What is the best size for a Cane Corso?
Many novice Cane Corso enthusiasts (including new breeders) often believe that bigger must be better
a dog must be a better or more intimidating guard than 120lb
This is a common misconception here in the US among hobbyists with no actual “working” dog experience
The CC is a “working” dog breed
The CC was originally bred to be a fighting dog and protect Roman soldiers on the battlefield during hand-to-hand combat
It is most believed that this was done by the Roman Empire during the first century
It is believed by many experts that it was during this period that the race split into 2 separate races
The Cane Corso and the Neapolitan Mastiff
The Cane Corso was created to be a dog that was considered the perfect combination of courage, strength and power, speed, agility and endurance
They went to great lengths to produce a muscular and athletic dog that had great functionality as a fighting guard
So what’s wrong with breeding the biggest and heaviest Corso possible?
It simply lacks the agility, speed and stamina needed to be the best protection/guard dog
This goes for any race that works not just for the Corso
If you don’t believe me google any “working” dog trainer and ask their opinion on the subject
In the US it is popular for breeders to breed for “size” so one of the easiest ways to do this is to cross in the Neopolitan Mastiff but still register the puppies as pure Cane Corsos (this is called hanging papers, a dishonest practice)
While this produces a larger dog, it is usually a slower dog with saggy skin and much less athletic ability and stamina
Also these dogs will have much less bite force compared to a true Cane Corso
compared to the 700psi bite force of the true Corso, which is one of the strongest in the world
But when it comes to the Cane Corso it’s better to think in terms of “The baddest dog on the block” instead of “The biggest dog on the block” They are not the same
Although he is a little larger than the breed standard he still maintains good agility, speed and endurance along with tremendous power and strength
Note the smaller athletic waist that allows for fast lateral movement along with the heavily muscled hind legs used to generate great speed and explosive power
Just like human athletes, correct proportions are essential for a True Traditional Cane Corso