Cane Corso puppies are adorable little bumpkins that grow very quickly in the first six months. A tiny, thick-footed month-old baby reaches the height of an adult dog by eight months, but physical and mental development lasts another two years.
The first year of a dog’s life is the most important, since it is during this time that intensive bone growth occurs, ligaments are strengthened, and a correct bite is formed . An incorrect diet, excess or lack of physical activity can cause defects in the dog’s appearance or even illness.
Description and features
The homeland of the Cane Corso breed is Italy. The ancestors of its representatives were strong dogs with pronounced guarding qualities. They were distinguished by their stable psyche and ability to quickly make decisions in extreme situations. Such skills are also inherent in modern dogs of this breed.
Combat service has always been their basic purpose. Animals were exploited mainly in the arena. From childhood they were trained against each other to train anger and intolerance. These four-legged giants were also used for guard duty.
They quickly reacted to the approach of new people to the owner’s home; more often than not, they did not let them in. It was almost impossible to persuade such a dog to compromise. He is distinguished by his willfulness and courage, so he treats all strangers with distrust, and especially those who want to cross the territory he protects.
The Cane Corso is an intelligent and fearless dog breed.
But that's not all. Also, representatives of the breed were and remain talented hunters. They went with them into the forest and mountains to catch large animals. They were able to defeat even a wolf. People always knew that as long as a Cane Corso was nearby, nothing bad would happen to them. The dog is always ready to protect the owner and his family members. He is not only a fierce hunter and fighter, but also a reliable protector, a good companion and a wonderful friend.
Like any four-legged pet, such a dog is capable of affection, compassion and friendliness. He cares about the emotions of his family members. The dog is incredibly responsive. Her priority has always been and will be to ensure the safety of her family, but this does not mean that she patrols the territory around the clock in search of intruders.
Yes, the representative of the breed is very vigilant, but in his “free time” he is ready to play and have fun. Quite restrained in terms of showing emotions, not intrusive, balanced, but sometimes gentle and affectionate.
This dog has an excellent set of working qualities. This could not but remain in the field of view of law enforcement officials. He began to be used as a service dog by customs and the police. The dog's sense of smell is excellent. He copes well with the search task.
Interesting fact! In some European countries, keeping such a pet at home is considered prestigious. People use it to protect not only their homes, but also shops, boutiques and even supermarkets.
These are quite temperamental animals, which nevertheless get along well with people of different ages and genders. They enjoy a welcoming family atmosphere.
Breed standard
The Cane Corso dog is large, tall and powerful. Males grow up to 70 cm in height, and females – up to 67 cm. The former weigh about 50 kg, and the latter – 45 kg. In each of these parameters, a slight deviation is acceptable. The individual, regardless of gender, has a powerful body along which lean muscles run. They have a thick neck of medium length, well-defined withers, and a strong skeleton.
The chest is well developed. The volume is wide. The tail is located high, according to the standard it is docked at about 2 months. The stomach is not sunken, the back is powerful and strong. The dog's legs are long and muscular. Thanks to this, she runs fast. Her movements are sweeping.
The Cane Corso is a large dog with pronounced muscles.
The head of the animal is massive, the skull is oblong. The forehead is convex. At the tip of the muzzle there is a large dark nose, the lips are thick and drooping. Sometimes they become excessively wet, hence the mouth drooling. The Cane Corso in the photo looks strong and confident. This is partly due to his expressive large eyes.
According to the standard, they must be painted black. A light iris is considered a huge defect. A dog's ears are cropped during childhood. They should stand in a slightly turned position. The fur of these animals is short and shiny. There is undercoat, but it is very sparse. An individual is considered low-breed if its coat:
- Longer than 1 cm.
- Curly.
- Wavy.
- Doesn't shine.
Acceptable colors:
- Brindle.
- Silver.
- Pure black.
Kinds
The Cane Corso is standardized as a single breed. Nevertheless, breeders continue experiments to develop new types of dogs. Thanks to them, the following mixed breeds of the dog in question appeared: Great Dane, Mastiff, Boxer and several additional types - Bullmastiff and Staffordshire Terrier.
