Cane Corso

It is a medium-to-large, compact, big and muscular dog. The body is 11% longer than the height at the withers. The back is straight, broad and very muscular. The chest is well developed. The tail is set fairly high. In countries where it is permitted, it is docked, but not too short (at the fourth vertebra).

At rest the tail is carried low, in motion it is level with the back or slightly above. The Cane Corso has “cat feet”. The neck is strong with very little “loose skin”, almost none at all (compared with the Neapolitan Mastiff, its closest relative).

The head is broad, with a pronounced furrow between the eyes. The muzzle is broad and flat. The Cane Corso has a remarkably alert gaze, with which it observes and follows everything around it. The ears are proportionally large in relation to the head, triangular in shape and folded forward. Males reach a height of 64-68 cm, females 60-64 cm. Weight: males 45-50 kg, females 40-45 kg.

The coat is short, strikingly glossy and dense. It must not feel soft to the touch! A wide range of colours is permitted (black, fawn, grey, red, brindle variants etc.), small white markings are allowed on the chest, around the nose and on the feet. The eyes must be dark!
The Cane Corso is a brave, calm, intelligent, active and loyal dog. It is strongly attached to “its” people and always wants to be with them. It considers being kept apart from the family a punishment, so it is not a good idea to keep it in a kennel!!!

It barks only when something is really going on. There is no need to teach it defence or attack, it has enough of that in it already. It gets on very well with children. It first sizes up strangers, and once the owner says everything is fine, the ice is broken. Towards other dogs it can be combative.
It learns quickly and easily. It needs consistent upbringing by calm people. From a very early age it is recommended to introduce the dog to a variety of situations, dogs and people. The more people and dogs it meets at the earliest age, the more sociable it will be later. Do not think this will make it a weaker guard dog! It happily runs alongside a bicycle, goes on long walks, retrieves and is a big cuddler! It almost never strays too far from its owner on walks.
According to the official classification of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, the Cane Corso belongs to Group 2, which includes guard and utility dogs. As for its character, the standard defines it as: intelligent, energetic and balanced, an unrivalled guard and protection dog. Docile and devoted to its master, fond of children and family, it becomes, when necessary, a formidable and brave defender of people, house and yard.