Garciano Cane Corso

The Cane (Connie) Corso is an ancient breed directly descended from the Roman Canis Pugnax Roman War Dog.  They were used in the Colosseum to fight lions, bulls, bears and even gladiators. At the fall of the Roman Empire the Cane Corso was forced to take on a new role as herder and guard dog for farms. Unfortunately as agriculture developed, and the need for hunting decreased the Cane Corso nearly became extinct.  In Southern Italy the need for the Corso was still apparent and from them we have been able to keep this wonderful breed flourishing.

The Cane Corso is intelligent, agile, athletic and has incredible stamina.  They are phenomenal hunters, easily trained and guard their families with every part of their being.

Is the Cane Corso the breed for you?

The Cane Corso is an intelligent and dominant breed.  They expect you to take the lead.  They need proper socialization, training and exercise.  On the other hand, Corsos also need time and love.  They are a very social breed, and do not do well in a kennel situation.  They want to be involved with you every minute of every day.  The Corso is also very powerful, so the owner must be able to handle a strong physical dog.  These dogs love children and as strong as they are, they are just as gentle.  This may sound like the perfect breed for you, but please do your research before purchasing one.  You will have no dog more loyal, but this is not a breed for everyone.

Questions to ask yourself and your breeder.

Are the dogs raised and kept in the home as valued family members?

Did the breeder ask you where the pup would be sleeping, what kind of food will be fed, and how much time will the pup be alone?

Are you or were you able to meet the parents and see where the puppies are raised?

Does the contract state a right of first refusal should the dog be given up?

Does the breeder require you to spay/neuter pet quality dogs?

Is the puppy micro chipped and does the breeder have copies of health certificates w/ a veterinary reference?

Did the breeder ask who will be main care giver of puppy?

Will the breeder be there for continued guidance after the purchase?

Were the parents hip checked? If so can they produce original certificates for viewing?

Is the breeder currently involved in activities with their dogs. (Conformation, agility, obedience etc.)?

Is there a contract supplied to you with a written health guarantee?

What can the breeder tell you about the breed?

What do you know about the breed?

Why do you want a Cane Corso?

Do you understand what is needed when owning a Cane Corso? Don’t answer this question easily, make sure you really do understand!

We can’t emphasize enough that this breed needs their owners. They are not a breed to put in the backyard and forget about. Corso that experience this tend to act out and can become aggressive. These dogs need constant socializing and time. If not properly socialized, they can be overly protective of their family and have a tendency to have behavioral issues. If you answered yes to the very last question, and know in your heart that you are ready, then get ready for the most love and joy a person can ever experience!!

 

 

Temperament of the Cane Corso

The following is a description of the Cane Corso behavior & temperament according to the breed standard set by the country of origin, Italy.

The Cane Corso is intelligent, active and even-minded. He is an unequaled watch and protection dog. Docile and affectionate with the owner, loving with children and with the family. If necessary he becomes a terrible and brave protector of people, house and property. He is easily trained.

Due to their protective instincts, the Cane Corso has a very discerning nature that can lend them to be wary of strangers, but they should never be aggressive. Wary is defined as marked by keen caution, cunning, and watchful prudence, especially in detecting and escaping danger. Wariness does not include any form of aggression. An aggressive, unfriendly, unapproachable Corso is incorrect according to the breed standard. With proper selection when breeding and socialization at an early age, the Cane Corso should be a functional member of society and be able to accompany its family in any public location without incident. The standard describes a well rounded, stable dog that, when necessary, will take on the roll of protector. The Cane Corso often possesses a dominant behavior. Both sexes may challenge for the leader of human, family and canine pack. These are strong, dominant dogs and the roll of leadership by the owner needs to be established early on. They are best suited for the experienced dog owner. Contrary to information provided by many breeders and aspiring breeders, these dogs should not possess the aggressive nature they advocate. The true Corso should not have a fila like temperament. Equally they are not Labradors and do not have the naturally friendly, outgoing nature that the Labrador should possess. They should be indifferent when approached and should only react when a real threat is present. The Corso is a working breed and due to its history of boar hunting, guardian of people, farms and butchers dog, they are required to function under high levels of stress. A Corso that can not maintain its dictated temperament under stressful situations is one with incorrect temperament for the breed and should not be used for breeding.

Their desire is to be with the family and do best living indoors as long as sufficient exercise is provided. Though they are tolerable of most weather conditions, they cannot tolerate solitude. Isolating the Cane Corso can lead to nuisance barking, destructive behavior and other temperament problems.

 

 

