THE CANE CORSO

Origin:

Italy

Utilization:

Guard-, protection-, police- and tracking dog.

General appearance:

Medium to large-sized. Robust and sturdy, nevertheless elegant. Lean, powerful muscles.

Important proportions:

The length of the head reaches 36% of the height at withers. The dog is somewhat longer than high.

Behaviour/temperament:

Guardian of property, family and livestock; extremely agile and responsive. In the past, it has been used for herding cattle and hunting big game.

Head:

Large and typically molossoid. The upper longitudinal axes of the skull and the muzzle converge slightly. Cranial Region: Skull: Wide; at the zygomatic arches its width is equal to or greater than its length. Convex in front, it becomes fairly flat behind the forehead as far as the occiput. The medio-frontal furrow is visible. Stop: Marked.

Nose :

Black and large with ample, open nostrils, on the same line as the nasal bridge. Muzzle: Noticeably shorter than the skull (ratio muzzle: skull approximately 1 : 2). Strong, square; the front part of the muzzle is flat; the lateral surfaces are parallel; the muzzle is as wide as long. The profile of the nasal bridge is straight.

Eyes:

Medium-sized, ovoid, looking directly forward, slightly protruding. Eyelids close fitting. Colour of iris as dark as possible, depending from the colour of the coat. Expression keen and attentive.

Ears:

Triangular, drooping, with a wide set on high above the zygomatic arches. Often cropped in the shape of an equilateral triangle.

Neck:

Strong, muscular, as long as the head.

Body:

The body is somewhat longer than the height at the withers. Sturdily built, but not squat. Withers: Pronounced, rising above the level of the croup. Back: Rectilinear, very muscular and firm. Loins: Short and strong. Croup: Long, wide, slightly inclined. Chest: Well developed in three dimensions, reaches to the elbow. Tail: Set on fairly high; very thick at the root. The tail is docked at the fourth vertebra. In action carried hihg, but never curled nor erect. Limbs: Forequarters: Shoulders: Long, oblique, very muscular. Upper arm: Strong. Forearm: Straight, very strong. Carpal joint and pasterns: Elastic. Forefeet: Cat feet. Hindquarters: Upper thigh: Long, wide, back line of thigh convex. Lower thigh: Strong, not fleshy. Hocks: Moderately angulated. Metatarsals: Thick and sinewy. Hindfeet: slightly less compact than the forefeet. Gait/movement: Long stride, extended trot. The preferred gait is the trot. Skin: Fairly thick, rather close fitting. Coat: Hair: short, shiny, very dense with a light undercoat.

Lips:

the upper lips hang moderately and cover the mandible, so that the lower profile of themuzzle is determined by the lips. Jaws/Teeth: Jaws very large, thick and curved. Slightly undershot. Level bite acceptable, but not sought after.

Colour:

Black, lead-grey, slate-grey, light grey, light fawn; stag and red and dark fawn, brindle(stripes on different shades of fawn or grey); in fawn coloured and brindle dogs the black of grey mask on the muzzle should not go beyond the line of the eyes. A small white patch on thechest, on the tips of the feet and on the tail.