AKC Standard Cane Corso
NECK, TOPLINE, BODY
FOREQUARTERS
Strong and muscular, well-proportioned to the size of the dog. Straight when viewed from the front or side; height of the limb at the elbow is equal to 50% of the height at the withers.
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SHOULDERS: Muscular, laid back.
UPPER ARMS: Strongly muscled, with good bone, powerful.
ELBOWS: Held parallel to the ribcage, turning neither in nor out.
FORELEGS: Straight and with good bone, well muscled.
PASTERNS: Almost straight, strong but flexible.
FEET: Round with well-arched toes (catlike). Lean, hard, dark pads and nails, except in the case of white toes.
FRONT DEWCLAWS: Can remain or be removed. If left intact, there should only be a single dewclaw on each leg.
HINDQUARTERS
Strong and muscular, well-proportioned to the size of the dog. Straight when viewed from the front or side; height of the limb at the elbow is equal to 50% of the height at the withers.
COAT
The coat is short, stiff, shiny, adherent and dense with a light undercoat that becomes thicker in cold weather.
COLOR
Acceptable colors are black, lighter and darker shades of gray, lighter and darker shades of fawn, and red. Brindling is allowed on all of these colors. Solid fawn and red, including lighter and darker shades, have a black or gray mask. The mask does not go beyond the eyes. There may be a white patch on the chest, throat, chin, backs of the pasterns, and on the toes.
DISQUALIFICATION: Any color with tan pattern markings as seen in black-and-tan breeds.
GAIT
The movement is free-flowing and powerful, yet effortless, with strong reach and drive. As the dog accelerates, the feet converge toward a center line of gravity in a near-single track. When viewed from the side, the topline remains level, with minimal roll or bounce.
TEMPERAMENT
The Cane Corso as a protector of their property and owners is unequaled. Intelligent, they are easily trained. Noble, majestic and powerful, their presence is impressive. They are docile and affectionate to their owner, loving with children and family.
SUMMARY
The overall conformation of the dog should be well-balanced and proportionate. The foregoing description is that of the ideal Cane Corso; any deviation from the above described dog is penalized to the extent of the deviation.
DISQUALIFICATIONS
Yellow bird of prey or blue eyes. More than two missing teeth or wry mouth. Undershot more than a 1/4 inch. Any color with tan pattern markings as seen in black-and-tan breeds. A natural tail that is atrophied or a natural tail knotted and laterally deviated or twisted.
About the Breed
The Cane Corso is large, well muscled and more athletic than most other mastiffs. The overall impression should be of power, balanced with athleticism.
Cane Corso are easy to obedience train, have a willingness to please, and form a close attachment with their primary owner. They are also excellent family dogs and especially tolerant of children in the immediate family. As puppies, a Corso must have strong leadership and training, and although they easily learn the basic commands, any owner understands that the difficult part is controlling and molding the Corso’s strong protective instinct. Powerful and imposing, a Cane Corso is highly suspicious of strangers, and for this reason aggression should never be encouraged. Because of their need to keep the status quo, a Corso often dislikes new things, animals, and people, so the owner must be careful when introducing the dog to new places and people. Cane Corso tend to be a quiet breed, though they will bark at anything about which they are unsure. For the most part, they like nothing better than staying next to their owner all the time. They are extremely loyal.
A true Corso should be indifferent when approached and should only react when a real threat is present. Of course, socialization is the key to controlling the dog’s natural protective instincts, because a Corso will find anything threatening if not properly socialized as a puppy. If socialized properly as a puppy, a Cane Corso can get along with other dogs and people. Corso are historically working dogs that need exercise and are at their best when they have a job to do.
The average life span of a Cane Corso is 10 to 12 years.
The Cane Corso is not the perfect breed for everyone. As a breed they have a few features that some people find charming, but that some people find mildly unpleasant and some people find downright intolerable.
If you are not familiar with Cane Corso's, we encourage you to educate yourself as thoroughly as possible. This breed is known for its dominant personality and is best suited to be placed with a confident and experienced dog owner. There are different breeds for different needs. Considering that there are over 200 purebred breeds of dogs in the world, you might be better served with some other variety.
The Cane Corso is not the perfect breed for everyone…
Do not get a Cane Corso if you are attracted to the breed chiefly by its appearance. A dog is not an accessory! If you would like a dog because you think he looks tough or makes you look tough, this is not a reason to get a Cane Corso.