Get to know

Cane Corso

Written by
Caroline Coile, Ph.D.,
 author of 34 dog books.
Veterinarian reviewed
 by Nate Ritter, DVM.
Written by
Caroline Coile, Ph.D.,
 author of 34 dog books, including the top-selling Barron's Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds.

Veterinarian reviewed

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Iconic Corso Kennel

This personal body guard is plenty macho, but it’s not the breed for everyone.

The Cane Corso (Kah-Nay KOR-Soh) is an ancient Italian guard dog that’s taken America by storm. With body-builder good looks and superhero bravery, they can serve as guardians of family and home. But they need lots of training and socialization and that means lots and lots of time.
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$3.1k average price

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At a glance

Moderate Energy

Energy level

3/5

Minimal Maintenance

Grooming

1/5

Extra large

Size

Protective, suspicious, devoted

Temperament

9-12 years

Lifespan

Average Trainability

Training

3/5

Quiet

Barking

1/5

At a glance

  • Energy level

    Moderate Energy

  • Grooming

    Minimal Maintenance

  • Size

    Extra large

  • Temperament

    Protective, suspicious, devoted

  • Lifespan

    9-12 years

  • Training

    Average Trainability

  • Barking

    Quiet

Why people love the breed

Cool, calm and collected—the Cane Corso’s got your back!
With roots reaching back to Roman molossian war dogs, they’re like having your own Roman gladiator watching your back. In the right hands, this personal bodyguard is a true partner that will never forsake you and protect you with its life. And if you like a powerful physique, Cane Corso dogs are natural-born bodybuilders without having to lift weights! But be warned; despite their appeal to many new dog owners, they really need experienced owners with strong leadership skills.

Appearance

Big, buff and built for power—the Cane Corso is an imposing athlete!
Members of the mastiff family, Cane Corsos have a large stature and are naturally muscular. They appeal to those wanting a strong athletic dog built for power without sacrificing speed and agility. These dogs are surprisingly light on their feet. They’re longer than tall, have long legs, and a medium build. The short, close-fitting coat accentuates their muscles. When they run, they appear free-flowing and powerful. In countries in which it’s legal the ears are typically cropped very short, and the thick tail may be docked at its fourth vertebra (although many owners choose to leave them long). Their head is broad, with powerful jaws. The coat is short, stiff and dense. It is form-fitting, with an almost velvet appearance. The AKC standard approves the colors of black, all shades of gray, fawn or red, with or without brindling. The fawns and reds have a black or gray mask.

Grooming

Grooming is about as easy as it gets.
The short coat needs minimal brushing. Once a month will get you by, but in truth, they would appreciate it much more often. It feels great. Use a bristle brush to remove dead hairs. They also need just an occasional bath—which they would appreciate less often! Check the ears regularly, trim the nails with a nail clipper made for large dogs as needed (more often in older or sedentary dogs), and brush the teeth every day.
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Nitro Cane Corso and Elite Babydoll Yorkies

Breed temperament and characteristics

They’re like having a personal bodyguard—who also likes to snuggle.
Bred as warriors, guardians and all-around farm dogs that could control unruly bulls and hunt tough game, Cane Corsos don't back down from danger. They were bred to be suspicious, protective and utterly devoted. Don’t expect them to warm up to strangers; they're more likely to watch your guests like they’re planning to rob you. Once accepted, though, guests are welcomed into their inner circle. They don't make a show out of warning people off; instead, they’re confident and discrete—the Secret Service agents of the dog world. While alert and protective they also enjoy creature comforts and are happy to snooze on your furniture and even cuddle a bit with their person. They can even be silly!