Each of them is a distinctive and unique type of breed. They differ in size, body parameters and some character traits. For example, the Bullmastiff is the most muscular Cane Corso mix.
Its power cannot but amaze. The mestizos closest to the “original” is the mastiff. This dog is practically no different from a standardized Cane Corso. He is just as tall, strong and working in terms of hunting and protection.
Character
Some people are downright intimidated by a huge, muscular dog with a loud bark, while others, on the contrary, are fascinated by it. The Cane Corso is not just an efficient dog with typical guarding qualities, he is also a good-natured and gentle pet, ready to cheer up an owner who needs consolation. In addition, he is incredibly smart and intelligent.
The interesting thing is that he does not need to be trained as a guard at all. The dog senses which people should be under its protection. She is also ready to guard an apartment, house or plot of land belonging to its owner. Very responsible and observant.
If she sees that a person wants to cross the territory she protects, she gets angry, barks loudly in order to scare him away, and at the last stage she prepares for an attack. Do not overestimate the fighting potential of such a dog. Yes, he is naturally strong and powerful, but he does not seek to inflict serious physical damage on a person, especially a stranger. Rather, he will knock him down and immobilize him.
However, you shouldn’t tempt fate once again and watch how the animal behaves with one or another of your friends. Do not forget about the presence in his character of distrust of strangers. He perceives any stranger as a potential threat to his family.
However, he is characterized by adequacy and balance. He never retreats, even in front of a very strong opponent, and strives to control any situation. Well brought up, relies on the owner with respect for him. Endowed with leadership qualities.
The Cane Corso becomes very attached to its owner and tries in every possible way to please him.
Prefers to patronize weaker creatures. It is extremely rare to start quarrels with other animals, even with cats. He strives to establish friendly relations with them, even if they are not very happy about it.
Note! The Cane Corso gets along well with small dogs, such as the Yorkshire Terrier.
Parents of small children, who are also owners of such pets, can spend hours watching their touching interactions. Large dogs are good nannies. They are responsive and very responsible. They like it when babies are physically dependent on them. They can lick them for a long time and carefully remove them from others with their huge paw.
These dogs are quick-witted. It’s enough to point them to the place a couple of times and they’ll remember it forever. Loyalty to a specific person lasts a lifetime. She will never leave him in trouble. However, Cane Corso puppies are quite shy. Due to extreme stress, they can hide in a corner and start whining. To raise them to be fearless and self-confident, you should not be too obsessive about caring at this moment.
Puppies after birth (up to 14 days)
During this period, the puppy has only physiological needs: to eat, sleep and be warm.
From birth, the puppy can turn its head and move in a circle. This is quite enough to find mom - a source of food and warmth. The weight of a newborn puppy ranges from 300 to 700 grams.
The pace of weight gain is especially important, because even puppies with a high birth weight may subsequently not keep up with their peers in development.
On day 12, the kitten's eyes should open completely . My vision is pretty weak at the moment.
The intermediate stage is considered to be three weeks of age. During this time, vision improves and hearing appears, as evidenced by the puppy twitching at sharp sounds.
The kitten can already confidently stand, stomp and eat mushy food. The connection with the mother is still close.
Care and maintenance
Let's start with the main thing - the Cane Corso is completely unsuitable for apartment keeping. He will be comfortable on the street, where he can regularly be in the fresh air and protect the area. Huge dogs must always be on the move, otherwise they begin to feel sad and sick.
There is no need to chain a representative of the breed, but periodically locking him in an enclosure is required. Always do this when the postman, repairman, courier, or anyone else comes to your home. Remember, such a pet should not interact with your guests. He needs to be isolated from them. In the enclosure, the dog must have bowls for water and food, toys and a soft bed.
If you decide to equip him with a booth, then it is not necessary to provide an additional sleeping place. These dogs shed all year round. Their undercoat, which is periodically renewed, looks like tiny needles. It is extremely unpleasant if it gets on clothes or food, which is why we recommend systematically combing them out with a comb or brush.
Don't forget about the Cane Corso's drooling. A huge amount of thick liquid is released from its mouth, especially when eating or drinking. We recommend wiping your dog's face with a cloth after he eats or drinks. This will help prevent her saliva from getting on people, household items, or furniture.
