The Cane Corso has gained a great deal of popularity in recent years. While this breed can make a great family companion it is important to choose the right dog and start obedience training right away.
Because of their popularity there are many breeders of this breed who contribute to health and temperament problems due to a lack of breeding skill. Seek out reputable breeders when choosing your Cane Corso.
Origin
The history of the Cane Corso breed is shrouded in mystery. The Cane Corso is likely to have descended from the same root stock as the Neapolitan Mastiff, the infamous Roman war dog “Canes Pugnax”.
This breed was used originally on farms for stock control and as watch dogs and they were sometimes used as hunters for larger game animals.
The breed nearly went extinct but was saved through the efforts of enthusiasts for the breed in the 1980s.
Appearance and Abilities
The Cane Corso is medium to large molossus dog. Compared to other mastiffs, it is leaner and more finely muscled. They are considered athletic with a balanced combination of speed, agility, and strength.
They have big, strong bones. The male Cane Corso is about 27.5 inches in height at withers and 26 inches for females. They have an alert and attentive expression and oftentimes their face wrinkles to a frown when they are observing.
The Cane Corso has a short and shiny coat that is stiff, dense, and adherent. They have a light undercoat that thickens when in cold weather. Acceptable coat 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.
Temperament and Tendencies
The Cane Corso is a naturally docile breed with an even temperament. They are alert but steady and calm and they will not spring into action unless real threat is present. Their guarding instincts are high and they may seem indifferent at first but they will warm to you as time goes by. The Cane Corso are wired to be suspicious especially to strangers but they will usually remain quiet until provoked.
They are very intelligent and easily trained and they are loyal and devoted to their master and will protect their family at all costs. They are noble and majestic in their actions; their presence is imposing. When they are with his family, they are warm and affectionate even with little children. The Cane Corso is a dependable and faithful companion.
The Cane Corso has an impressively high tolerance to pain. They are bred to guard; but they are not considered a fighting breed but they will not back down to any challenge. They are very courageous and they believes that it’s their purpose to protect their masters and their master’s property.
Training and Care
With strong guarding instincts, the Cane Corso requires early and extensive socialization. Socialization will not make it less of a watchdog but it will make the dog less aggressive and more tentative to spring into hostile action. A poorly socialized Cane Corso will become too aggressive and may lose its composure even to the most trivial things. Lack of socialization will make the Cane Corso believe that almost everything is a threat.
Natural authority must be imposed to the Cane Corso. Always assume the pack leader status. The dog will be happy to serve his leader. If the Cane Corso knows his place in the pecking order it will be easier to train and manage. Well-trained Cane Corsos are wonderful to be around. Owners will feel secure and blessed to have a Cane Corso at their side.
86 Responses to “How to Train a Cane Corso”
i just brought a cane corso,he’s 6 wks and he is a brindle.This is’nt my first dog,but with my last dog i made many mistakes,such as not spending enought time,not training my dog properly,the list goes on. I just had his ears in tail croped.he had his first shot but i was told not to bring him out of the house until his second so i’ve been keeping him in a cage is this badd or good? can someone help me not make the same mistake again?????
The first thing to consider is you may have already made a mistake in getting a dog so young. Dogs that are taken away too young can develop certain behavior problems. Is there a reason the breeder didn’t keep the pup until 7 or 8 weeks of age?
What you need is a plan. If you are going to work with this dog and stick to it then you need a blueprint of sorts to make that happen. Actionable items that you can work on every day to help the pup progress. Use this site and it’s resources or even our puppy training dvds to help you accomplish that.
Best of luck.
You can let him out of the cage! The vet is just warning to stay away from strange dogs that could spread an unwanted illness if your puppy isn’t vaccinated against it. When toilet training a dog, having the dog in the cage as much as possible is a good idea *PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE TAKEN OUTSIDE TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES EVERY 1-1.5 HOURS* That is the best way to teach toilet manners. Once they have their second shots socialize as MUCH As possible! Dog parks, puppy play dates and regular walks will allow him to interact with other dogsa nd see that they aren’t a threat.
I have a Cane Corso, and the worst thing you can do is not let him out of the house. 8-12 weeks is the most impressionable time in a Corso’s life. What happens in that crucial time can shape him for the rest of his life. Take him everywhere he can go with you. Even if it is just up the road to the store and back. Just having him ride in the car and experience sights and sounds will be good for him. You only have to worry about him being around sick dogs, or places where other sick dogs have been. As long as you avoid those places, you will be fine. You can take him to family, friends houses, etc… Good luck
Good god first off who ever gave/sold it to you at 6 weeks has no clue, that puppy should have been held till atleast 8-12 weeks because they must have/ learn social skills at that stage
More why the hell would you lock up a puppy in a cage, maybe you should start small and get a damn fish.
Why would you ever get a pet before knowing how to care for it especially a cane corso.
Truthfuly you do that breed that puppy and yourself a disservice. At least a fish won’t get euthanized because of its owners incompetence.
Sorry to be mean but the situation you described is a train wreck waiting to happen.
And I’m aware this topic is old but the bottom line is in the end the dog suffers and that makes baby Jesus cry.
Seriously get a fish or turtle and you wont wreck a puppies life
Sorry if the truth hurts but I bet a dog hurts more being put down because its owner was ill equipped
When puppies claw up the moms nipple area is when they have to be weaned to the mushy food before solid food
The aggressive behavior should be addressed by a quality traine
GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND, do the damn research before you accidentally ruin a dogs life, with the proper knowledge a cane corso will be the best pet you could ask foh
Hi, i have just read the above comment, my partner and i also got our cane corso at about 6weeks, as the puppies were hurting the mothers nipples and i believe she was kept for breeding but what are the usual behavioural problems. Bruno, our 1yr old cane corso, has been fine, exercised daily, and socialised from the word go, we also have a female rottie with us. The other week Bruno had an altercation with another dog a refused to back down, we dont really know what has set it off. We have since asked the help of our local kennel, they have discovered that Bruno is fine with bitches no matter what breed, but will just bark and try to attack male dogs. What can we do?!
