The Question Are Most Often Asked
As a Cane Corso kennel, we are most asked, are Cane Corso dogs aggressive? The truth is, no dog is born aggressive. They become aggressive through learned behavior, lack of socialization, or environmental factors. Every dog breed type can be aggressive, even cuties like the Pembroke Welsh Corgi or Daschund.
The Cane Corso’s size, color, and body shape often give them the reputation of being mean, aggressive, or threatening. However, that could not be further from the truth. In this article, we are going to break down why so many people think Cani Corsi (plural form of Cane Corso) are aggressive. We will share facts from fiction about the breed’s temperament. Lastly, we will share Cane Corso socialization best practices with you to ensure your Cane Corso is the loving, gentle, and social dog they are meant to be.
Size Of A Cane Corso
A Cane Corso can weigh up to 100 pounds and stand nearly 28″ inches high! That’s big! They are a stocky, muscular breed. As a Cane Corso approaches you get a feel for just how big they are and it can feel intimidating. We get it. However, don’t let your brain and eyes play tricks on you. Big doesn’t equal mean. Horses are big, right? They don’t have the reputation for being mean. Cane Corso dogs are not just big but, they have broad shoulders. Those broad shoulders can send the signal to your brain that they are tough, mean, or scary. Take from us, they are just built that way and it doesn’t make them mean.
Coat Color Of A Cane Corso
There’s a stock story among rescues, shelters, and breeders that black dogs are less likely to be adopted. This stock story even has a name, black dog syndrome. However, the ASPCA reports that there is little evidence that people are less likely to adopt a black dog.
When researching for this article, are Cane Corso dogs aggressive, we came across the Black Dogs Project. Animal photographer Fred Levy couldn’t believe black dogs have lower adoption rates. However, through his research, Levy found there was some evidence black dogs are often overlooked. So, Levy created the Black Dogs Project. He photographed hundreds of black dogs for a 2014 book.
So, it appears there is conflicting data on whether black dogs are or are not less likely to be adopted. What we might be able to agree on is the stigma facing black dogs comes from a variety of fronts.
Is it possible it’s something in our brains that tells us to fear black dogs? Or is society connecting black dogs to depression and fear?
Connected To Depression
Did you know there is some research that suggests seeing a black dog in your dreams symbolizes depression or death? The connection between depression and the metaphor of a black dog dates back to poet Horace in the 1500s. There’s even a video called, “I had a black dog, his name was depression.” Though we take depression seriously, fully support mental health awareness, and the treatment of mental health – using the black dog metaphor further stigmatizes black dogs.
Connected To Fear
Many people often report they are scared of large black dogs but, they cannot really point to a reason why. It’s possible our brains signal this fear. Hollywood doesn’t help either. Movies often cast Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Dobermans, and the Cane Corso in roles of the mean aggressive dog. Do you remember Fluffy? The 3-headed dog from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Those black dogs look pretty scary!
We, as humans, have to become aware of these brain tricks. When we see a black dog, our body and brain may begin to react with fear. However, we recommend taking a deep breath and remembering they are just dogs. They are no better or worse than tan, grey, or white dogs.
Cane Corso dogs come in a variety of colors. We wrote about their color in our All About The Breed Cane Corso on our blog. However, the bottom line is don’t let the color of the dog’s coat influence your decision to buy or adopt!
What Is The Temperament Of A Cane Corso?
Besides, the question, are Cane Corso dogs aggressive, we get asked a lot about their temperament. The Cane Corso is an affectionate breed and is loyal to its family and property. It’s this loyalty that can get them into trouble if not properly socialized. Overall, these dogs are good with children, other dogs, and people. However, this acceptable behavior needs to be taught and reinforced. Remember, dogs are not born mean or aggressive, it is often a learned behavior, lack of proper socialization, or environmental factors that create aggressive dogs, and those dogs could be any breed.
Socializing Your Cane Corso Best Practices
Socializing your Cane Corso puppy is not a one-and-done exercise. We recommend to any new dog owner to engage a professional dog trainer. Start with beginner puppy classes to give you the confidence needed to develop a well-socialized lovable harmless Cane Corso.
5 best practices for socializing your dog
- Start Early – begin socializing your puppy as soon as you bring him or her home.
- Stay Positive – use positive reinforcement.
- Take It Easy – don’t overload your puppy, remember this is a marathon or a spirit.
- Be Consistent – set aside time daily or weekly to socialize with your puppy.
- Go Public – invite other people, children, and dogs to visit your puppy at home. Then go public, but start small in a controlled environment.
We’ve shared a lot of information to answer the question, are Cane Corso dogs aggressive. We hope this gives you a bigger picture view of how complicated that question can be.
Do you think black dogs are underappreciated?
If you’re interested in adopting one of our Cane Corso puppies check out our puppies page.
About the Author
Amy Lady is a dog groomer, show handler, and owner of Valley Of The Corso kennel located in Indiana. Amy has been a dog-lover since she was a toddler and has been known to own a few too many dogs. However, her commitment to dogs goes beyond the Cane Corso breed, as she has taken nearly a dozen stray dogs, adopted dogs from shelters, and taken care of other people’s dogs for nearly 20 years.
