Breed library

Cane Corso

Also known as Cane Corso Italiano, Corso, Italian Cane Corso, Italian Corso, Italian Corso Dog, Italian Mastiff.

Cane Corso photograph.
Cane corso temi 1 1024x768x24 (cropped).png - Claudio Domiziani. CC BY-SA 2.5. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cane_corso_temi_1_1024x768x24_(cropped).png. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5. License: CC BY-SA 2.5.

Breed overview

The Cane Corso is an Italian breed of mastiff. It is usually kept as a companion dog or guard dog; it may also be used to protect livestock. In the past it was used both for hunting large game and for herding cattle.

  • Country of origin: EuropeBreed reference country of origin.

Breed facts

  • According to the breed standard of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, the Cane Corso was once distributed throughout much of the Italian peninsula, but in the recent past was found only in Puglia, in southern Italy.
  • After the collapse of the mezzadria system of share-cropping in the 1960s, the dogs became rare.
  • The modern breed derives from selective breeding from about 1980 of a few surviving animals.
  • A breed society, the Società Amatori Cane Corso, was formed in 1983.
  • The breed was recognised by the Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana in 1994; it was provisionally accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1996, and received full acceptance in 2007.

Size and appearance

The Cane Corso is a large dog of molossoid type, strong and muscular but not without elegance; it is closely related to the Neapolitan Mastiff. According to the international standard, dogs should stand some 62 - 70 cm at the withers and weigh 45 - 50 kg; bitches are about 4 cm smaller, and weigh some 5 kg less. The head is large, slightly over one third of the height at the withers in length, with a well-defined stop. The top of the cranium is flat and slightly convergent to the muzzle. The eyes are oval in shape, and set well apart. The iris of the eye should be as dark as possible. The coat is short, dense and lustrous. It may be black, various shades of grey (lead-grey, light grey or slate-grey) or fawn (dark fawn, light fawn or stag red), or dark wheaten ('fromentino'); it may be brindled. Minor white markings on the chest, the feet or the nose are tolerated.

  • Body mass reference: 40 - 45 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 40 - 45 kg. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Body mass reference: Up to 45 kgBreed reference body mass. female, maximum.
  • Body mass reference: 40 kg or moreBreed reference body mass. female, minimum.
  • Body mass reference: 45 - 50 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 45 - 50 kg. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Body mass reference: Up to 50 kgBreed reference body mass. male, maximum.
  • Body mass reference: 45 kg or moreBreed reference body mass. male, minimum.
  • Height reference: 58 - 66 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 58 - 66 cm. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: 58 cm or moreBreed reference height. female, minimum.
  • Height reference: Up to 66 cmBreed reference height. female, maximum.
  • Height reference: 62 - 70 cmAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 62 - 70 cm. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: 62 cm or moreBreed reference height. male, minimum.
  • Height reference: Up to 70 cmBreed reference height. male, maximum.
  • Coat length: short
  • Height category: very_tall
  • Height category: tall
  • Weight category: large
  • Weight category: giant

Personality and behavior

Care planning: record what your dog enjoys, how they greet visitors, and how they respond to new places. Add notes after walks and training so you can see their habits over time. Where this profile includes behavior research, use the same named measures when comparing your shortlist.

  • Attachment and attention seeking (C-BARQ mean): 2.30 / 4Owner-reported attachment and attention seeking factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Chasing (C-BARQ mean): 1.83 / 4Owner-reported chasing factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Dog-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 1.06 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Dog-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.74 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Energy (C-BARQ mean): 2.05 / 4Owner-reported energy factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Excitability (C-BARQ mean): 1.92 / 4Owner-reported excitability factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Familiar-dog aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.53 / 4Owner-reported familiar-dog aggression factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Non-social fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.63 / 4Owner-reported non-social fear factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Owner-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.11 / 4Owner-reported owner-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Separation-related problems (C-BARQ mean): 0.70 / 4Owner-reported separation-related problems factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Stranger-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.88 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Stranger-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.68 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Touch sensitivity (C-BARQ mean): 0.63 / 4Owner-reported touch sensitivity factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.
  • Trainability (C-BARQ mean): 2.71 / 4Owner-reported trainability factor mean for US reference population Cane Corso.

Exercise and activities

The Cane Corso is usually kept as a companion dog or guard dog; it may also be used to protect livestock. In the past it was used both for hunting large game and for herding cattle. It is subject to a working trial: in order to qualify for registration, dogs must show tranquillity in the presence of inoffensive strangers, indifference to gunfire, and aggressive defence of the owner against an attacker.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

  • Coat length: short

Health and lifespan

Care planning: keep your dog's veterinary records, health-check dates and agreed care plan together. Add reminders for appointments and record changes you want to discuss at the next visit. Use the linked breed organizations and original references to explore their current health resources.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

Compare breeds

Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

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Breed history

According to the breed standard of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale, the Cane Corso was once distributed throughout much of the Italian peninsula, but in the recent past was found only in Puglia, in southern Italy. After the collapse of the mezzadria system of share-cropping in the 1960s, the dogs became rare. The modern breed derives from selective breeding from about 1980 of a few surviving animals. A breed society, the Società Amatori Cane Corso, was formed in 1983. The breed was recognised by the Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana in 1994; it was provisionally accepted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in 1996, and received full acceptance in 2007. It was recognised by the American Kennel Club of the United States in 2010.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Cane Corso - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Cane Corso, revision 1378621905. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cane_Corso&action=history
  2. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  3. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  4. File:Cane corso temi 1 1024x768x24 (cropped).pngWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 2.5. Cane corso temi 1 1024x768x24 (cropped).png - Claudio Domiziani. CC BY-SA 2.5. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cane_corso_temi_1_1024x768x24_(cropped).png. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5.
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
  6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.