Thank you
I find that dogs taken too early can have a harder time learning to not bite and nip, sometimes have harder times relating to other dogs, can have higher rates of aggression and other problems like that.
Dog aggression is not uncommon in Cane Corsos. At what level of training are you?
Get him neutered - Its a common problem with CCI. They WILL try to dominate dog of the same sex.
I just got a cane this weekend and she is a spayed almost 2 year old and she is a sweet heart with my kids and was doing great with my 5 year old lab mix until tosay when she wanted to play and he didnt and he warned her and then she got mad at his warning amd grabbed his ear and woulnt let go. Even when i was telling her no she didnt listen and i had to literally pull her off him and then i held her to the ground till she calmed down. Im really worried cuz my lab is an amazing gentle and calm dog and he didnt want to fight. I guess im just wondering what a good way is to teach her im the alpha in the house and that she need to leave my lab alone. Cuz my kids and my dog were herr first so i am just not sure how to teach her to submit to them too.
You can read all sorts of craziness online about how to be an ‘alpha’ a ‘leader’, etc. Most of it is wrong. Really what it boils down to is solid obedience. If your dog comes when called every time she is putting your will first. If your dog stays when told, even with doorbells ringing, other dogs, kids, etc. then she is putting your will first. If she walks perfectly on leash she is putting your will first. It all boils down to leadership through obedience.
We recommend these two products for achieving that level of obedience-
https://www.dogbehavioronline.com/foundation-obedience-pb
https://www.dogbehavioronline.com/advanced-ecollar-obedience-p
i have a cane corso he is 14wks is he to old to get his ears croped
Ear cropping is a question for your veterinarian.
Hi,
Congrats on your puppy. Most vets will not crop ears at all and the ones that do, won’t do it aftre 10 weeks. I was debating on doing my pups ears as well but then we decided against it. It’s still going to be a Cane Corso whether you crop the ears or not - they will still have that look on their face that will let people know not to mess with them. Good luck - I am training my pup every day - I have a four year old shepherd and I let them play but my pup doens’t back down from anything and that’s why they say socialization is key for these dogs - they won’t be less of a guard dog if you socialize so don’t worry about that:)
I just don’t understand why anyone would want to cut their dog up anyway. I have a cane corso as well and a lot of his personality comes from his ears and tail! I watch both areas to figure out his mood! It’s cruel to chop them up……
Hello my name is ruben and i have a cane corso cross boxer with 9 months, he’s very good but is very excited when we come home or when you going to a place that he likes like cries a lot,what can i do?
That is simply a matter of seperation anxiety. My 9 month old pitbull is the exact same way. And my pitbull before was too. Cries when we leave and is overly excited when we come home. I’ve always been told that keeping a tv or radio on and giving the dog something with your scent on it will help soothe them
You dont talk touch our make eye contact when you get home the excitement will get under control due to not acknowledging it. As for when you leave try crating your dogto simulate a den area that he feels safe in and don’t say bye to him just leave. That way he doesn’t associate your leaving with a word and it won’t trigger his crying. This has worked with my dogs and now they even create themselves when a thunderstorm comes along
Hi Ty ! We live in the Virgin Islands and we just got a brindle cane corso - 11 weeks. We have 3 kids (between ages 1-7) and would like to know how we can properly train at home . I noticed online most owners have their corsos tail and ears trimmed is there are reason for this? and what is the cut off age to do so . Thanks in advance
To be honest, your best bet on the question about about tails and ears is best left to your breeder. Regarding the training, check out the articles and videos on this site. We’ve got plenty of free resources and we’ve also got our DVDs for sale to help speed up the training process.
There is absolutely no reason to crop ears or tail on your dog. I live in another country, and here, its forbidden to do so, simply because theres no reason for it. On the contrary; you often see dogs suffering from pains in the ears, as they arent able to keep the cold wind away from their sensitive ears during winter. You are not even allowed to present a cropped dog in shows/competition, and youre not allowed to breed on them.
Think about it. It serves no purpose for the dog OR you. One thing is you being willing to undergo cosmetic surgery on yourself; another thing is to let someone who is 100% dependent on you do it, simply because it pleases your eye.
I’m not coming out for or against tail docking and ear cropping. I do want to clear up, however, that there are many reasons for doing so. In certain breeds you will find less instances of ear infections with cropped ears, tail docking can help working dogs avoid injury, etc. You may not be a fan of the reasons or find them valid but there definitely are many reasons for doing these things.
When dogs play roughly they tend to latch onto the ears, frequently resulting in torn ears. The ears are the most sensitive part of the dog. Their tails untouched are whip-like, and easily become damaged hitting corners of walls etc. They will bleed. Then they continue to wagg and spray blood,also rough play tail grabbing will result in bleeding .
Remember they don’t back down
Google is your friend, you can easily find pics of damaged ears that can deform the ears and require surgery.
Cropping ears prevents a lot of issue’s, yeast infections and mites flourish in dark damp environments. Cropping the ear changes that .
As far as people opposing these practices, do what you want with your pets but dont presume to dictate what others can and cant do.
Amen.
My 2 year old Corso is a wonderful dog. A few weeks ago, he lashed out, towards my roommate’s four year old daughter. It happened twice, in one weekend. She wasn’t hurt, at all but, it was scary. He seemed to worship her, for two months. Now, he’s sequestered, when she’s home. It is uncomfortable, for all parties. Can he learn, that she’s above him? Or, is he destined to never be around her again?
There is nothing a 2 year old can do to establish any sort of dominance or leadership. What needs to happen is that the dog has to have so much respect for you that it translates to your ‘possessions’, in this case the child. Your dog needs to understand 100% that you are the one in charge and the first step there is through advanced obedience.
