Born to Perform. The Cane Corso Italian Mastiff is the Ferrari of the Canine world, a fine Italian high-performance machine! Magnificent Style, Sleek Muscular Lines, Tremendous Drive and more. The Cane Corso strikes the perfect Balance between Family Companion & Protection. All this, in a Compact Powerful body with the heart of a lion, and the gentleness to watch over a child.

   This rare breed, the Cane Corso Italiano, is, as Italian fanciers of the breed are proud to say, "the only coursing Mastiff". Bred to run, "Cane Corso" translates in Italian to "run dog". Cane Corsos are fast, sleek, athletic, beautiful, and impressive, much like the fine Italian sports car. The Corso is a very protective dominant breed, and makes an excelent guard dog. However, his qualities don't stop there. Corsos are also highly valued as companions, and adore a family and children to watch over. A stable balanced temperament completes the package making a Cane Corso the ideal dog for companioship and protection.

    "What the Lion is to the Cat the Mastiff is to the Dog, the noblest of the family; he stands alone, and all others sinking before him. His courage does not exceed its temper and generosity and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race. His docility is perfect; the teasing of the smaller kinds will hardly provoke him to resent, and I have seen him down with his paw the Terrier or cur that has bit him, without offering further injury. In a family he will permit the children to play with him and will suffer all their little pranks without offence. The blind ferocity of the bulldog will often wound the hand of the master who assists him to combat, but the Mastiff distinguishes perfectly, enters the field with temper, and engages the attack as if confident of success: if he overpowers, or is beaten, his master may take him immediately in his arms and fear nothing. This ancient and faithful domestic ... uniting the useful, the brave and the docile, though sought by foreign nations and perpetuated on the continent, is nearly extinct where he was probably an aborigine, or is bastardized by numberless crosses, everyone of which degenerate from the invaluable character of the parent, who was deemed worthy to enter the Roman amphitheatre and in the presence of the masters of the world, encounter the pard and assail even the lord of the savage tribes, whose courage was sublimed by torrid suns, and found none gallant enough to oppose him..."
     ~Edwards, S. (1800), wrote in the Cynographia Britannica, London: C. Whittingham

The Cane Corso - Behind the Name

There are many patterns of thoughts and opinions regarding the origins of the Cane Corso's name. Some are based on historical information, some taken from the breed's functionality, and many vary based on region. Many opinions, even when they differ, carry similar and consistent undertones. The fact that different meanings and interpretations will have originated from different regions and periods must be considered when looking for "the right" interpretation. Perhaps there is not one single "correct" interpretation, as the breed has held and progressed thru various places in its history. We have compiled some interpretations and thoughts to share below on the Cane Corso - what is behind the name.

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The Cane Corso: "The Dog of the Main Courtyard"
In old times in Italy, an entire town would be built around one main street. The family that was most well off (similar to a town mayor today) always lived in the largest house located in the courtyard at the end of the Main Street - the Corso. This main house was home to the family in the town that was best suited to raise and breed the dogs that were dispersed thru the village as family guardians and flock protectors. Cane translates to Dog, and Corso translates to Main Courtyard, thus the Dog of the Main Courtyard became known as the "Cane Corso".

The Cane Corso: "The Dog Guarding Enclosed Estates"
Corso has been translated to mean "belonging to fence, yard" - thereby reflecting on the primary function of this breed. Cane Corso, translated from Latin to mean "guard of the courtyard", or "the dog guarding enclosed estates", portrays the function of an eager and brave guard of homes and estates.

The word corso has been found in written sources since the beginning of the sixteenth (XVI) century. From the earliest notations it is closely associated with the meanings for hunting and protection.

Theofilo Folengo (1491-1544), used the word corso to describe a Cane Corso in deadly fight with a bear or with a lion wounded by a hunter. In this use Cane Corso was compared in an interesting manner with Molosso, "canes inter seu corsos sive molossus", which translates from Latin as dog - either Corso or Molosso).

Meaning can be found using the Latin noun "cohors", Roman "coorte", or Praetorian "cohort", to show evidence of the ancient function of a bodyguard, one of the primary functions (among others) this breed was entrusted with.

Some cynologists say the name corso should be connected with the ancient Celt or Provencal matrix. The word corso, meaning in this interpretation, "strong", as it is similar to the English adjective “coarse”. (The word coarse being used in this instance with the meaning of rough, or unrefined.)

The ENCI Breed Description for the Cane Corso is as follows:

   Medium-large sized molossoid, unicolor, compact,with a strong skeleton, muscular and athletic, it moves with considerable ease. Its head is massive, with a dignified and proud expression. It has had a selection parallel to that of the mastiff, it comes from lighter progenitors but has maintained that original conformation. It has always been a poperty watchdog and hunter of difficult game, such as the boar. It originated in the central-southern regions of Italy where it was used as a cowherd for cows and swine raised in the wild. It also defended travelers and carters from highwaymen. Its name is the one by which it has always been known in the south, having the same root as "corsiero" (courser), the medieval war horse; perhaps it derives from the Latin "cohors" (courtyard, body guard). Due to environmental changes, the Courser risked extinction. A few anthusiasts initiated its recovery which today is complete. Its modern functions are watchdog, defending people and their belongings. An adaptable and courageous worker, of proverbial loyalty, alert and reactive, able to withstand difficult environmental conditions and experiences due to its solid equilibrium. A strong build but not without elegance. Built on a rectangle, it absolutely must not resemble the Neapolitan Mastiff. Its skin adheres to its body and does not form wrinkles.

   We are constantly adding to the information we have to share about the Cane Corso breed. This section of the site is a work in progress - watch it grow with us! You can search our site for information on any subject using the search function above, and browse the pages of information below to learn more about this fascinating breed.

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