HISTORY OF THE CANE CORSO
The Cane Corso has a rich history that goes back thousands of years. It’s been a fearless warrior, a family companion, a great hunter, and a fierce protector. If you think you’ve got what it takes to own one of the world’s most powerful dog breeds, keep reading and fill out our Application to Purchase.
- Breed dates back to Ancient Greece
- Fought alongside Greek and Roman soldiers
- Guard dog, hunting dog, and farm hand
- Revived from original lines in 1970s
- Brought to America in 1980s
- Two Cane Corso registries
The lighter of the two native Italian mastiffs, Cane Corsi are descendants of Molossers, Ancient Greek war dogs. These Molossus Hounds were featured on ancient coins and in many works of art showing their great size and ferocity.
These war dogs were brought back to Rome from Macedonia, and bred into the ancestors of the Cane Corso and the heavier Neapolitan Mastiff. This ancestor, the Canis Pugnax, was a fearless dog in war, used to charge into enemy lines carrying flaming oil strapped onto its back. These loyal dogs served the Romans well and were credited for assisting in many victories.
In peace times Cane Corso was used as an ancient “catch dog” who was used to courageously guard farms from dangerous animals, as a hunting aid in boar hunts, and also to manage cattle and swine. The Cane was indispensable in Italy as a protector of farmers and their flocks.
They were a staple of Italian farm life for hundreds of years, proving themselves as loyal and competent farm hands, helping farmers manage livestock, hauling heavy carts, flushing out predators, and guarding the homes and families.
As farming practices changed and two world wars occurred, the breed neared extinction in the 1900s, but was revived by a few Italian men who remembered the days of their youth spent with the dogs, and brought to America in the 1980s.
As the breed took hold in America, the AKC breed standard became more aligned with a “show dog.” The ICCF registry remains the most complete Cane stud book and the oldest Cane registry in the world and is focused on preserving the working pedigree.