I’m on this site because I am considering another Cane Corso - we previously owned a male. We had to put him down due to aggression, and particularly because he ripped open the arm of my 4 year old niece. 200 stitches worth. And that wasn’t his first display of aggression, but it was the first injury. She simply patted him on top of the head as the two of them were walking. Absolutely unprovoked. This was actually a failure on the part of the adults present to include me. Ellie was not supposed to be outside alone with Angus. And in the spirit of full disclosure, Angus had been evaluated to be particularly dominant by that point in time. We got him at 9 weeks from a ‘trusted’ pet store near our home. I researched both the breed, the breeder, and my pet store. Angus had come from a breeder prior to finding his way to the pet store…that specialized in dogs. That method of acquisition was our mistake, a big mistake. We now know that with such dogs, never take anyone’s word regarding parentage and that includes ‘reputable’ breeders. If you have children, you and your kids must go spend time with both sire and bitch. Angus went into training at 10 mos. Angus grew up with a house full of kids, and regular kid strangers. Angus was never spanked or abused in any way. He was loved deeply and daily accompanied one or all family members on outings. He was always made to maintain his composure through techniques taught us through a professional trainer. When he began to act aggressively at about 18 months, the entire family went through another round of training with Angus. It was assessed that I was #1 and my 15 year old son was #2, Angus was #3, my wife a distant #4 and my 18 year old daughter almost a stranger. Both my wife and daughter earned their respective positions by cuddling and coddling Angus despite warnings from the very beginning. To be fair, I was told by the second trainer that Angus was not going to ‘come back’ and that Angus was only the 3rd dog that he’d ever seen that probably wasn’t redeemable as a family pet, and that Angus appeared to have an aggression/dominance disorder. Of course we didn’t believe that. Our mistake. Words to the wise: socialize, socialize, socialize; Train, train, train; Get to know the parents of the pup you’re considering; Insist on properly applied obedience; get a lab if you and your kids want to cuddle with a large dog; fully internalize that this is a working/guard breed; this dog is way too big and powerful and assertive for the faint of heart. I love the breed, and I need a guard dog now, but should I go in again for a Cane Corso, it will be a working relationship with affection doled out as it must be - Cane Corso appropriate.
This is good advice and a good cautionary tale. I’ve worked with so many dog owners who get some of these larger, working breeds (Cane Corsos, Rottweiler, German Shepherds, etc.) because they are big, beautiful, and protective. Many don’t realize, however, the responsibility they have and just what the dog is.
Likewise. Even if you have experience raising and training dogs does not mean you are ready to handle one of these breeds…especially if you have children. But if you are a first-time owner with children, a Cane Corso is not the dog you should be looking at. I have experience with pit bulls, German shepards, American Bulldog’s, and Cane Corso’s. If I had children I would think long and hard about getting one of these dogs. Unless you are experienced and active enough on a daily basis to keep some of their more aggressive tendencies in check, it is dangerous to own one.
Our Cane Corso belonged to my girlfriend for about 4 years before we moved in together. She was food and toy aggressive. I had to sustain a few bites to the face and arms in order to break her of this behavior. Now she understands, biting a human being is THE cardinal sin. She can be around children, houseguests, other dogs, etc. Although, with children I still keep an eye on her. If I had owned her from a puppy things would not have been so severe, but still, if you aren’t willing to get physical with these dogs, and sustain a few injuries to keep them in line…you should not own one.
I bought a CCI female (8 weeks). She was the calmer pup in the litter; obviously less dependant on the humans, the mother etc. She felt no need to come near the owners nor me, when I went to visit her. But I still fell completely in love with her. Now Ive had her for 2 days, and what seemed as a calm, independent pup, now turns out to be an extremely shy, frightened pup. Something as ordinary as standing up near her, will make her avoid you.
I dont want to give up on her - I completely understand what traumatizing experience it must be to be moved away from the litter, mother etc, and I am determined to do whatever it takes to make her feel safe and confident, but what is the best way do this? I have a 7yr old and a 5yr old kid. Thank you.
Get rid of the dog. You have a skittish Cane Corso in a house with small children. That is a recipe for disaster. Get a dog you can feel confident won’t take your children’s arm off, because this dog will be physically capable of such a feat in under a year. If you can’t control it yet keep it around despite your concerns, you are being negligent with your children’s safety.
We just brought home our first pup! hes a 6 week old CCI. He already goes potty outside, and hasnt went inside what sp ever. Is it true not to feed them all times of the day? or do you have certain times of the day that you are supposed to feed them to teach them? I am excited, and my kids are excited. He looks like a Rott ( my fiance thinks it is) only way we could get him to keep him. Is ther anything different besides the actual breed. they look to be about the same type of dog just different breeds? Thanks
You want to schedule feed (put down food just at certain times of the day for 10-15 minutes per time) and not free feed. Rotties and Cane Corso’s are very different breeds and actually don’t look much alike. Are you sure you’ve got a Cane Corso?
I Got a ten month cane corso what type if food do I give him
We use and recommend- http://www.TysDogFood.com
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TY , i have a 2 yr old male he is a wonderful dog but in the last moth he is getting aggressive when closing his crate . he has recently been dealing with alot my wiffe and children moved to our new place a moth before i did and while i was gone for a week my neighbor took care of him and this behavior started around this time and he seem to progressivly be getting more vocal and snippy about closing his crate he goes right in without hesitation but now dosnt want it closed and if anyone goes near his crate he dosnt know he gets upset any help here would be great we love our dog and he knows im the boss but i want to cut off any bad behaviors before they get out of hand .
I would look at two things:
1- The right relationship. He needs to be more respectful and that happens through obedience training.
2- Desensitize crate issues. Have him come in and out a lot with treats and shut the door only a fraction of those times. I call it the ‘crate game’ to help the dog enjoy the crate more.
I certainly would ta about what your neighbor did while you were away. Sounds like there was some foul play there. Is the dog biting and snapping at you? You have to nip that in the bud ASAP.
Me & my boyfriend have recently got our new cane corso puppy Brandy who is 4 months. We have anticipated her arrival since we knew she was born & arrived from Puerto Rico 5 days ago. However, she corners herself quite alot, is jumpy by the slightest noises, comes near us only when she wants to. Shes fine with us one second & lets us touch her, but she quickly does a 360 & within a few minutes won’t even sit by us. I wanted to know if this was normal for the breed or if this was an issue with the dog & how we could possibly fix this issue ? We’re desperate & have no idea what to do. Pleaseeeee
This is not normal at all. A confident, well-bred dog should have no problem going up to you and should be far more social than what you are describing. Do you have a guarantee from the breeder?