Dogs and Wolves

This article is meant to act as a component to an important lesson we have to learn in order to co-exist with the dog (Canis lupus familiaris) by learning the habits of its ancestor the wolf.
Wolves have developed a reputation that really exceeds them. Creeping through our childhood bedtime stories, they have an undeserved reputation for being a bloodthirsty man eating carnivore with a lonesome nature. This couldn't be further from the truth. A wolf always has a yearning to be a part of something larger and is never a lone animal, but rather a pack animal.
Wolves are very social animals and affectionate in their nature, they care for one another and can become depressed for months when loosing a pack member. Wolves are truly a well balanced caring family. First we need to know that the pack is stabilized by one leader the "Alpha Male". This position has nothing to do with age or size, rather this is an innate force that drives the Alpha to be.
Now on the polar opposite of the Alpha is the Omega the lowest ranking member of the pack, which is part scapegoat for aggression and part clown that initiates play and lightens the mood in the pack. 
Not an outcast by any means, but always at the bottom of the pack order. Low rank is always made the most clear at meal time and the Omega always eats last.
Although everyone in the pack must have permission to eat from the Alpha they are not forced to watch from afar like the Omega. 
Common power struggles tend to be sorted at meal time (rank reduction or moving up in rank through discipline of other members). Wolves display their dominance through eyes, ears, mouth, tail, body and even voice. Pups instinctively recognize the dominance of an adult and submit to them by lying on their back with their chest and belly exposed. We can spot social dominance in a puppy through curiousness, confidence and focus.
In the wild only the Alpha male and Alpha female are allowed to mate so the strongest survive in their lines.
The wolf and the dog are unquestionably related and very closely matched in behavior which I believe can be used to act as a guide to why a dog loses its balance when living with a human.
We have an immediate role to fulfill as the Alpha and we need to mimic the role when bringing a dog into our lives. Being calm, focused, confident and fair is what we must project to be the leader (Alpha).
Every member in your family will be in the pack so you must quickly initiate a hierarchy right when the puppy is brought into your home to avoid power struggles in the future. We need to fulfill this natural need of the dog to sustain its happiness. Humanizing dogs has become a tradition throughout the world and can lead to unpleasant behaviors. Your dog looks to you for acceptance and if you let it, it may become the Alpha and run your household (pack). We must understand this in order to have a well balanced relationship with our canine friend, or what should be a joyful and rewarding experience can turn into a frantic unpleasant annoyance. 
Written by Lucas Mucha

 

 

Be Alpha With Your Dog

From the first day you bring a puppy home you need to assert yourself as a leader. We need to be clear what we expect from the dog, assert ourselves in the new relationship from day one and teach the dog how we expect them to behave.
If we don’t lead, the dog does not know what the rules are. He/She must know their place in the pack. 
Some tips:
 - Always be calm, focused and fair. 
 - Never correct your dog with anger or frustration.
 - Food is a powerful enforcer, be careful how you use it.
 - Only enter a situation when the dog is calm, submissive and not in a reactive state.
Whether approaching a person, meeting a dog, entering your home or your car, do not let the dog lead (pull) you into the situation or it will try to control that situation. Only proceed to the stimuli when the dog is collected, calm and you are in control. 
 - Get a solid foundation in obedience to have control over your dogs will. The more your dog listens to you, the more you will trust your dog, this means more freedom for the dog because you are confident you always have control of your dog in any situation.
Remember, if your dog doesn't listen to you, chances are it does not respect you. 
 - You choose when to give the dog affection, make your dog work for it and only give affection to the dog when it is in a good state of mind, never in panic, fear or aggression.
Written by Lucas Mucha

 

 

House Breaking Your Puppy

House breaking is the single most common reason why dogs end up at the humane society. House breaking should be a simple and straightforward process if it is understood. Canines in nature will keep their den clean and go outside of it to excrete. This is where crate training comes in very handy. Keep your dog crated when it is in the house unless you can supervise the puppy’s activity. Have a schedule for the puppies feeding time, play time and bathroom times. These time patterns should always be kept the same. Dogs are creatures of habit, and will create flag points outside which they will use time and time again to excrete bodily wastes. Use this to your advantage. It is ideal to leave some feces in the area where your puppy goes to the bathroom. You will notice he/she will begin to sniff the feces and around it. At this time you should have a word like "Go potty". Gently and softy repeat this command when the puppy starts sniffing to go, and keep repeating this command until he/she starts to excrete. If the puppy decides this is play time turn your back and ignore him/her and repeat “go potty”. Once the puppy is going, softly praise him/her repeatedly until he/she is done with words like "good boy/girl". Once the puppy is totally finished close with one "good boy/girl" in a high happy voice, give them a good petting and/or clap and take them back inside. When you praise your puppy, he/she will understand that he/she has pleased you with what it has done, and will be more eager to recreate their actions to receive the same praise again. Understand one more thing. When your puppy is young, their little bladders cannot hold like an adult dog. They must be taken out about every hour to start and then at least every two until they get old enough to hold it longer. If you are gone for long periods of time, you cannot expect your puppy to not have urinated or excreted in his/her crate. If you have an 8 or 10 hour day make sure you have someone that can come in and take your puppy out. They are puppies; their bladders are too small to hold their bodily wastes for extended periods of time.
Written by Lucas Mucha

 

 

Your New Puppy!

Bringing a new puppy into your family can be stressful for the pup. It has just been taken from its mother and his/her litter mates and will be placed into a new environment. It is very important that the family help in this transition by reducing excitement and stress on the puppy by creating a relaxed environment for the new puppy for the next few days. If you have kids, have a talk with them so that they understand that the puppy needs to adjust for a couple of days to its new home. Any hugging, restraining or anything that can make the dog feel stressed or overwhelmed must be kept minimal. Everybody in the household needs to be on the same page about what is expected of the dog and this should be clearly outlined. Rules are a must! Dogs are pack animals and now that the pup is taken from his/her litter mates your family will be its new pack and everything you do with the puppy will reflect behavior and temperament in the future. You are molding your puppy from the first day you bring it home!
Written by Lucas Mucha

 

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