Advice! You should not go for a walk with such a dog immediately after he has eaten. Give him a chance to digest his food.
Some tips for caring for your Cane Corso:
- Comb his fur all over his body, not just in certain areas.
- Trim his nails once a month unless he sharpens them himself.
- Wash his face to clear it of saliva, tears, and food debris.
- Brush his teeth to prevent plaque from destroying the enamel on their surface.
Cane Corso will never attack without the owner's command
Regarding walking. It is advisable to take a large pet outside every day, even if he lives in a house and not in an apartment. While the dog is walking, it spends the energy reserve that it accumulates during the day, after which it rests well.
Understanding society (2-3 months)
This is the best period for weaning a puppy from its mother and brothers; getting to know and getting used to the new owner. The puppy needs to see all the diversity of the world around him.
During this period, the pet is the most gentle, inquisitive and sociable.
He studies any situation with interest: in the apartment it is the noise of a vacuum cleaner, the sound of a microwave oven, a telephone signal; on the street - the noise of wind, rain and other little things.
When meeting a stranger, the puppy runs up without fear and trustfully examines the new object.
At this stage, the puppy has a developed desire to learn . Don't miss this moment.
Having memorized the nickname, you need to move on to mastering the basic commands: “fu”, “place”, “come to me”, “sit”, “lie down”.
During this period, the pet must be handled carefully (they are too sensitive and vulnerable), avoid stressful moments, encouraging the Kange Corso with treats.
For the proper development of a puppy, it is necessary to pay attention not only to the upbringing, but also to the feeding of the pet.
It is worth adding that at three months of age the puppy should have five meals a day, including meat, dairy products and cereals.
At this age, the weight of a male puppy should be from 12 to 14 kg, and for a female puppy - from 10 to 13 kg.
Nutrition
The Cane Corso eats quite a lot, as he is large and energetic, so he needs a lot of calories, which his body will convert into energy. For a dog to be healthy and strong, he needs a balanced diet, the basis of which should be proteins.
A puppy of a large breed of dog should eat raw meat, cottage cheese, boiled buckwheat porridge, stewed vegetables and soup daily. Meals should be varied. Meals should be organized at the same time of day and evening. This will allow the dog’s young body to function better.
It recommends feeding adult dogs a ready-made diet and vitamins. It is advisable to purchase dry food for them, 30 kg per bag. Preference should be given to a premium or super-premium product, as it is considered to be the most useful. We recommend using vegetables, fruits and bone meal as vitamin supplements.
Walks with your Cane Corso should be active, with games and running.
Memory period (4-7 weeks)
During this period, the puppies are too sensitive, they develop conditioned reflexes, which means that the puppies are quite ready for learning and training.
By the age of two months, the puppy’s weight should be from 6 to 8.5 kg. Incorrect and untimely adaptation can become a prerequisite for problems in the pet’s relationship with the outside world.
At this stage, it is worth observing the crumbs and determining the character of the future adult dog: who is the entertainer, the leader, and who is the impressive couch potato.
Weak kittens must be taken under guardianship; bullies are simply observed, distracted, and not punished.
In the future, he can grow into a champion, the pride of the owner. By forbidding a dog to communicate with other people, the owner makes a mistake. Subsequently, the puppy may become fearful or even aggressive.
It will become almost impossible to change your behavior. Suspiciousness and distrust are unacceptable traits for a domestic dog.
Reproduction and lifespan
Large dogs are bred as well as medium and small ones. The rules are standard. Let's list them:
- Adult dogs over 1.5 years old are selected.
- They must be calm, adequate in all respects, not eccentric.
- They must not be blood relatives to each other.
- There are individuals on the territory of the male or in a neutral place.
The breeder must know how to distinguish a high-breed Cane Corso from a mixed breed. The female bears puppies for about 65 days. While they are growing up, you should not get too close to them. Healthy representatives of the breed live for about 12 years.