I would agree that this is not normal for a Corso. I would strongly recommend that you get another dog from a more reputable breeder. Dogs that scare easily like this, are the ones that end up biting people and severely injuring people. She may be four months old and 45 lbs now, but before long she will be 110lbs of solid muscle with a powerful bite, and if you can’t control that you are putting people at risk having her, and opening yourself up to a lawsuit, possibly criminal charges if the dog hurts someone. If you can’t control the dog, you have to give it to someone who can take care of it.
I feel for you and your dog. I’ve never given up on any dog and have saved some from certain death after they killed a sheep or done something just as horrible. I strongly believe your first few days with your new pup are very inportant. You need to bond with your dog, and the best way to do this is to be with it 24/7 for at least the first few days. This means walking it all over the place and even allowing the dog to sleep next to you in intreme cases like yours. Just make a mini den outta a cardboard box and use an old pillow with your smell on it(So not washed!) and place it right next to your bed. If you show up again I’ll give you some more ideas, but really, give it attension, the more the better.
I must say my new baby is the perfect pup. I’ve had Rotti pups, they are nothing like this. My new baby is so alert and calm, it’s like a older dog already. Unlike a rotti or many other dogs, my dog wants to please me to the extreme, I’ve never had a better pup, and I’ve had large dogs for well over 50 years.
To those out there who may wonder why I talk so highly about wolf dogs and yet I just bought a Cane Corso cross: Well in truth wolf dogs do not make good pets. They are the hardest dog to train! They really do not like or trust humans, you have to win them over and that can take a long time, some owners never gain the total trust of their wolf dogs. Now conversely, a Cane Corso maybe the easiest dog to train given the right method. Unlike a Rotti in general or a wolfdog in the extreem a Cane Corso wants to please it’s owner/trainer. I couldn’t be more happy with my new Bella. I’ve had many dogs, buit I’ve never had a dog that was so eager to please. Compared to training a wolfdog, I’m on holliday.
: )
Hi,
Just bought my first Cane Corso female. Bella is a cross with Rotti but looking much like her father the Mastiff only with a round sweeter face. Most people think it’s a Lab : )
Not to worry folks, over the last 30 years I’ve had 2 wolf dogs both who lived long healthy lives without major incident!,
I just thought I’d share some thoughts and hints of my own. Call it my list of rules for any natural born protector dog.
First, I agree 100% with the above thoughts about early socialization and breeding. IMO three things wll determine ultimately how your dog turns out.
1. It’s parents. They both should have been selected for health and temperment.
2. Early puppyhood. A dog taken away from it’s mother too soon will be prone to all kinds of issues. That said, you suely do want to get one young, just not too young.
3. How you train and treat it.
Never hit a dog like this. Seriously, they will think that it’s the thing to do when things seem wrong.
Never ever promote aggresive bahavior. This includes tugging and pulling with play toys and allowing them to jump up on you and others. Never let them get away with stuff, starting at day one!
Yes be the Alpha, but be fair and make all corrections with love in your heart.
My last two girls only once in each of their lives did they show the true meaning of protector dog. Both times some agressive large man got loud with me, after assuming my dog was docile, LOL.
All for now
My best to everyone, and their super dogs!
PS.
Above all remember that these are very smart and pack orientated animals. They need a job and they need to be part of the family. The more they respect you as a fair Alpha and feel part of the family, the less likely you’ll have issues. A big part of this is how much time you spend with them or how easy it is for you to NOT trust others in the care of a potencial weapon. Ideally, you could spend 24/7 with a dog like this, but in the real world if you don’t want to plan your vacation around your dog, maybe get a Lab.
A quick thank you to the admin for allowing my above stated opinion to stand, even though I’ve only just bought a cross Cane Corso. For a fact I’ve only had Bella three days, but she already is house trained, does not jump up on people or furniture, and walks on and off a leash better than most dogs. Not bad for a 4 month old pup.
A bit more on my above idea re: never hit a dog like this. I should say, never use any form of harsh punishment, it will back fire on you in the worst way imaginable. Your best tool for training is primarily tone of voice. In worst case situations shunning your dog will soon enough force them into sanity. i.e., when my wolf dogs acted aggressive towards me I would force them outside. Keeping in mind my dogs sleep inside and are with me almost always, forcing them out of the family situation hurts them so much they instantly are sorry and will try to be good. Fortunately after training my dogs, when outside in the world they never question my Alpha position; a quick, short and firm command is all it takes and they snap into position.
One thing that should be kept in mind, proper training is not only important to protect you, your freinds and family, not to mention any stranger who may come along without ill intent, but it will also protect the breed from getting bad press. It’s a huge responsibility getting a powerful dog like this!!!
One last thing for now, if your dog is acting out and won’t settle down, it most likely is not getting enough exercise. Any large powerful dog needs 3 hours each and every day of fairly intense workout. And, if you keep them fit through their entire life, you can almost double their useful life span. I’ve had 13 yo dogs still trot 30 miles(in the grass AMAP) each day beside my mountain bike, I’ve also had large dogs live up to 17 years, and they were not all wolf crosses. I make it my lot in life helping people with big powerful dogs, and after a wolf cross, the Cane Corso is about as smart,.agile and powerful as you can get.
Cheers to all, any questions please post.
Sorry for the typos and spelling mistakes, and thanks again to the admin.
Rhonda Lee, Vancouver Canada.
Hi Rhonda,
I have had my Cane Corso for a month - they are truly amazing - he is potty trained already and doesn’t make any messes in the house - his feeding schedule is set - his walking routine is set (or I should say my routine is set - lol) he goes pee and poo on command…the more time you invest into your puppy - the better the outcome…good luck with your girl…there is a video on you tube about a ten month old female Cane Corse - she is so well trained - if you get a chance, watch it, it will totally inspire you as you can see how well you can train these dogs and what they can do:) My pup walks off leash just as well as on leash and if something does catch his attention, he looks at me and if I say leave it, he happily trots back to my side - he doesn’t go to far ahead and if he feels that he is ahead of me, he quickly scoots back to get behind me and lets me be the leader:) Good luck with your little girl…
Hi everyone,
i have black cane corso 15 months old, well build and adorable. The only prob with him is when we go for a walk, he normally do not like me to guide me, he will lie down and will not move.
