Bates Cane Corso

Sports and Resistance in the United States
1. Auflage 2011
ISBN: 978-1-59378-835-3
Verlag: CompanionHouse Books
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 160 Seiten

Reihe: Comprehensive Owner's Guide

Today's Cane Corso, the recreation of the powerful mastiff from the Roman era, ranks among the world's most impressive canines. The Cane Corso is a formidable protector of home and family, a reliable big-game hunter, an all-around companion, an agile, highly trainable competition dog, and so much more! Few breeds have enjoyed such a renaissance as the Cane Corso, thanks to dedicated breeders in Italy and the United States. This Comprehensive Owner's Guide is the only book of its kind dedicated to this fascinating Italian mastiff and retells the story of the breed's revival and its stake at fame in the 21st century.New owners will welcome the well-prepared chapter on finding a reputable breeder and selecting a healthy, sound puppy. Chapters on puppy-proofing the home and yard, purchasing the right supplies for the puppy as well as house-training, feeding, and grooming are illustrated with photographs of handsome adults and puppies. In all, there are over 135 full-color photographs in this useful and reliable volume. The author's advice on obedience training will help the reader better mold and train into the most well-mannered dog in the neighborhood. The extensive and lavishly illustrated chapter on healthcare provides up-to-date detailed information on selecting a qualified veterinarian, vaccinations, preventing and dealing with parasites, infectious diseases, and more. Sidebars throughout the text offer helpful hints, covering topics as diverse as historical dogs, breeders, or kennels, toxic plants, first aid, crate training, carsickness, fussy eaters, and parasite control. Fully indexed.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bates, Emily

Leseproben

CHARACTERISTIQUES OF THE

CANE CORSO

The Cane Corso is a large, powerful, intelligent and attractive dog, and, when properly raised, can make a fine companion. However, this is certainly not a breed for everyone and few would recommend a Cane Corso for first-time dog owners, for experience in handling is a tremendous asset for any Cane owner. The breed needs a good deal of attention and physical exercise, and requires socialization both with people and with other dogs.

PERSONALITY

An even-minded dog, the Cane Corso is a highly capable watchdog and protection dog, and this should always be borne in mind. The breed is sometimes described as an aggressive dog, and although this is true to a certain extent, the dog should only be aggressive when he is aware of danger and should never show aggression without good reason. The Cane can be suspicious of strangers but, if properly brought up and socialized, is usually friendly. In fact, it is often said that this breed is born suspicious and therefore needs to be guided as to what is accepted as good behavior.

With his close family, the Cane Corso is a grand companion, usually getting along well with children and other pets, but he will understandably wish to challenge anyone or anything that he considers a threat to those he loves. Although the Cane is generally gentle with children, he should not be given the job of baby-sitting. Children, especially toddlers, can unwittingly cause a dog pain and might just try his patience. Likewise, because the Cane Corso is so powerful, it is unwise for an owner of any age to engage in rough play, for accidents might just happen, albeit unwittingly.

Owners should never underestimate the power of the breed. If not socialized and trained from an early age, a Cane Corso may well become difficult to control. If a Cane Corso has not been brought up and trained with other dogs, he will almost certainly be dog-aggressive. A Cane will not usually start a fight but, if provoked by a strange dog, he will respond immediately and will not back down from the aggressor. For this reason, it is essential to obediencetrain a Cane. Understanding of the “No” and “Stop” commands is essential if dog fights are to be prevented.

Given the breed’s historical background, it goes without saying that the Cane Corso loves to work and is usually happy to learn any job his owner cares to teach him. The breed makes a fine hunting, trail or police dog and, because of his intelligence, can often work independently.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Cane Corso is a distinguished and powerful animal of medium to large size, though of slimmer build than his cousin, the Neapolitan Mastiff. His muscles are long and powerful, and this is a breed that expresses not only strength but also agility and endurance. The Cane is slightly longer in body than he is in height at the withers.

LEADER OF THE PACK

Socializing the Cane Corso from an early age is of the utmost importance if he is to fit well into his environment. Basic training can begin as early as eight weeks of age, paying special attention to interaction with adults, children and other dogs. It is important that your Cane knows that you are the pack leader.

The breed’s strong, compact body is very muscular, while the lumbar region has to be short and wide, muscular and solid, and, when seen from the side, slightly convex. The croup is long, wide and quite round, due to muscle.

An interesting proportion in the highly detailed Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) standard, which is the standard of the breed’s homeland, is that the height of the limbs at the elbows is equal to 50% of the height at withers, making this a well-proportioned animal that is not extremely “leggy.”

