The Battle Lines are drawn and clear to see, if you look.

In the US maybe the best kept secret regarding the Cane Corso may well be the 2 distinct dichotomies regarding Genetics seen in the US Corso breeding population. The larger more Mastiffy Cane Corso with the huge bone structures and body weights in the 150lb+ Yokozuna weight class, that are impressive even scary to look at VS the smaller more athletic higher prey drive cousins in the 100- 130 lb range. What is a buyer to do? Well the first thing would be to understand the differences and how one would apply these differences to the dog you want for your home situation and lifestyle. I could explain it as the choice between the Cadillac VS the Farrari but that would be just too simplistic and easy.

The Mastiff'y Cane Corso: This is my retired stud "Lansky" he is on a bad day 150lbs, he is impressive to look at. He is a love, he just wants to be petted, to eat, breed, sleep, pee on interesting things, get in the house and plop down wherever, loves being petted did I mention that? lol. He has sired 2 litters in the past. He is not much of a watchdog seldom barks, he has relatively low prey drive, will fight over food and tail and that is about it. Basically your happy go lucky monster. He has droopy lower eye lids, an under bite, drooping jowls, has thrown a few pups that had cherry eye although he has never exhibited it himself. Lansky has growled at me once trying to dominate me, I put that challenge down firmly, he never tried again.

 

Then we have one of my current Studs "Vico". Vico is 100% Black with a reddish tinged undercoat. Dominant old World coloration. At exactly 1yr he sired his first litter.   Vico is hyper alert and lives to be on guard.  Vico is young he weighs around 115#.  If he sees something not normal 500 ft away, say a car entering my neighbors driveway he goes off like a bullet investigating. I have a shop 1100 ft from my home and kennel. He goes where I go be it room to room or field to field by his nature. A Velcro Corso. If dogs start barking at home like a rocket Vico is gone the 1100 ft to investigate why they are barking, just his nature. He has been into Porcupines 6X already, each time worse than the last time. He is a high drive Corso. He hears something odd while in the house he is barking and growling, he will not stop, he demands out. He has tight lower eyelids, does not drool, never exhibited cherry eye nor have the pups he has sired to date. He has NEVER growled at me.....ever, even let me take quills out of his nose. He has a proper bite. Oh I guess I should mention, guess who dominates the other of these 2 unfixed males? The first name begins with a "V".

Conclusion: I have learned it is not the size of the dog it is the size of the fight in the dog. Vico lives for a long pet every night too.