Can anyone advise me on how to change this?
Thank you
Best Regards
Kenzo,
Your prob sounds like you have let the dog lead you. You need to train him to heal alongside your knee, no exceptions. It’s easier to do this from day one, but never too late as long as you’re consistant(and powerful enough for this breed as they get older). You can’t expect or allow the dog to lead, before they are trained to heal. Use food and positive reinforcement, and read about the proper use of a choke chain; put on wrong they can hurt the dog. There are 2 ways to put them on, with the loop facing up and the tightening part of chain under the neck is the correct way. Note, if the dog changes side(if you allow it to!) the leash will now be incorrectly placed for proper use. Proper use of choke chain does not really choke a dog. You don’t continually pull the chain, you use brief but forceful jerks as required, The dog will be just fine walking beside you, the only time you allow it to cease is when they take care of business.
Your dog has to know you are the boss, but you can be the boss with a big pocket full of treats.
The coolest thing about having a dog well trained on leash is then you are ready to train off leash. IMO there is no higher state of dog/owner relation than having your dog so well trained you can go anywhere with it off leash, It says everything as to how much your dog respects you, and how much work you have done.
When you put a choke chain on your dog, if it looks like a ” P ” its wrong. P is for pain.
It actually depends on which side you heel your dog on. If you heel the dog on the left you want it to look like a P going on, if you heel the dog on the right you want it looking like a 9.
I have a 4 yr old cane corso. She is very loving and is very gentle around my grandchildre ages 4yrs to 8 mo.in age. She is very alert and watches everything that goes on around and in my home. Any noise or people she doesnt know she will bark and let me know. I let her know that it’s ok and she calms down. We live on a farm and she has plenty of room to run and loves to play with the kids, my boston terrier and my 3 yr old cat. My neighbors were scared of her at first because her ears are cropped and she is 125 lbs. They now know that she is here to protect and to guard and they gain from that as well because they know when she is barking outside that someone is around….. Cane corso’s are great dogs but you must teach, train and exercise them. LOYAL…. Very LOYAL
I have a 10 wk old female cci. She is absolutely adorable. I’m currently trying to leash train her. Any suggestions?
The first thin I do is leave the leash on the dog 100% of the time when I’m around. This inundates the dog with the leash and starts making the leash a normal thing in the dog’s eyes.
Hello today I just got a four month cane Corso and so far she has been a delight.however,I do have an eight month old baby and IM seriously concerned if this will be a good housedog (for the safety of my baby).also she so far has been laying close by and “under”us and even caught her laying on the couch once we left the room. Is this a good sign of behavior?and how do I go about potty training herbbecause she is pissing and taking a dump everywhere!
Thank.you
The first thing you should make sure of is that she is never alone. There is no such thing as ‘when we left the room’ with a four month old dog. When you leave the room, so does she. The easiest way to do this is to keep her on a leash right now and keep her with you. This will allow you to mold her behavior with your child and it will allow you to get her house trained much faster.
I just bought a 8 week old cane corso named Argo. He has very bad seperation anxiety. I put him in his kennel and pay no attention to him to try and get this habbit out of him but he does not stop crying, one time i let it go on for over an hour and he didnt stop barking once. If I am not by his side he cries, and this is only the second day since I bought him. Any advice or corrections to what I am doing.
That’s not separation anxiety, that’s just a nervous puppy. It is incredibly rare for a puppy to not work through this in a week or so.
i just got a 5 month old cane corso female … my family loves her .. im getting her trained this week by a professional trainer … im socializing her walking her everyday .. soon after ill be going on hikes every weekend with her … i have two kids .. 3 yr old and 6 yr old .. im going all out to do what i have to do to train her well and socialize her … im having a hard time housebreaking her … i guess do to her age .. and suggestions in house breaking her >>>???????
We have an 8 month old cane corso. He is an amazing animal and dog but I have to say he is extremely hard to manage. He is stubborn to no end, dominate, strong willed you name it. We have two children 11 and 13 and they do okay with him but he can be rough at times especially with my 11 year old boy. My husband has even had trouble getting him under control. There are times he runs through this house like a lunatic and we cannot calm him down. It’s scary at times. He has never bitten anymore or even tried but is just so dominate. We have had a Great Dane in the past but he was never this way. We are trying to find someone to help train him because we see how smart he is. He sits when told and comes when told but when outside or other distractions he does not even when my husband tells him to. We cannot afford the proper training and he is getting so huge now. He probably weights over 85 lbs. We don’t want to get rid of him but it is getting tougher and tougher each day. He literally eats everything he can get his teeth on. He has chewed all my good shoes, etc. We are in love with him but this is hard to handle on a day to day basis. Any suggestions????
This is a dog who is not being helped to understand how to self-regulate. I’d recommend a few resources-
https://www.dogbehavioronline.com/dog-training-interview-with-renowned-trainer-chad-mackin/
https://www.dogbehavioronline.com/foundation-obedience-p/
I have been reading above and want to ask another question. Are you saying that it is okay to be reprimand these dogs just as aggressive or physical? My husband feels that he needs to be pretty rough with him to put him in his place since he is so dominate and stubborn. I hate to do physical stuff to him but to be honest it seems that is the only thing he listens to unfortunately. I am obviously not saying abuse him but be rough back.
Corrections should not be rough. A proper correction should be firm but fair.
Being rough and doing things like grabbing the dog, throwing him on the ground, smacking, etc. aren’t effective.
What do you consider firm but fair? Even we firmly tell him no he does not listen to that at all. It’s like we aren’t even there. We desperately want to get him proper training because I know that is what he needs but it is no expensive. Do you have any recommendations for training or someone that we could contact here in Houston? Also we are thinking about neutering him do you advise against that or do you think it would help with his behavior?
As I always say, ‘telling isn’t training’. Telling a dog something firmly is meaningless.
