Cane Corso puppies

The Cane Corso is the more streamlined of the two Italian breeds descending from the ancient Roman molossian war dogs, the heavier version being the Neapolitan Mastiff. While the Neo evolved as a dedicated guard dog, the Corso became a versatile farm dog.

Cane Corso (pronounced KAHN-nay Corso) comes from the word for catch dog, a dog used to overpower large prey. The name was used to describe these dogs as early as the twelfth century. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Corsos were used to protect farms, hunt tough prey, and even guided and rounded up sheep, goats, and semi-wild cattle.

With the onset of modern times, jobs for Corsos declined; then after World War I and especially World War II the Corso population in southern Italy dwindled. By the 1970s, only a few Corsos remained with peasants spread throughout the countryside. In 1973, two individuals located, collected, and bred the the remaining Corsos, and a decade later a breed club was formed. By 1996, the Cane Corso was recognized by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. The first Corsos were brought to the United States in 1988. The AKC granted the breed full recognition in 2010.