Exercise

They love long walks, games of strength, and mental stimulation
The Cane Corso was bred to run down tough game, corral unruly cattle and protect its homeplace—and even act as a warrior. They will happily snooze on your couch or lounge in the yard as long as you make sure they get to exercise for at least an hour (preferably more) each day. A long walk or energetic play session will usually suffice. They enjoy games like tug or weight pulling that involve testing their strength. Some like to swim, but it varies. They are not good candidates for dog parks as they can be prone to dog selective or aggressive behavior. Besides physical exercise, Cane Corsos have active minds so need mental exercise. Without it, they can get bored and exercise their mind finding new ways to destroy your home. They can enjoy obedience exercises, trick training, rally competitions, protection sports and even dock diving. Try them all and see which your dog prefers—you may even go on to competition!
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Armonno Cane Corso

Training

Their strong bodies plus strong personalities mean they need training with persistent, but kind, leadership.
Training is essential in any strong breed. Fortunately, Cane Corsos are eager to please and learn new tasks quickly. They need consistent leadership to maintain good behavior. Be clear in your expectations, gentle in your guidance and steadfast in your rules. They are eager to please a leader, but can take advantage of an indecisive or timid person. Despite their tough dog appearance, they don’t do well being bullied into submission and can shut down. The best time to start training is with a young puppy, as they are particularly apt to try very hard to mind! They also need a lot of early socialization starting at a young age to learn to accept strange people and dogs. With guidance, a Cane Corso can grow to accept strangers---but still keep an eye on them.

Diet and nutrition

As a large breed with lots of muscles to feed, they do tend to eat a lot!
The Cane Corso has a large muscle mass and will need a food high in protein to build that muscle. The torso should have a slightly hourglass shape viewed from the top, with a very slightly tucked up abdomen and no dimple over the tail. An overweight dog may require a restricted diet with low calories but high protein ingredients. Neutered and spayed dogs will have slower metabolism so you will need to feed them less to avoid extra weight gain. Very young Cane Corso puppies will require feeding three to four times a day until around 4 months of age, then two times a day until around 9 months of age, transitioning to an adult diet at that time. For puppies, feed them high-quality puppy food formulated specifically for large breeds
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Relic Cane Corso

Health issues

Vet bills are usually higher for big dogs, but Cane Corsos don’t have many health problems.

Lifespan: 9 to 12 years.

Hip dysplasia

Common in large breed dogs, this complex condition involves both genetic and environmental factors and arises when the head of the femur doesn’t fit in the pelvic socket, causing arthritis and lameness. No genetic test is available to date, therefore, the recommended screening test is x-rays.

Elbow dysplasia

Found more often in larger breeds, this is a condition in which the elbow joint develops inappropriately, causing arthritis and lameness. No genetic test is available to date, therefore, the recommended screening test is x-rays.

Gastric dilatation-volvulus

A life-threatening sudden twisting of the stomach. It is an emergency that can be fatal if not treated immediately.

Ectropion and Entropion

Conditions in which the eyelids roll either outward (ectropion) or inward (entropion), resulting in irritation of the eye.

“Cherry eye” or glandular hypertrophy

Condition in which the third eyelid (nictitating membrane) becomes reddened, swollen and protrudes from the lower eyelid.

Distichiasis

The abnormal growth of eyelashes on the inside of the eyelid, resulting in irritation of the eye.

Idiopathic Epilepsy

Seizures of unknown cause that occur in the Cane Corso and usually present around the age of 2 years (typical age of onset ranges from 9 months to 5 years).

Learn more about health issues that may impact Cane Corso

History

From Roman warriors to farm dogs to nearly extinct—it’s been a rough ride!
The Cane Corso’s progenitors were Roman warriors that were called upon to make ultimate sacrifices involving bravery, running into battle against any enemy. They even carried buckets of flaming oil strapped to their back across enemy lines. After the fall of the Roman Empire they became all-purpose farm dogs, specializing in the tougher tasks such as guarding against robbers and wolves, controlling mean bulls or hunting large game. For some reason, they gradually vanished until only a few were left at the end of World War II. In the 1970s some people collected as many as they could from the Italian countryside and began to breed them. The breed reached the United States in 1988, and was recognized by the AKC in 2010. Once recognized, this working breed caught the public’s attention, and it underwent one of the fastest rises in popularity of any new AKC breed, currently ranked as the 21st most popular AKC breed in 2021. Cane Corso owners include Laila Ali, Gillian Andersen, Odell Beckham Jr, Vin Diesel, LeBron James, Patrick Mahones, Tracy Morgan, Sylvester Stallone, Quentin Tarantino and Robin Wright. The breed is particularly popular with sports players.
Cane Corso puppy sitting in the grass
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Phantom Corsos

