BBS Breed Spotlight: Cane Corso
A majestic presence and a rich Italian history are wrapped up into the beautiful form of the Cane Corso. BestBullySticks.com highlights this impressive and distinctive dog in our weekly Breed Spotlight. Read on to learn more about the Cane Corso!
History & Background: The Cane Corso’s name is derived from the Latin “Cohors” meaning “Guardian” and “Protector.” This dog’s direct ancestor is the Canis Pugnax, which was a war dog used by the Romans. Corsos were also used as a “catch dog” to hunt and pin large animals such as cattle and pigs and also as a herder and watchdog. In Italy, this dog can be seen in history living along side farmers and rural families for hundreds of years. In the 1970s this dog almost faced extinction but was saved by a dedicated few. The Corso still has a large presence in Italy, today. The modern Cane Corso looks slightly different than it’s pre-70s relatives because of selective breeding used to grow numbers of this breed. In 1987 the Cane Corso made its way to the United States and has been popular ever since. In fact, celebrities such as Tracy Morgan, Patti LeBelle and Lebron James own Cane Corsos.
Height: Males: 25 to 27.5 inches; Females: 23.5 to 26 inches
Weight: 88 to 170 pounds
Coat: Corsos sport a short, hard coat that should have a healthy sheen. The close fitting coat has a light undercoat that gets thicker in cooler weather. The Cane Corso has a perfectly waterproof coat.
Color: This dog’s coloring can range from black, grey, red and fawn. Any of these colors can appear in brindle. The solid colored fawn and red dogs usually have a black or grey mask. White patches appear on the chest, throat, chin and toes. Eye color is related to muzzle color. Dogs with black muzzles have dark brown eyes and gray muzzles have lighter colored eyes. Nose color matches the pigment of dog; black pigment matches a black nose and grey pigment matches a grey nose. Read more
