7 reasons why you should not (yet) get a Cane Corso!

Owning a pet is a wonderful experience, but choosing the right breed of dog requires careful consideration. The Cane Corso, an imposing and powerful Italian Mastiff, may seem intriguing at first glance, but before you decide to add this impressive dog to your life, be sure to consider the potential challenges and responsibilities. In this blog post, we’ll take an honest look at the reasons why you shouldn’t get a Cane Corso (yet).

This article is in no way meant to discourage you from adopting a Cane Corso, but rather to serve as a guide to ensure you make the decision well thought out and fully understand the needs of this majestic dog breed. After all, only with the right preparation and dedication can a long-term, happy relationship between humans and Cane Corso be created.

A Cane Corso is currently not the right dog for you if you have little self-confidence, are a beginner, don’t want to change your current lifestyle, or don’t have time, money, or space.

Here I give you 7 reasons that speak against a Cane Corso:

#1 You have no self-confidence

You need to take the pack leader role for your Cane Corso from the beginning and be confident. Cane Corsos become big and heavy. You definitely don’t want them to accept you as not the pack leader and then do what they want.

A Cane Corso puppy, it’s like any other dog breed. First, they are small, cute, and playful. But after only one year, they can reach almost 27 inches (70 cm) and 90 lbs (40 kg) or more. If you are not a strong personality, then your Cane Corso will have some problems.

Cane Corsos have strong protection and guarding instinct. If your Cane Corso does not accept you as the pack leader and wants to handle “unusual or dangerous” situations himself, it can end in chaos.

Malou, our Cane Corso bitch was a victim of 2 biting attacks when she was on the leash, and the other dog was not. She didn’t accept us as pack leaders in dog encounters since then and wanted to settle the situation herself -> leash aggression. With a lot of training and a professional dog trainer, we got this under control again.

No matter if you want to get a Cane Corso or another dog breed. I would always recommend a dog training course* so you do everything right from the beginning.

#2 You have never had a dog

This statement somewhat clashes with my original statement about the Cane Corso for first-time owners, but a Cane Corso is generally not for you if you have never had a dog before.

Cane Corsos are generally not suitable for beginners. They are larger and stronger than most other dog breeds. In addition, they have strong guarding and protective instincts.

Cane Corsos are sometimes a little stubborn and try to impose their will. In addition, if they do not accept you as pack leader and do not orient themselves to you, they can also tend to dominate behavior.

This can be too much of a task for a beginner in general. However, I also believe that a beginner who is willing to learn and gets a good dog trainer by his side from the beginning, and works with his Cane Corso daily can master this task.

Unfortunately, many people underestimate the subject of dog training or do not take it so seriously (with all breeds), and with a Cane Corso, the damage that can occur is, of course, many times greater than with a Golden Retriever.

If you are still looking for a large dog that is very similar to the Cane Corso in temperament, but everything is a step more relaxed, maybe the Broholmer is the dog for you.

#3 You do not want to change your lifestyle

A Cane Corso is not for you if you want to keep your current life as it is. No matter what breed of dog you want to bring into your life, you need to realize that you will have to spend a lot of time with your dog that you may have previously used differently.

You will have less time with your family and friends, you may sleep less, and you will have less time for your hobbies.

If you are going to be responsible for a Cane Corso, you will need to invest time. Your Cane Corso needs exercise and activity. You will need to invest time in training and socialization.

Also, your annual vacation will change if you have enjoyed flying in the past. We have been avid vacationers and have flown everywhere until we have dogs. Since then, it’s been vacationing with dogs and cars.

Are you willing to invest several hours a day for years for your Cane Corso? The life expectancy of a Cane Corso is about 10 years.

#4 You have to work all-day

Cane Corsos don’t like to stay alone. They build a strong bond with their family and prefer to be around them all the time.

So if you have to work all day and your Cane Corso has to stay home alone for several hours a day, this is currently not the right time for this breed.

Of course, you can leave a Cane Corso alone once in a while – even for several hours. But this should not be the rule.

#5 You cannot afford a Cane Corso

One of the main reasons the Cane Corso is not the right dog breed for you is the financial aspect. If you don’t have enough money to invest in your Cane Corso, you should not buy one.

Cane Corsos are not only expensive to buy but also to maintain. You have expenses for the dog food, liability insurance, veterinary costs, and accessories. As mentioned above, these costs are incurred every month for years.

With such a large dog, this can easily be a hundred euros per month and more. An exact overview of how expensive a Cane Corso is I will create in the short term.

#6 You have no space

You can keep a Cane Corso in an apartment without a garden. This is not a problem. As long as he has enough exercise and activity, they love to snooze on the couch or in the dog bed all day.

But you’ll need enough space for that too. For example, if you have a very small apartment that is just enough for you, it may be difficult to accommodate a 135 lbs Cane Corso.

You need enough space for a big dog bed, your Cane Corso must be able to eat comfortably, and when he moves around in the apartment, he should not bump into everything because it is so small.

#7 Cane Corsos are affectionate and cuddly

If you don’t want a dog that constantly seeks your closeness, sits with you, and wants to be petted, the Cane Corso is not for you.

Cane Corsos are very affectionate and cuddly. They are constantly looking for your proximity and want to be stroked. Malou also just sits and leans with us. Depending on how we sit or lie down, it can be exhausting when she just drops her 100 lbs (45 kg).

Conclusion: Reasons that speak against a Cane Corso!

Cane Corsos are great dogs – but they are not suitable for everyone. But reasons against a Cane Corso are lack of confidence or little time. Then now is not the right time for a Cane Corso.