Breeds / Large
Cane Corso puppies
Smart, trainable and of noble bearing, the assertive and confident Cane Corso is a peerless protector that forms close bonds with their family.
The facts
- Size class Large
- Country of origin Italy
- Adult weight Not published
- Adult weight in pounds Not published
- Adult height 60 to 70 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short smooth
- Shedding Low
- Typical lifespan 9 to 12 years
- Good with children Fine with supervision
- Good with other dogs Fine with supervision
About the Cane Corso
The Cane Corso is an Italian mastiff descended from Roman war and farm dogs, kept in southern Italy to guard property, drive cattle and hunt large game. This is a big, athletic, short coated dog with a broad head and a serious presence, built far more for movement than the heavier mastiff breeds. The temperament is confident and territorial: quiet and steady with their own people, watchful of anything unfamiliar, and, when properly raised, inclined to look to their owner for a decision.
This breed needs proper exercise, a brisk walk or run morning and evening, and a job to think about, or the strength goes into something you would rather it did not. The short double coat sheds through the year and wants a weekly brush, daily during the spring shed. Training, socialisation and secure fencing are not optional with a guarding dog of this power. New owners most often miss the socialisation window and end up with an adult suspicious of everyone.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Cane Corso puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Bloat, a digestive disorder of the stomach
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, with hip and elbow evaluation recommended by the national breed club
- Cardiac disease, with a cardiac exam recommended by the national breed club
- Inherited eye and neurological disease, with DSRA and NCL1 DNA tests recommended
Your Cane Corso puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Cane Corso.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the Not published adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other large breeds
More on the Cane Corso
Previous: Canadian Eskimo Dog · Next: Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
- fci.be for country of origin
- Health notes from Cane Corso breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/cane-corso/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
No published figure for adult weight, so nothing is shown rather than a guess.
Photo: Marta García, juan Manuel Morato, CC BY-SA 2.1 es, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.