Cane Corso Dogs of War
Cane Corso Dogs of war are also called Italian Corso Dogs, Cane Corso Mastiff, Italian Mastiffs, Italian Molosso, and Cane da Macellaio. It’s an ancient Molosser-type breed looking more impressive than most modern mastiffs. The exact origin of the Cane Corso Dog is unknown. The present-day Cane Corso Dog is a reconstruction of the old breed that was on the brink of extinction in the 1980s. The new breed developed from a few dogs and has a limited gene pool, so it might have lost some characteristics of the ancient war dog.
This breed has common ancestors with the Neapolitan Mastiff. While the Neapolitans are famous for their strength, Cane Corso Dogs of war favor agility and speed. Both these breeds were used to control farm stock, guard the property, protect the master, and hunt big game. Today, they serve mostly as guards and family companions. Cane Corso Dogs are good at agility, conformation, obedience, and other dog sports.
Cane Corso Dogs of war are not very large compared to their ancient ancestors. Males stand from 25 to 27 inches at the withers; females are 23.5 to 26 inches at the withers. The weight should be proportionate to the height. These dogs are sturdy, muscular, and athletic, with a strong skeleton and without excessive heaviness. Like in all Molosser-type dogs, the head of the Cane Corso Dog should be very large. The length of the head in quality dogs reaches 36% of the dog’s wither height.
Cane Corso Dogs of war have dark colored almond-shaped eyes with an alert and intelligent expression. The ears may be cropped or left in a natural shape. The nose is large with open nostrils. The color of the nose matches the coat color. Cane Corso Dogs have a well-defined stop; their forehead can be slightly wrinkled. Level and slightly undershot bite is preferred in this breed.
The coat in this breed is short, dense, and lying close to the body. Preferred coat colors are black, red, shades or gray and fawn. All these colors can be brindled (with black stripes.) Dogs with solid fawn and red coat should have a darker mask. Black-and-tan Cane Corso Dogs of war are disqualified.
