Cane Corso
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Medium to large in size. Robust and vigorous dog, however, with great elegance. Lean and powerful muscles.
Personality: Obedient, agile and guardian.
Energy Level : Very Active.
Good with children: Yes.
Good with other dogs: With supervision.
Grooming: Seasonal.
Life expectancy : 10-12 years.
Bark level: Bark when necessary.
HISTORICAL SUMMARY
Its direct descendant is ancient Roman Molosso. Formerly spread throughout Italy, in the recent past the breed was prevalent only in the province of Apulia and the adjacent regions of southern Italy. Its name derives from the Latin “cohors”, which means “protector, guardian of the farm”.
Country of Origin: Italy.
BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT: Guardian of property, family and livestock; It is extremely agile and obedient. In the past, it was used to guard livestock and hunt large animals.
HEAD: Broad and typically molossoid. A slight convergence of the upper longitudinal axes of the skull and muzzle, but no obvious wrinkles.
CRANIAL REGION
Skull: Broad at the level of the zygomatic arches, its width is equal to or greater than its length. Convex at the forehead, and flattens slightly behind the forehead to the occiput. The middle frontal sulcus is visible, starting at the 'stop' and ending approximately in the middle of the skull.
Stop: Well defined, with prominent frontal breasts.
FACIAL REGION
Truffle: Black. A gray mask has a colored nose of the same shade. Nose wide, with widely open nostrils. Nose located in the same line as the nasal bridge.
Muzzle: Strong, square, noticeably shorter than the skull, skull:snout ratio approximately 2:1. The front of the muzzle is flat; their side faces are parallel; the muzzle is as wide as it is long. Seen from the side, it's profound. Viewed in profile, the nasal bridge is straight.
Lips: The upper lips, viewed from the front, form an inverted “U” where they meet; viewed from the side, hang moderately. They cover the lower jaw and determine the profile of the underside of the snout.
Jaws and Teeth: The jaws are very wide, thick and curved. Slight undershot but not more than 5 mm. Pincer bite is tolerable but not desired. Cheeks: The masseteric region is totally evident, but not bulging.
Eyes: Medium in size, slightly protruding, but never exaggerated. They close in an oval shape, set well apart almost in the subfrontal position. The eyelids are well adherent. The iris color is as dark as possible, but in keeping with the coat color. The expression is alive and alert.
Ears: Triangular, hanging, of medium size. With a broad base, located high above the zygomatic arches. Ears are not cropped.
NECK: Strong, muscular, as long as the head.
BODY: The body is slightly longer than the height at the withers. Strongly built, but not square.
Withers: Pronounced, raised above the level of the croup.
Back: Straight, well muscled and firm.
Loin: Short and strong.
Croup: Long and broad, slightly sloping.
Chest: Chest well developed in all dimensions, reaching down to the elbow.
TAIL: Natural. Set relatively high; very thick at the root. In action, carried high, but never erect or curled.
MEMBERS
PREVIOUS
Shoulders: Long, slanted, well muscled.
Arms: Strong.
Forearms: Straight, very strong.
Carpals: Elastics.
Pastern: Elastic and only slightly inclined.
Forelegs: Cat's paws.
HINDQUARTERS
Thigh: Long, broad, with the posterior line of the thigh convex.
Legs: Dry, not fleshy. Knees: Solid, moderately angled.
Hocks: Moderately bent.
Metatarsals: Thick and tough.
Hindfeet: A little less compact than the forefeet.
GATHER: Long strides, long trot; trot is the preferred movement.
SKIN: Thick and well adherent.
COAT
Coat: Short, glossy, very dense with a light glassy undercoat.
Color: Black, lead grey, slate grey, light grey, light fawn; deer red and dark fawn; dark wheat color (stripes in different shades of fawn or gray); in fawn and brindle dogs, the black or gray mask on the muzzle must not go beyond the eye line. A small white spot on the chest, on the fingertips and over the bridge of the nose is acceptable.
SIZE: Height at the withers: Males: 64 – 68 cm. Females: 60 – 64 cm. With a tolerance of 2 cm above or below the sizes.
WEIGHT: Males: 45 – 50 kg. Females: 40 – 45 kg. Weight according to the size of the dog. The skull should be flat and of moderate width, gradually decreasing in width towards the eyes and narrowing towards the muzzle.
FAULTS
Any deviation from this standard should be considered a fault and penalized in exact proportion to its severity and its effects on the health and well-being of the dog.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS
• Aggressiveness or excessive shyness.
• Any dog that shows any sign of physical or behavioral anomaly must be disqualified.
• Atypical dogs.