Choosing a dog
Before buying a puppy, you need to choose it correctly: carefully examine it to ensure it meets the breed standard and is free of diseases. Signs of a healthy representative of the breed that meets the standard:
- the body is rectangular, slightly stretched;
- large head with a massive and rather wide skull;
- muzzle with square outlines;
- large nose with well-open nostrils;
- bite is straight or with a slight overshot;
- oval, straight-set eyes;
- triangular drooping or cropped ears;
- absence of umbilical or inguinal hernia and skin rash;
- clean, discharge-free eyes and nose.
The puppy must be active, cheerful and inquisitive; aggression and fear are unacceptable.
Price
There are few purebred Cane Corsos in Russia. Most private breeders offer mestizos, which are passed off as purebred representatives of the breed. Therefore, before purchasing, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the documents for the animal, especially in detail you should study its veterinary passport. Ask the seller if he vaccinated the puppy, in which clinic this happened, what exactly was injected, etc.
If he cannot give you intelligible answers to questions regarding the dog’s health, you should not rush to buy it. So you risk getting a pig in a poke. It is better to trust professional breeders who will definitely offer you a purebred and beautiful pet. The price of a Cane Corso with a pedigree is from 25 to 35 thousand rubles.
Main stages of development
from 3 to 8 weeks - a period of rapid growth
During this period, Corso puppies undergo primary socialization. They leave the nest on their own and explore the world around them. The lessons learned at this stage are critical.
Puppies that have been weaned too early tend to be more nervous and bark and bite more often. Often this happens only because these lessons that the puppy should have learned from the mother and from her litter were missed. Problems with training and further socialization can also often be attributed to puppies that are separated from the litter too early.
Starting at 3 weeks of age, puppies learn:
- basic dog behavior patterns
- the meaning of a bite and what it feels like to be bitten
- the meanings of various positions and their effect on the mother and litter
- the meaning of barking and other sounds
- how to establish relationships and interact with other dogs
After 5 weeks, puppies begin to understand:
- the need to obey the leader of the pack
- complex behavior patterns, as well as the meaning of most sounds and postures
The mother of the puppies will growl and grab her puppies, thereby giving them clear signals about acceptable behavior. Soon after birth, a short glance or a subtle growl will be enough to control the mother's young puppy. The puppies in the litter will also learn to understand signals when communicating with each other.
Education and training
For a fighting dog, the owner becomes a person who trains it regularly. It is for him that she gains respect and learns to serve. The representative of the breed is prone to learning; he does not seek to avoid training, as he is curious about everything new, especially the training process.
It is extremely important to start building a hierarchical relationship with him early. The Cane Corso is a serious and large dog that will only become disciplined if it has a strong owner-leader. She must learn to obey from an early age, preferably at 3 months. Therefore, we advise you to take care of the animal while it is socialized in your home.
For example, accompany him while he explores the territory of the house; you can first attach a leash to his collar. Control your pet's movements, prohibit him from jumping over the fence or digging near it. To satisfy your pet's thirst for new knowledge, go for walks with him every day.
Don't forget about physical activity. Such a strong dog needs to be literally exhausted so that it loses the energy accumulated during the day. The simplest option is to throw a stick into the distance and ask her to bring it. But you can let your Cane Corso off the leash only after he learns to calmly walk next to you and not be distracted by anyone.
It is very important to teach such a dog to adequately greet guests. He should not react to them in any way if his owner is nearby. Invite him to sniff the guest and sit next to him. Control your pet's mood. If he is dissatisfied with something, it is better to lock him in the enclosure until the guest leaves.
Possible diseases and methods of treating them
The voluminous body of the Cane Corso is a tasty morsel for parasitic creatures such as fleas, ticks and worms. The presence of these parasites significantly reduces the dog's quality of life. She becomes restless and eats poorly. In addition, her immune defense deteriorates. What to do in this case? Antiparasitic treatment. It should be carried out annually, even for preventive purposes.
Some large pets often experience otitis media or other ear diseases. Usually their appearance is associated with improper care. To prevent the occurrence of such a disease, regularly inspect your dog's ears for wax. If there is any, remove it with a napkin. If the veterinarian confirms the presence of otitis media, you will have to purchase special medicinal drops.
And, of course, don’t forget about strengthening your pet’s health with proper nutrition. Don't skimp on his diet! Buy only high-quality commercial diets. In winter, give him vegetables and fruits to replenish the lack of vitamins in his body.
