect lots of cuddles. Cani Corsi love to be pet, hugged, and wrestled with so you’ll be in for lots of fun times with this breed.

5. Cani Corsi dogs need lots of grooming

The Corsi coats are short but quite stiff and have undercoats as well. This means that you’ll be expected to do a fair amount of grooming.

What does this entail?

• Bathe your Cane Corso at least once a week. More, if they get dirty in the park.
• Brush your pup’s teeth 2-3 times a week.
• Groom your Corso’s coat every day with a soft, wide brush. If you follow up this routine with a small treat your pup will be very happy to participate and the whole exercise can be fun for both of you.
• Cani Corsi dogs shed twice a year so you should be prepared for some extra vacuuming in the spring and autumn months.

6. This breed is very food-motivated so food-reward training is very effective for them

Saying that a dog is “food motivated” feels a bit redundant, doesn’t it? After all, aren’t all dogs food motivated?

Yes and no.

While all dogs love to eat and even overeat whenever possible, Cani Corsi are especially ravenous! This means several things:

• It’s very easy to overfeed a Cano Corso dog. If you give them something to eat, they will eat it, you can’t expect a Cano Corso to refuse food. So, you should be careful not to give your pup too much to eat and avoid excess food and all the risks that come with it.
• You shouldn’t leave easily-accessible human food around the house. Leftovers on the table, food on the kitchen counter, an easy-to-open trash can – Cani Corsi dogs can’t resist those. You can eventually train your dog not to approach human food but – especially while he/she is still learning, you’d do best to just remove the temptation.
• Cane Corso dogs are very easy to train with treats. The breed’s food affinity means that they’ll do almost anything for food. This, combined with their intelligence means that you can teach them almost anything.

7. These large mastiffs make for fantastic guard dogs

All the characteristics of the Cane Corse we’ve listed above make them excellent guard dogs. They love to be outside, they are massive and powerful, and they are very protective of their families.

So, if you’re looking for a good guard dog for your property, a Cane Corse can be an excellent choice. Don’t forget to give them plenty of social interaction too, however! Cani Corsi dogs crave human attention so don’t just leave them alone throughout the day or they’ll become bored, depressed, and unruly.

Alternatively, if you don’t want a Cane Corso as a guard dog, you’d do well to socialize them while they are still pups – show them that there’s nothing wrong with outside people and they don’t need to bark at everyone.

8. Cane Corso dogs are great with kids

The Cani Corsi’s gentle nature also makes them great with children and even toddlers. Yes, they are massive but they are very aware of their bodies and will be very careful with your children as long as you’ve trained them well and you’ve introduced them with your kids properly.

9. Never let a Cane Corso dog run loose

Last but not least – make sure your Cane Corso dog is not allowed to roam free around the neighborhood. This means keeping him/her leashed while in the park but it also means making sure that your yard’s fence is secure. Cani Corsi are very large and powerful animals that can be very dangerous for your neighbors’ cats or dogs so make sure that your dog is not going to escape your sight.

Who are Cani Corsi “right” for?

Cani Corsi are excellent for families with children and are not as suitable for lone dog owners. They can get along with other pets as well but need proper socialization and training.

Most importantly, however, they need lots of physical exercise and ample space. If your home and lifestyle don’t support this, maybe these large Mastiffs are not ideal for you at the moment.

How to prepare for getting a Cane Corso pup?

If you’re sure that you are ready for the challenge of a Cane Corso, there are still a few things you might want to prep first:

• Make sure your yard is prepared for the challenge of keeping a large dog from jumping over the fence. This means improving your fence but also installing some outdoor yard leashes and a dog kennel.
• Get the proper leash collar for such a huge and powerful dog.
• Prep your home for the presence of this massive and muscular pet in it.
• Be certain that you’re ready to train and socialize a Cane Corso. Being intelligent and loyal, these dogs are easy to train but also need to be trained more so than other smaller and more harmless breeds do.