Try a leash and training collar.
Training is expensive, that is for sure. I don’t know anyone in Houston but you’re welcome to browse our selection of DVDs-
https://www.dogbehavioronline.com/dog-training-tools/dog-training-courses/
Neutering will help calm him down some yet will not take away their protective nature.
They can detect a female in heat up to several miles.
He also needs several hours exercise every day such as an hour in the morning another hour in the evening, their needs to be training in those exercise sessions to reinforce good habits like sit, stay an so on. I personally always have two dogs, a male and female bowth spayed an neutered, I find many advantages to this. males will have conflicts over pecking order. Females less so.
Consistentcy and repetition is vital. Where cash is an issue a reputable book on self training may be useful or the DVDs Brown mentioned.
I rescued a 7 month old neutered Cane Corso a year ago.He showed a few signs of dominance (lunging for no apparent reason at people and other dogs). He went to doggie daycare and was fine except when other dogs were more dominant with him. His behavior continues. He has been going to training since October (2 - 3 times/week) and at the training facilities and with the trainers he is now fine. He can walk off leash and play with the other dogs and will listen when called to stop poor behavior. We haven’t gotten to that point at home. He is our third Corso. My other 2 did not have the dominance issues. What will it take for me to have a dog that won’t lunge at other dogs and people and is this possible? Also, taking him to the vet is a nightmare! Thankfully, he has not bitten anyone and when he has gotten close enough will mouth their hands (not puncturing the skin but can bruise them).
It’s one thing to get the dog to be obedient and non-aggressive in a calm setting like training. It’s another thing to get the dog to perform in ‘the real world’.
My questions would be, if he’s been going to training for 6 months, how much of that has been real world training? How much of that has focused on him doing a ‘down stay’ with distractions, walking perfectly with distractions, etc.
Dogs aren’t terribly creative. They need to learn very specific skill sets for dealing with situations that make them nervous. In the case of being in public with a dog like yours that is done with a dog who has a perfect ‘stay’, ‘heel’, ‘sit’, ‘down’, etc. That is where I’d recommend putting the focus right now.
Hi Ty!! I have a 15 mos old Cane Corso female. She is a fantastic dog. Great around my kids, great around strangers when she knows its ok, does fantastic with our 7 year old male Shih-poo and just a good testament to the breed in general. She was recently in an altercation at the dog park with a lab that bit a portion of her ear off that required stitches. From the time she was a puppy, Ive always taken her to the dog park about 3 times a week and we never had any problems. Once winter came, I was unable to take her as much to the park because it would close at dark and it was getting dark at pretty much 5:00. Now that daylight savings time is here, I’ve been taking her more but even before the altercation I noticed she tended to be more possessive of things and a little more assertive whereas before she just kind of did her own thing and played with the other dogs but never really growled or barked. I haven’t taken her back tot he park since the altercation as it just happened 3 days ago. Any advice on how to reintroduce her back to the park and act like she did before would be much appreciated?
Personally, I would never, ever take one of my own dogs to a dog park for socialization-
https://www.dogbehavioronline.com/dog-fear-where-does-it-come-from/
https://www.dogbehavioronline.com/dog-training-interview-with-renowned-trainer-chad-mackin/
Dog parks are full of disease, poorly socialized dogs, dog fights, etc. Socialization should be done in controlled settings and dog parks are the least controlled settings you could find.
Hi thanks to all for the interesting reading
I have 7month old cc bitch got her at 9weeks & 8 year old am staff/staffie
get on so well best mates the breeder stressed about socilization and dogs are welcome
at family and friends with & without dogs.(no issues but little excitment shes a pup
its paranoid people that make it hard for a breed of there intelegance and protection drive
(im not a fan of dog parks)going down to the local lake where people walk run ride fish and do all do sorts of
outdoor activities best place to socialize as i like going there well im 6foot 3 walking to 30 kilo plus dogs .pup lunging at people dogs bikes
thought she was overwelmed by all the action going on this happend only down at the lake .was becomeing a little
concerning .then one arfternoon thought about what a friend said you would look preety mean with the dogs your not small
yourself .there not mean just luv spounges. But other people dont know that and to see the body language of people
coming toward us from 100 even 200 meters away and staring at dogs like thay cant take there eyes off them at the same time
holding there dogs lead like a stiff plank. the pup is a little scared i noticed and her next move stare back( protection mode on)
and if the vibe is to much then the boy puts his protect pup and boss mode on .
and i try to emit only calm . i have now been taking them with a friend i can now put time into redirecting the pup and even have time to say hi to people that are intererested in asking what breed she is …..she surly still has issues with people that stare like thay do as it seems some people need the socilazation ,,,,thanks mollosser lovers…. Remember some people dont know the nature of the dogs just what thay see or here. so i will persist with her(hunny bear) and am sure she will be fine after reading through all posts.
have owned many types of dogs .cane corso if you have any doughts in your mind dont put your self or others at risk listen to the previous posts get a lab…… punish the deed not the breed… happy days thanks….
Hi, my wife and I just adopted a Cane Corso female believed to be about 6 years old according to the vet. She was rescued from a shelter 10 min from euthinasia. We dont know alot about her history, but she is friendly with me and my family. She just got 2 ACL surgeries and is recovering nicely. We have only had her in our house about 3 months and now we have a babysitter in the house 3 days a week watching my two boys. Leia (our dog) has now started showing aggression towards the babysitter to the point the babysitter does not want to come over anymore. Leia has been known to be a little nippy with new people, but never to the point of violent behavior. We are worried that Leia might be a different dog when my wife and I are gone. Any advice to get the babysitter to feel safe at our house again.
This is a tough one. First, you need utmost obedience and control with the dog. The dog has to understand rules and boundaries. If you aren’t starting there then that’s where you need to work.
Second, the best thing would be for the babysitter to work with the dog in solid and balanced obedience training. Is she even willing?
