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Most of you think that Cane Corso is a young breed.
Until some other people claim Cane Corso is a very old breed?
What is the truth about Cane Corso history?
Incredibly, both kinds of people are partially correct… How is this possible?
Real Cane Corso History
On the mostly websites based on Cane Corso or dogs in general, you can find out the history of the breed. All are very similar and even the same – like you can read the standard of the breed. It’s thiny information and a very short description which can not help true lovers of the breed to get in the core – history of the breed and details of origin. Only a few webs you can find out some more information and details. Which is based on the Old Rome Dog ( Canis Pugnax ) and its characteristics.
It’s well known that the Rome empire was powerful, powerful people, as well as legionaries, have this dog as a symbol of power, they led them to the battles as well as to the hunting… It was a fearless dog, very elegant. Full of power and stamina, but same faithful and loyal to the owner. Years later, people used Old Rome Dogs as the guardian dog of the property and livestock, used for hunting…
Cane Corso and Mastino Napoletano
became from the same dog – Old Rome Dog.
It’s true that Cane Corso and Mastino Napoletano were created from the Old Rome Dog, but we ask how?
Years and years have passed, people have saved that unique character of the Canis Pugnax, but the look has been changed by Cane Corso history, by generations, by different selection and different breeding with dogs.
Dogs, which were stronger, more massive, and not so elegant were selected and in further development created Mastino Napoletano.
Cane Corso, a dog which is a today closer look to the Canis Pugnax, was obtained by selection of strong but elegant, not so massive dogs.
If you take a look at the standard of those 2 breeds and compare them, you will see that there are no big differences in details except, Cane Corso is a more movable dog, more elegant, and without too much skin as Mastino Napoletano. It has convergent axes of head and muzzle ( Mastino has parallel axes of head and muzzle ), but there are different indeed.
Why I talked about Mastino Napoletano?
Because those 2 breeds are very similar, brothers, which were obtained from the same dog breed, it’s important to mention brother because of the further development and Cane Corso history.
Cane Corso belongs to east Italy!
Mastino Napoletano belongs to west Italy!
Spunk Gang trips to origin country!
During our trip to Italy, we have been in touch with breeders and lovers. We have seen so many dogs in different places, a lot of Cane Corso puppies. In the past, people from eastern Italy have preferred Cane Corso breeding. Because of the middle size, very swift and efficient, elegant but powerful. While people from western Italy preferred Mastino Napoletano breeding. Which is massive and bigger than Cane Corso, so powerful dog. Character is very similar – same, both dogs are very excellent guard dogs.
Today, people from whole Italy breed both breeds, as people worldwide.
Name of the breed tells us, Mastino Napoletano – dog which has been created in Naples, west side of Italy.
But what about Cane Corso?
No where in the name there is no some connection with some city from the east Italy?
If we take an assumption that people from the west wanted to create the special line. The line of the dogs will look the same as each other one, as it should be. I can tell that people from eastern Italy did not care about the look of the dog and Cane Corso history. Then accent was on to keep – improve the character of the Cane Corso breed.
In that past time, people didn’t care about looks and do dogs will look the same or even similar. One to another one. The only important was that dogs work things that people used these dogs – to protect property and to hunt well. It’s why this dog is called Cane Corso – Dog Guard.
Cane Corso as the name of the breed is very old, but the look is young!
The most deserving person for recognition of Cane Corso late 80s is Dr. Antonio Morsiani.
Dr. Antonio Morsiani was person who has breed Saint Bernard dogs, kennel “Del Soccorso” estabilished in 1937, one of the leader in Italian kinology.
In 1987, Dr. Antonio Morsiani and with judicial committee ENCI created the very first standard under prototypes, next to others there was the dog called Basir Cane Corso who lived in that time and is very important for Cane Corso history.
After, it will needs many years before Cane Corso become dogs who are very similar to the other ones.
What happened before that dogs be so different in look but the same breed?
Why world has today so many Cane Corso which are so different?
As I said, people who “worked on” maintenance and they care only to keep the functionality and character of the dog. They didn’t care about looks, they did Cane Corso breeding with another breeds which have a similar character. For example German Boxers, Mastino Napoletano, Tibetan Mastiffs, Rottweilers, etc… With that kind of breeding, they got dogs that had shorter muzzle, black and tan dogs, dogs with longer hair, to heavy dogs with a lot of skin. Continuously by generations, was important only that dog is a good guard, or in Italian language – Cane Corso…
Though today Cane Corso is world recognized breed, there are still differences in look about the type. Even big differences. Thanks to Dr. Antonio Morsiani, today we have standard proportions how dog should look and which all of us should follow. With planned breedings we will work on to improve the breed, and Spunk Gang follows it 100%…
Thanks to dog Basir, which was a prototype in standard writing, today we know the Cane Corso history and how the dog looked in past.
Did you know that some people kept as traditional look
Cane Corsos with cropped ears and tail natural?
Very interesting thing
is that Cane Corsos in the past had cropped ears but a naturally long tail. As you know, in the past Cane Corso was used as a guardian dog, but a hunting dog, too. An untouched tail ( with it dog has better coordination of movement ) is used by the hands of the owner so the owner can pull out a dog from the hole if the dog is gone because of hunting some animal. It is to hard pull out a dog from the hole with the leash, so a naturally long tail was used as a thing the pull out a dog from the hole.
Cane Corso was used as hunting dog
with whom hunters and owners went to the forest even with very thick spruce, dog when moves tail left and right, will give up the position of the team and the animals would be gone, so those dogs get docked tails so they can do hunting unhindered.
The traditional Cane Corso history look is with ears cropped. From today’s aspect, ears were cropped for several reasons. In the past dogs had so long ears that they may get injured in hunting. Even some other animal can hurt their ears by biting them, with very abundant bleeding. Ears were cropped short or in the battle crop! As with cropped ears dogs get on expression and seriousness of dog. People started cropping and make from the dog look powerful as it is today.
One more very interesting thing about the health of the ears, to cropped ears – inside of the ears are open and the skin can breathe so get enough air and sunlight and with it – much fewer chances that a dog gets an infection of the ears by some bacteria. Otherwise, dogs with untouched ears – natural ears from written reasons have more tendencies to get ears infection.
Strong and stable character is what always adorns Cane Corso breed.
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