Cane Corso is a born guard dog, reliably guarding his owners and their property. This breed is known as a working farm dog as this breed once used to work for farms guarding livestock and chasing wild boar, as well as dock diving.

The Cane Corso puppy is intensely loyal and brave, has a lightning-fast reaction, and adapts well to the new environment. Self-confidence allows him to be friendly with people and other dogs, but still keep his distance.

Not every owner can cope with an excess of protective instinct in adult Cane Corso. However, with the right approach to education and regular training, the dog is very obedient and easy to train.

So, let’s dig deeper to know how good a Cane Corso is as a working breed for farms and ranches. Before we judge this Roman war dog breed, let’s know about its description, history, and characteristics.

Description Of The Cane Corso Dog

Cane Corso is similar to other members of the Molossian group but more graceful and athletic. These are large dogs, females at the withers reach 58-66 cm and weigh 40-45 kg, males 62-70 cm and weigh 45-50 kg. Large males can reach 75 cm at the withers and weigh 60 kg.

This breed is muscular and powerful, but not as stocky and massive as other mastiffs. The dog should look capable of dealing with an attacker, but also energetic dog capable of hunting. The tail of dogs is traditionally docked, in the region of 4 vertebrae, and a short stump is left.

The head and muzzle are powerful, located on a thick neck, and the head itself is large relative to the body but does not cause imbalance. The transition to the muzzle is pronounced, but those are as pronounced as in other mastiffs.

The muzzle itself is long as for Molossians, but short compared to other breeds of dogs. It is very wide and almost square. The lips are thick, drooping, and form flails. At first, most Cane Corsos were born with a scissor bite, but now many have a slight underbite. The eyes are medium in size, slightly protruding with a dark iris.

Ears are most often cropped in the shape of an equilateral triangle, after which it looks like the dog has no ears at all. As with the ponytail, this practice is falling out of fashion and is sometimes banned. Triangular-shaped natural ears, drooping. The general impression of the dog: are attentiveness, swiftness, and strength.

Wool with a short, soft undercoat and coarse top coat. The coat is short, thick, and shiny. Its color is varied: black, lead gray, slate gray, light gray, light red, dark red, and brindle. Brindle and red dogs have a black or gray mask on the muzzle, but it should not go beyond the line of the eyes.

Some also have black on the ears, but not in all standards is acceptable. Many dogs have small white spots on the chest, paws, and bridge of the nose, which are allowed by the standard.

History of the Cane Corso

The Cane Corso dog’s history shows that this breed was bred in Italy and appears to be descended from Roman war dogs. The Cane Corso is a lighter breed than its closest relative the Neapolitan Mastiff and was bred for dog sports such as game hunting, guarding, and farm work.

The breed was on the verge of extinction, but since the 1970s, the breed has been restored by the efforts of enthusiasts. In 1983, the association of Cane Corso Lovers SACC (Societa Amatori Cane Corso) was created, and the Fédération Cynologique Internationale recognized the breed in 1996.

By 1996, this dog breed had received recognition from FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale). In 2010, Cane Corso was also acknowledged by the National Breed ClubAmerican Kennel Club (AKC).

General Characteristics Of Cane Corsos

The Cane Corso (also known as the Italian Cane Corso, Italian Mastiff, and Cane Corso Italiano) is one of the oldest Italian breeds. These dogs were extremely popular among the aristocrats, who used them for hunting, dog fighting, and guarding castles, and among the commoners, whom the Cane Corso helped to herd cattle on farms.

By the seventies of the last century, the breed was in danger of extinction, but thanks to the efforts of the Italian scientist Giovanni Bonatti, it was saved and revived. The Cane Corsos are working dogs and guard dogs.

Cane Corsos will faithfully serve their owners, selflessly protecting their property from extraneous encroachments. Despite its aggressive behavior and wariness towards strangers, the Cane Corso is an affectionate and good-natured dog in the family circle, which is often used as a nanny for small children.

Particular attention should be paid to the education of the Cane Corso and its early socialization from a young age to cope up with family members well. This dog needs constant exercise along with mental and physical stimulation, so ask a specialist to create a special training program for your pet.

In the past, this dog breed used to work for farms and ranches. But now they are more popular as family pets. However, since they are working dogs, to maintain a healthy dog weight they need at least a mile of walking or running daily.

These working breeds are great for farms with or without obedience training and mental stimulation.

Cane Corso Dog Health To Perform In Farms And Ranches

Like other dog breeds like Pit bulls, German Shepherds, Siberian Huskies, Newfoundlands, Border Collies, and other animals on farms & ranches, Cane Corsos are highly prone to specific health conditions.

Not all representatives of the breed get sick, but it is important to know about possible diseases. Cane Corso’s can be prone to hip dysplasia; eyelid anomalies such as eyelid inversion (entropion), eyelid eversion (ectropion), and “cherry eye” (third eyelid adenoma); demodectic scabies (which may be hereditary); torsion of the stomach.

So, always make sure you get your pup from a reputable breeder only who guarantees purebred Cane Corso working dogs for your Farm and Ranch. If you get a healthy dog, it can work as well as your other neighbor’s dog.

Working Qualities Of Cane Corso In A Farm And Ranch

The Cane Corso was developed mainly as a working breed of dog and its morphological features reflect its suitability for work on a farm and/or ranch. This breed of dog is concentrated on protection and guard. These dogs from Roman Empire are hardy, strong, very smart, and powerful dog breeds.

They have excellent intuition and an innate defensive reflex, and they separate the game from the real potential threat. But without a serious reason or a command, the Cane Corso doesn’t show aggression.

Thus, this is an ideal bodyguard-dog with an inherent sense of fearlessness, and territory, and can make independent decisions for farm and ranch guarding. This dog is quite large, strong, powerful, and elegant, with pronounced relief muscle tone, strong bones, the strong slender limbs.

FINAL WORDS

These work dogs need plenty of exercises to stay in shape and maintain a healthy weight. Long walks or runs in the morning and evening are a must every day.

For mental work, it is necessary to involve the Cane Corso dog in work, dog sport, teaching command, and obedience.

Be prepared for the fact that the maintenance of a large thoroughbred dog can be very expensive in terms of money. The expenses include the purchase of premium-segment feed, ammunition, and dog care products.

Also, including veterinary care. Take into account all these costs before purchasing a Cane Corso dog for farm and ranch work.