Hey. Me and my boyfriend just bought 10 weeks old Cane Corso mastiff. Well her father was mastiff cross- rot wailer and mum was cane corso cross - mastiff. So far she looked more like cane corso. So far she is a good puppy, learning very fast but she not always lesson. She is barking at new people and a noises. She is great with me , my boyfriend and people which she knows. Sometimes when is a playing time she start to bite us. We always tell her to stop and most of times she stop but sometimes she just don’t lesson. What to do on those situation. So far we have her for a week and she spend a lots of time with us but she didn’t have all vacations and Vet said to keep her at home or garden so we cant really socialize her with other dogs and take her to parks. She will have second vacation before she will be 1 weeks old, is that not to late to socialize her ? I have a baby coming in next 3 months and we really don’t want a dog become to be aggressive:( how we can socialize our baby in feature with a puppy? Please can I get some advise how to train her , which method to use to her become a good dog:) We never shout at her and never do anything bad to her. We knows that is not a way to have a nice dog but we dont really know which method to use to stop bite us when we play or stop bark at people or noises.
Thank you so much for any help
It seems that alot of these people did not do research on this breed. THEY MUST BE TRAINED IMMEDIATELY and consistently!!
You must be devoted to this OR IT WILL BE A DISASTER. They are intelligent….BUT STUBBORN..and you MUST STAY CALM AND NOT GIVE IN. Then you will have a loyal obiedent friend and protector forever, unless it was poorly bred and is geneticly aggresive.
Hi. We are adopting an 8 DAY old cane corso. The mother died 2 days after giving birth to 10 puppies. The family is overwhelmed taking care of them. We understand how to physically handle the puppy, feeding, wiping for elimination, keeping her warm, etc. What I’m concerned about is how it’s going to affect her to be taken from her mother and litter at such an early age. What can we do to help her grow up without all the issues I’ve been reading about. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
After our bull mastiff Tank passed away in january We got a Cane Corso from a breeder.tank was well trained and just a perfect dog. The CC pup is from a champion bloodline and looks flawless. We got him at 6 weeks and he is very smart. By 10weeks he was all ready ringing the bells on back door to let us know he needs to go out to go to the bathroom. From day one he was a growler. At people he didn’t know aswell as playfully with his toys. He is very protective of his food and water. He will bite you. Tank was the same but we broke that right away. Trying the same methods we used then are not exactly working as of yet. He is about 5 months now and about 60lbs or so. He is everything we wanted in a dog so far except his attitude at times is aggressive. If he doesn’t want to do something or gets corrected, verbally of course, he will growl and snap. As he’s getting bigger very fast you can see my concern. Don’t get me wrong he doesn’t behave this way all the time. Sometimes he’s chewing something he shouldn’t and you can go right in his mouth and get it and other times hell growl and snap.. This dog honestly is not afraid of anything or anyone if you look him in the eyes he does not look away. this is a puppy! i think he may be part werewolf lol. He started training with a highly recommended large breed trainer who saw his aggression right away. He was concerned and brought a dog behavior specialist who has degrees of all sorts in this field. They are telling me they never seen a dog be protective of a water bowl before and after meeting him once the specialist is pretty much recommending me give him away. It’s killing me. I love him. They said he seems that he will be fine with me and my girl but if someone else was to try and correct him or anything he is going to bite them. They actually said, after the trainer met him 3 times and specialist once we have a 70%chance he is going to be a major problem of a dog because of the intensity and fearless aggression he shows at such a young age. I want to say and I feel that they are over reacting atleast a little but I am not an expert. They got me freaking now. I guess I’m writing this for help? Advice? Is this common he’s a beautiful machine. He is very friendly otherwise besides those issues. I honestly dont know what I’m suppose to do here. The trainer is giving me horror stories of scenarios if I want to start a family,have BBQs and things. Should I get another opinion? Any advice here would be great. Thanks.
Here are my initial thoughts:
- Usually between 6-8 weeks is when dogs will learn certain pack behaviors, bite inhibition, etc. By taking him away at 6 weeks I think he was done a disservice. The breeder should have known that. The problem is that if you got him from a champion show breeder they typically aren’t very well versed on dog behavior. I’m making a generalization and an assumption, so I know I could be wrong, but that is my first thought from your description. I try to avoid show breeders and go for working breeders with getting a dog like a Corso.
- When it comes to behaviorists with degrees I would take their advice with a grain of salt. Again, I’m making generalizations here but university trained behaviorists are typically unqualified and inexperienced when it comes to dealing with actual problem behavior. For most of them, if they can’t fix it with a treat they have no clue what to do and euthanasia is on their list of treatments just as often as training is.
- My next thoughts are mostly questions. What types of corrections has he had? Just verbal? Has he had physical corrections? What kinds and what were his responses? What is his obedience like? Will he walk perfectly on leash? Will he hold a 20-30 minute down stay? Will he come when called?
For me the baseline is always having a great level of control on those three core areas (walking, staying, coming) and then looking at the behavior once we have those items knocked down.
My family has an opportunity to adopt a very well mannered Corso. The temperament has been so great on the few times we’ve met the dog (Max). At this point he has been an outside dog and his owner is not very active with him. The person taking care of him has him socialized with a couple other dogs. We offered to take Max months ago but the owner was having no part of that, now he is willing to part ways with Max. I have researched this breed for about 6 months, talked to some breeders, and feel confident with our knowledge of the breed so far. My wife and I have even taken surveys and the Corso has been in our top 5. My question is how hard are they to adapting to change and then learning things when they haven’t had much training? He would go from being an outside dog to in the house with us.
I would say that, overall, dogs are very good at adapting to change.
Things that make change better and easier for the dog could include:
- Proper understanding of roles within the household
- Quality food and exercise
- Clear boundaries and limitations
- Balanced obedience training
Get him those things and your chances of success go up.
I’ve recently had a Cone Corso come into my life as a rescue. I don’t know very much about his history or age, he does appear to be an adult based on his size and teeth, but I’d guess he’s no older than 3-4 years. He was found hogtied and very emaciated on a back country road about 6 weeks ago. At the time, he had lost 80-90% of his hair due to flea bite dermitis and was very under weight and he also has scarring around his neck and on his legs. His ears were cropped and his tail was very badly docked (almost looks like he has no tail at all), but he wasn’t neutered, so we’re really uncertain what his previous life was like.
