General

CORSO DOG (Cane Corso Italiano)

Country of origin: Italy

Its direct ancestor is the "canis pugnax" (the old Roman Molossian) of which he is the light version employed in the hunting of large wild animals and also as an "auxiliary warrior" in battles. For years he has been a precious companion of the Italic populations. Employed as property, cattle and personal guard dog and used for hunting purposes too. In the past this breed was common all over Italy as an ample iconograhpy and historiography testify. In the recent past he has found a excellent preservation area in Southern Italy, expecially in Puglia, Lucania and Sannio. His name derives from the Latin "cohors" which means "guardian", "protector".

General Appearance: Medium-big size dog, strongly built but elegant, with powerful and long muscles, very distinguished, he expresses strength, agility and endurance. The general conformation is that of a mesomorphic animal whose body is longer than the height at the withers, harmonious as regards the form and disharmonious as regards the profile.

Behaviour and temperament: Intelligent, active and even-minded, he is an unequalled 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.

Important proportions: The lenght of the body is about 11% over the height at the withers. The total length of the head reaches 3,6/10 of the height at the withers. The length of the muzzle is equal to 3,4/10 of the total length at the withers and it is equal to the height of the limb at the ellbows.

Head: Brachycephalic. Its total length reaches 3,6/10 of the height at the withers. The bizygomatic width, which is equal to the length of the skull, is more than half the total height of the head, reaching 6,6/10. The upper longitudinal axes of the skull and of the muzzle are slightly convergent. The perimeter of the head, mesured at the cheek-bones, is more than twice the total length of the head even in the females. The head is moderately sculptured with zygomatic arches stretched outwards. The skin is firm and sticking to the tissues underneath, it is smooth and quite stretched.

Skull: Seen from the front it is wide and slightly curved, seen from the side it draws an irregular curve that, accentuated in the subregion of the forehead, befomes flat along the external saggital crest. Seen from the top, it looks square because of the outstretching of the zygomatic arches and the powerful muscles swathing it. Frontal sinuses well developed and stetched forward, deep forehead hollow and visible median furrow. Occipital crest not much developed. Supraorbital fossae slightly marked.

Stop: Very marked because of the very developed and bulging frontal and because of the prominent superciliary arches.

Nose: It is on the same line as the nose pipe. Seen from the side it mustn't stick out from the front vertical margin of the lips but be, with its front, on the same vertical line as the front of the muzzle. It has to be voluminous, rather flat on top, with wide nostrils, opened and mobile, wet and cool. The pigmentation is black. Muzzle - Very broad and deep. The width of the muzzle must be almost equal to its lenght, which reaches 3,4/10 of the total lenght of the head. Its depth is more than 50% the lenght of the muzzle. Due to the parallels of the muzzle sides and to the fullness and the width of the whole jaw, the anterior face of the muzzle is flat and square. The nasal bridge has a rectilinear profile and it is rather flat. The lower side profile of the muzzle is determined by the upper lips, the suborbital region shows a very slight chisel.

Lips: Rather firm. Seen from the front, the upper lips form at their disjunction an upside down "U" and, seen from the side, hang moderately. The commisure is rightly evident and it always represents the lowest point of the lower side profile of the muzzle. The pigmentation is black.

Jaws: Very wide, strong and thick, with a very slight shortening of the upper jaw with a subsequent light prognathism (undershot mouth). The branches of the lower jaw are very strong and, seen from the side, are quite curved, the body of the lower jaw, well accentuated forward, points out well the marked chin. The incisors are firmly placed on a straight line.

Cheeks: The masseter region is full and evident, but not hypertrophic.

Teeth: White, big, complete in growth and number. The lower jaw incisors pass only slightly (about 1/2 cm) their correspondent ones on the upper arch, so the bite is slightly undershot.

Eyes: Of medium size compared to the size of the dog, in a sub-frontal position, well spaced. Rima palpebrarum nearly oval, eyeballs slightly protruding, adherent eyelids with the borders pigmented with black, the eye mustn't let the sclera be seen. Third eyelid strongly pimented. Iris as dark as possible according to the colour of the coat. Look intelligent and alert.

Ears: Of medium size in relation to the volume of the head and to the size of the dog; covered with short hair, of triangular shape, with rather pointed apex and thick cartilage, in a high position, much above the zygomatic arch, with a wide bottom, hanging, they stick to the cheeks without coming down to the throat. Quite outstretched and slightly protruding at the joint, they become semi-erect when the dog is watchful. They usually get amputated in a equilateral-triangular shape.

Coat: Short hair but not smooth, with vitreous texture, shiny, adherent, stiff, very dense, with a light layer that becomes thicker in winter (but never crops up on the covering hair). Its average length is approx. 2/2,5 cm. On the withers, the rump, the back margin of the thighs and on the tail it reaches approx. 3 cm without creating fringes. On the muzzle the hair is very short, smooth, adherent and is not more than 1/1,5 cm.

Color: Black, plumb-grey, slate, light grey, light fawn, deer fawn, dark fawn and tubby (very well marked stripes on different shades of fawn and grey). In the fawny and tubby subjects there is a black or grey mask only on the muzzle and shouldn't go beyond the eye line. A small white patch on the chest, on the feet tips and on the nose bridge is accepted.

Height: For males from 64 cm. to 68 cm. For females from 60 cm. to 64 cm. With allowance of ± 2 cm.

Weight : Males from 45 to 50 Kg. ratio weight/size O.710(Kg/cm). Females from 40 to 45 Kg. ratio weight/size 0.680 (Kg/cm).