Breed: Cane Corso

History:

             The Cane Corso is an ancient Italian molosser, directly descending from the Roman "canis pugnax”. 

Disregarding that the name points out the geographical origin of the breed, the etymology of the expression “corso” is controversial. 

Some believe that the word draws origin from the Latin “cohors” which means protecting, watch, ("praetoria cohors" is for instance means: watch of the body of the general, and it is found in Vatican today, Cohors Elvetica: watch Switzerland).  

To such intention it is of great interest the hypothesis that you may see the root of Corso in the Greek word Kortos, which means the courtyard, the enclosure and with the aforementioned cohors, that would therefore mean the dog set to guard of the courtyard. Such hypothesis, if true, it brings us back to ancient Greece and the suggestive oriental origins of the molossers.  

Still others like to believe that the name Corso has an ancient Celtic-Provincial meaning that means the term strong, powerful.  

This last hypothesis is as reasonable as many since even today we find it still in some words as "corsiero" (battle horse used in the Middle Age), in English word "coarse" (raw, rough), and finally in some dialects of southern Italy in which Corso means strong, fierce.  

It is of fact what, from when one has started to delineate the Italian language, this Molosser has always been called Corso.

  

More suitable term could hardly be coined for describing this dog, together of power and distinction.

  

The characteristics of psychic equilibrium, the absolute devotion to its master and the versatility to suit for the most varied employments are the reason for the success and of the diffusion that the breed had up to a few decades ago.

The most classical use of the Cane Corso was in the hunting of the dangerous game, especially the wild boar. The Segugi (bloodhounds) and the Bracchi (hunting dogs) had to rouse the wild one and therefore, after a pursuit, to force it to halt allowing the hunters to arrive.  The Cane Corso was let loose so that they would hurl on the wild boar and to stop it by catching it by the ears and the snout. 

This allowed the hunters to draw near unharmed and to end the big prey with a well arranged hit. 

It was this final fray, this bloody epilogue, that exalted the men and that brought them to celebrate the scene in a long series of artistic representations. Very similar to this was the job that the Cane Corso had developed with the cattleman and that also that of the butcher's dog.  

Up to many years ago, the meat cattle were raised to the wild state in the uncultivated zones and had to arrive to the slaughter house in the city by being lead from the pockmarks for distances of about ten kilometers.  

Being born and grown to the wild state, the herds had the whole dangerousness of wild animals. In order to control the cattle it was imperative to remove the bull from the middle, using to such end the Cane Corso.  They had to stop the bull by grabbing it on the nose with an iron grip. With the pain caused in this sensitive part, it completely immobilized the big animal.  

Always as drover, the Corso had to defend the herds from the great predators, the bear or the wolf, also from the plague  of the cattle rustlers.

  

A type of very particular hunting in which the Corso was specialized was that of the badger. This large muskrat, from the nighttime habits, was very appreciated both for the fur, and for the taste of the meat and even for the fat, that when melted, was used as a lenitive ointment. Hunting was practiced at night and required dogs particularly trained, because the dark prevented the hunter from employing fire weapons. The Corso had to therefore catch the badger and to kill it with a strong bite behind the nape, before the badger could get in an erect position defend itself with its long and sharp claws.

Standard:

The Cane Corso Italiano is a medium-big size dog, strongly built but elegant, with powerful and long muscles, very distinguished, he expresses strength, agility and endurance.

It is not suppose to have a body like a Rottweiler or face like a Boxer

The general conformation is that of a mesomorphic animal whose body is longer than the height at the withers, harmonious as regards the form and disharmonious as regards the profile. 

The Muzzle is very broad and deep. The width of the muzzle must be almost equal to its length which reaches 3.4/10 of the total length of the head. Its depth is more than 50% the length of the muzzle.

Due to the parallels of the muzzle sides and to the fullness and the width of the whole jaw, the anterior face of the muzzle is flat and square.

The nasal bridge has a rectilinear profile and it is rather flat.

The lower side profile of the muzzle is determined by the upper lips, the suborbital region shows a very slight chisel.

The stop is very marked because of the very developed and bulging frontal sinuses and because of the prominent superciliary arches.

The neck is slightly arched. The neck shape is of oval section, strong, very muscular.

The body is compact, strong and very muscular. The skin is rather thick. The neck is practically without dewlap.

The head mustn't have to many wrinkles or hanging eyes.

The pigment of the mucous membranes is black. The pigment of the soles and the nails must be dark.

The coat is short hair but not smooth, with vitreous texture, shiny, adherent, stiff, very dense, with a light layer that becomes thicker in winter (but never crops up on the covering hair).

Its average length is approx. 2/2,5 cm. On the withers, the rump, the back margin of the thighs and on the tail it reaches approx. 3 cm without creating fringes.

On the muzzle the hair is very short, smooth, adherent and is not more than 1/1,5 cm.

Color - Black, plumb-gray, slate, light gray, fawn, and tubby (very well marked stripes on different shades of fawn and gray).

In the fawny and tubby subjects there is a black or gray mask only on the muzzle and shouldn't go beyond the eye line.

A small white patch on the chest, on the feet tips and on the nose bridge is accepted.

Very loyal, willing to please and quiet around the house. The Cane Corso is highly intelligent and very trainable.

Active and even-minded, he is an unequalled watch and protection dog.  

The Cane Corso Italiano is great with children in the family. Docile and affectionate with the owner. They are protective yet gentle.

The Cane Corso has a very stable temperament. It makes an excellent guard dog and watchdog. It will not wonder from the home.

They stickclose to their masters. If necessary he becomes a terrible and brave protector of people, house and property. 

The Cane Corso is not a fighting dog. They were bred as working dogs for hundreds of years.
Therefore they will not go out "looking" for a fight, but on the other hand they will not back down from other dogs.

The Cane Corso requires an experienced owner. It can be aggressive with strangers and other dogs. It should be carefully socialized when it is a pup. Socialising is the most important thing of all, with this breed.

If you dont socialise your dog correct, it can not be around other dogs or other people, but will become very aggressive towards all strangers

It is highly recommended that these dogs become fully obedience trained. When fully trained, the Cane Corso makes an amenable companion. Suspicious of strangers, but wonderful with the family.

It will usually put up with strangers if the owners are present. When raised correctly, the dog should be submissive to all members of the family 

Ref:

http://www.simplesite.com/canecorso/2656377