Cane Corso laying in the sun on a deck
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Solterra Cane Corso

About the author

Canine specialist, Caroline Coile, Ph.D., is the author of 34 dog books, including the top-selling Barron's Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. She’s written thousands of magazine and web articles about dogs. She specializes in canine science, health, breeds and competitions. Caroline has won 20 national dog-writing awards, and was a 2015 Inductee into the Dog Writers Association of America Hall of Fame.

Veterinarian reviewed

Dr. Nate Ritter, DVM is the Veterinary Medical Director at Good Dog. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology from Lafayette College and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, New York State Veterinary Medical Society, the Veterinary Medical Association of New York City, and the Society for Theriogenology. Additionally, he is a USDA-accredited veterinarian.

Breed Scorecard

Characteristics and temperament

  • Affectionate with family

    4

  • Watchdog level

    5

  • Playfulness

    2

  • Adaptability

    2

  • Social needs

    4

  • Temperament

    Protective, suspicious, devoted, brave, determined

  • Intelligence

    3

  • Good with other dogs

    1

  • Good with cats or other pets

    2

  • Friendly with strangers

    1

  • Good as a service dog

    1

  • Good for apartments

    1

  • Barking level

    1

Appearance

  • Height

    23-27"

  • Size

    Extra large

  • Colors

    Gray and fawn, Chestnut brindle, Black, Black brindle, Fawn, Gray, Gray brindle, Red

  • Coat texture

    Short, stiff

  • Coat length

    short

Training

  • Trainability

    3

Exercise

  • Exercise needs

    3

  • Exercise time

    1 hr. daily

  • Mental exercise needs

    3

  • Favorite activities

    Hiking, tug games, weight pulling, protection sports, obedience

Grooming

  • Grooming needs

    1

  • Brushing frequency

    monthly

  • Needs professional grooming?

    No

  • Drooling level

    3

Health issues

  • Hip dysplasia

  • Elbow dysplasia

  • Gastric dilatation-volvulus

  • Ectropion and Entropion

  • “Cherry eye” or glandular hypertrophy

  • Distichiasis

  • Idiopathic Epilepsy

Other

  • Bred for

    Warriors, guardians, versatile farm dogs, tough-game hunters

  • Country of origin

    Italy

  • Popularity level

    2

FAQs

  • On Good Dog, you can search for Cane Corso puppies or dogs in rescues and shelters. Adopting a Cane Corso from a shelter or rescue is generally less expensive than buying a puppy from a breeder with ethical practices. Across the United States, there are dedicated rescues that specialize in specific breeds and may even help transport a Cane Corso dog to you from another part of the country. Although it can be more cost-effective, adopting the exact breed you're looking for is typically more difficult than working with a responsible breeder. Learn more about adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue.

  • The typical price for Cane Corso puppies for sale may vary based on the breeder and individual puppy. On average, the price of Cane Corso puppies from a breeder is $3,050.

  • Sometimes they don’t know their own strength so they can knock people down without realizing it. They can also pull them over if they pull too hard on a leash. They have great body and jaw strength so any mistake can be serious. As with any breed bred as a guardian, care must be taken to socialize and train them to prevent aggression.

  • It varies. They really do best with stable families that are not too hectic, and who also have a lot of time to devote to them. They are often too strong for children or the elderly to handle, which can be dangerous in some situations.

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