He was with my sister in law who rescues about 150 dogs a year and we visited her after she had had him for about 3-4 weeks. By that time, his hair had started to come in and he had also started to to put weight back on. He was very timid and scared of just about everything, but was very affectionate after meeting people and to some extent other dogs. After meeting him I fell in love and let her know that I would love to have him as I have a big house with a large fenced in yard and I’m a general dog lover. We seemed to bond right off the bat, I seem to have that ‘problem’ with dogs. It seems like anytime I meet a dog they seem to like me, even the dogs that ‘bite everyone’. I’m not a daredevil, but I do seem to be able to read dogs pretty well.
Some background on the environment he was living in during the first portion of his rehabilitation:
He preferred staying in a closet in a bedroom that was used as the little kids play room (he’s great with kids), but the room had to be converted to a hospital room for hospice purposes.
There were 7 other dogs in the house, 5 males and 2 females. Sized from Rat Terrier to Great Dane. He didn’t show aggression or territoriality with the other dogs, but he did try fairly frequently to mount the females (the rat terrier was NOT happy).
There were also 3 cats in the house and he did seem curious about them, but seemed more prey curious than let’s play curious.
I brought him home this weekend and we brought our dogs outside to meet him before we brought him in the house. My dogs are females and neutered, 1 year old pitbull and a 9 year old hound mix. Although he didn’t show any ‘aggression’ towards either of them, he tried to mount my pitbull within the first 15 seconds of meeting her. We immediately separated the two, but Caesar really wanted to get to her.
We allowed a bit of time to pass and had them separated again, and he again tried to mount her. She is a pretty even tempered dog, but after the second attempt she did bark and growl to some extent, but he didn’t have more than about 5-10 seconds before I gained control and had him away from her.
We are taking him to be neutered tomorrow and I’m hoping that will help to take away some of the breeding/dominant behavior he is exhibiting, but I was hoping you can provide some pointers on ways to introduce him to the house and our other pets (we only have the dogs, no cats) and how to make his transition to the new home easier.
He does seem to respect me to a pretty good extent, but I don’t think he quite see’s that I’m the alpha, my other dogs definitely know that I’m the alpha and are very respectful of me, but I’m not sure how to get this across to him.
Any tips you could provide would be greatly appreciated as I truly believe he has the full capacity to be a happy member of our pack, (3 humans, and 2 dogs).
I only introduce dogs to new dogs/family when I know I can trust them. If you don’t trust him yet then you’ll likely want some isolation for a bit until you can get some training started. The best introductions are made when you have a dog that is calm, under control, respectful, and THEN you bring them into a family dynamic. If he’s not controllable right now then bringing him into your dynamic could prove to be a bad idea.
Thanks Ty, I appreciate the recommendations and will definitely use them to help make the transition easier for everyone.
I re-read my post and realized that I’d made a typo, my female pit bull is actually 11, not 1.
I also hadn’t included that currently he is isolated from the other dogs in a section of the house that we are able to completely block off. The section is blocked with a high endurance baby gate and then has a sliding door that we can use to completely isolate the room from the other dogs. We have been slowly allowing them to see each other and he has calmed down a bunch and isn’t nearly as excited when he sees her.
I’ve been working pretty consistently with him on training and walks and he was most likely fairly well trained at some point, or he just learns really quickly, because he is picking things up pretty quickly and listens pretty well.
Again, thank you very much for the tips and your insight. I’m sure I’ll be back with more questions and I’m really grateful there is a site like this out there where I can get advice.
Hello,
We have 2 boys 14/19 and a12 year old well behaved German Shepherd. Our 9 week old Cane Corso is not potty trained to well yet. Was not paper trained well before we brought him to our home. Does not like to be led on the leash, just sits mostly, unless many treats are used. At night the crate seems to be very nerve racking to him as he will eliminate and hide the evidence through ingestion. We have crated for up to 6 hours at a time at night or when working. The crate is in the main living area of our home and we try to let him out as he awakes but fail on that sometimes. Should we revert back to proper paper training in a controlled space? Is 6 hours too long in the crate? Should we relocate the crate to be next to our sleep area? We seem to be stumbling here and want to correct ourselves the best way for our Corso. Thanks in advance
Where did you get this Corso?
I would never recommend to paper train a dog, big or little. Paper training typically causes a lot of issues.
Crating him near you could be a good thing for sure. Definitely worth a try.
6 hours is too long for some, not for others. The individual dog will let you know how long he can hold it.
We have friends with a cane corso puppy about 6 months old. They also have an older Australian mix female. The wife, is primary caretaker. This couple invites my husband and me, and 2 other couples regularly to their Tahoe cabin. All dogs have always been welcomed. This puppy is complete chaos, not house trained, not obedient, play bites, humps my friend, and recently showed serious aggression toward one of the other dogs who is very docile/friendly/trained. This puppy does not get regular walks/exercise and probably never will. She has already developed serious pack mentality and she is the boss. My friend is not able, for many reasons, to train this dog properly and does not have husbands support either. This dog is out of control at the cabin to the point one of the labs is afraid of the puppy and her “sister” as they ganged up on one of the dogs — one at each end with the innocent dog in front of me. I screamed at them before a physical attack occurred. All of us are extrememly concerned about this dog, afraid to leave her alone with the other dogs should we want to leave cabin any period of time. The cabin is not much fun as this puppy is always running the show, getting reprimanded, peeing/pooping everywhere, jumping on all of us. Puppy overwhelmes the grandchildren. My husband does not want to go to cabin because of this dog. Instead of fun we are all always having to yell at the puppy. It is insane. I don’t think my friends as much as I love them are doing justice for this dog. Any comments
My thoughts are pretty simple. If I was invited to a home where the environment was unsafe and not pleasant I wouldn’t go. This would be the case if it was a highly disobedient dog that they refused to train, frayed electric wires they refused to fix, a couple that constantly bickered and argued, or whatever.
Personally I don’t understand the mindset of getting a dog and refusing to train it. I’m not sure what your friend is thinking.