The forefeet are round in shape, resembling those of a cat, while the hindfeet are slightly more oval, with less arched toes. Nails are strong, curved and well pigmented. Indeed, the pigment under the feet must also be dark, and mucous membranes are black. The skin of the Cane is rather thick, but should adhere to the layers below, while the neck is almost without dewlap.

HEAD

The Cane Corso is a brachycephalic breed, meaning that it is relatively short in foreface, though it is by no means as short as in many other brachycephalic breeds. In the United States, the breed tends to have a longer muzzle, with a lessmarked stop. When measured at the cheekbones, the circumference of the head is more than twice the total length of the head. The muzzle is very broad and deep, its width almost equal to its length. The lips are rather firm and when viewed from the front form an upside-down “U” shape; viewed from the side, they hang moderately. The Cane Corso’s head should not have wrinkles.

The Cane Corso has black pigmentation and wide nostrils that are well opened and mobile. Teeth are large and white, with complete dentition. The bite should be slightly undershot.

Eyes are intelligent and alert, and are of medium size in comparison with the size of the dog. The eyes should be as dark as possible in accordance with coat color. The third eyelid is to be strongly pigmented, and eyerims are black.

Going back to his early use as a “catch dog,” the Cane has always been known for speed and agility that belie his large size.

DOMINANT NATURE

Until recent times, Cane Corsi were bred only for their working abilities; indeed, they did not leave their farms until 1988. It should therefore always be borne in mind that the Cane has a dominant nature, especially toward other dogs. If raised with other animals, he should get along with them well, but remember that he will never back down if challenged.

EARS

Ears are of medium size in relation to the volume of the head, and are covered in short hair. Set high and with a wide base, they are triangular, with a rather pointed apex and thick cartilage. When hanging, they fall to the cheeks, and they become semierect when the dog is alert. In countries in which ear-cropping is allowed, they are usually cut in an equilateral-triangular shape.

TAIL

The tail is set quite high on the line of the rump, is thick at the root and is not too tapered. In countries where docking is permissible, the tail is cut at the fourth joint. When left long, it should not much exceed the hock joint when stretched. When the dog is not in action, the tail is held low. At other times, the tail is held horizontal or slightly higher than the back, but it must never be in a vertical position nor should it form a ring.

As with all mastiff breeds, the Cane Corso’s impressive head is an important feature. This cropped-eared dog shows the desirable alert expression and required black pigmentation.

Size requirements vary from country to country, but it is universally accepted that the Cane is a large dog that must retain mobility and capability of high speed. This dog carries the characteristic thick tail, docked to the usual length.

SIZE

Males range between 64–68 cm (25.25–26.75 in) and bitches are a little smaller, from 60–64 cm (23.5–25.25 in). In both sexes, there is an allowance of 2 cm in either direction. The weight of males is 45–50 kg (99–110 lbs) and bitches are 40–45 kg (88–99 lbs). Weight should be in proportion to height, as specified by ratios in the FCI breed standard.

In the various American standards, there is either no maximum weight limit or a weight limit of 140 lbs (63.6 kg), this leading to some American dogs’ being considerably larger than those found in Europe. The ICCF standard states that a minimum height for dogs is 24 in and for bitches is 22 in, while the minimum weight for dogs is 100 lbs and bitches 80 lbs. No maximums are specified, and the standard does state: “While the larger size is preferred, it should not come at the expense of the dog’s working ability or movement.”

Many people accept that a Cane Corso of the correct size for this breed should be no larger that that which permits the dog to chase at high speed and to catch wild animals such as boar. However, the dog should also have sufficient bodily power to hold the game.

The black and tan coloration seen on this pup is controversial. Although accepted in the US, the pattern shows the influence of the Rottweiler and Doberman Pinscher breeds.

COAT AND COLOR

The coat of the Cane Corso is short, but is not smooth. It is shiny, closelying, stiff and very dense. There is a light layer that becomes thicker in winter. The hair on the muzzle is very short, and the coat is slightly longer on the withers, rump, back of thighs and tail, but it has no fringing.

Colors specified in the FCI breed standard are black, plum-gray, slate, light gray, light fawn, deer fawn, dark fawn and “tubby,” which means there are well-marked stripes on different shades of fawn or gray. On fawn and tubby dogs, the black or gray mask should not extend beyond the eye line. A small white patch on chest, tips of the feet and nose ridge is accepted, but white patches that are too wide are disqualifying faults. Colors not listed in the FCI standard are also disqualified under FCI rules.

UNDERSTANDING HUMANS

The Cane Corso is a breed that has had contact with man in social situations and, through this, has learned to interpret human gestures and to react only when necessary. This is an attribute that has helped the breed...