American Cane Corso vs Italian Cane Corso (Differences)

mark c: What is the difference between American Cane Corso and Italian Cane Corso?
I have heard there are two different types of Cane Corso. The American Breed and the Italian Breed. So I just want to know the differences, if there are any. Also, I am going to get a male. Are males or females better?

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Answers and Views:

Answer by luvtheflgators
No real difference between American and Italian Cane Corso. The breed is thought to come originally from Italy. Make sure you really do your homework....... research not only the breed but the breeders.

This is not an easy breed. They usually do not do well around strangers. If you have children, be extremely careful when their friends are over. This breed is extremely protective of his family and can easily take the roughhousing kids do as threats to them.

Answer by Eddie
Actually, they are not even the same breed. The original Cane Corso was derived from Neapolitan mastiffs. They go back about 400 years but were considered a type of neo until the 1940s at which point they were recognized as an independent breed. By the 1980s they were almost extinct. Breed fanciers used the remaining few to re-establish the breed by crossing them with boxers and bullmastiffs to spread out their gene pool.

The American Cane Corso was created completely separate from the original Cane Corso. The breed creators merely used the name. The breeds that went into Thier development were neo, Rottweiler, and Presa Canario. But absolutely no Cane Corso went into them. If they come from Italian bloodlines, they called Cane Corso regardless of where they were born. Much like a Doberman, or any other breed.

Answer by Roberto P
There’s enough reputable information on the internet but to cut a long story short:
– Origins of the breed were the ancient Roman war dogs, the canis pugnax (which in turn originated from Greek molossers)
– Over many centuries after the fall of the empire, the breed became a personal and livestock guard dog as well as hunting dog all over Italy, hence its combination of strength and agility not common in mastiffs
– After WW2 the breed was almost extinct and different approaches to revive it produced two different breeds, which exaggerated some characteristics: the very heavy and slow Neapolitan Mastiff; and the lighter and faster Cane Corso which unfortunately was also cross-bred with the Boxer and Dogue de Bordeaux
– Both breeds are now days officially recognized by registries around the world

So, there’s no “American” and “Italian” Cane Corso, there’s only one Cane Corso, which originates from Italy

However, there is a difference between the “official” Cane Corso and what many in Italy call the Cane Corso Rustico or Tradizionale, which is an attempt to reverse mistake done in the last few decades and come back to a dog closer to what had been used all over Italy for centuries.

Hope this helps.

Answer by animalgurl
There is a slight difference. The Italian lines tend to be smaller and have more of a boxer typeface. The American lines tend to be bigger with more pitbull looking faces. Some breeders cross the American lines with the Italian lines to get the best of both. I wouldn't say one is better than the other, it just depends on what you are after. They all share the same lineage and hale from Italy but the Americans have bred for bigger stock. Just buy from a breeder who health checks their dogs because Corso's are very prone to hip and joint problems. Epilepsy is also common in some lines so do your research.

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Corsos are wonderful and very even-tempered dogs. They are not as dog aggressive or prey drove like some other breeds like pitbulls and dogos. They won't go out looking for a fight but typically they won't back down if another dog initiates a scrap. My corsos accept anyone that I accept. They are extremely friendly and social dogs and this is very typical. But if they sense I am uncomfortable or don't like someone then watch out. They seem to instinctively know when to be protective but would never actually bite unless absolutely necessary.

They are excellent with children when raised with them. The only issue is their size and they can easily knock a child over unintentionally. My dogs are extremely gentle with my two toddlers. That said, no dog should be left unsupervised with a child. I also until recently had a 7-pound Malti-poo and my Corsos got along great with him. Never any aggression is shown. They need a firm hand and lots of socialization but are easier to handle than other dogs of their stature.

Males tend to be more dominant in nature. If you haven't had a dominant breed before I would suggest a female. But males, if neutered, can be just as good a pet.

Answer by Mitchell gaffney
I’m sorry, but the statement “Italian Cane Corsos look like boxers and American Cane Corsos look like pitbull” is incorrect. It should look like neither, it’s a mastiff. I got my boy Looki from Italy (where I live) and yes, there are ‘boxer type’ Corsos here, but with good contacts and learning about the breed, not just oh he’s Italian, mamma mia, etc.

The ‘traditional’ Corso SHOULD look like a leaner meaner English Mastiff, although the actual breeding now derives from Cane da Presa, a southern Italian farm dog. There was no real standard but they looked nothing like boxers or pits, unscrupulous breeding has nigh-on screwed the breed outside of dedicated circles in the south, where they still breed to what it’s been for centuries and further.
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