These dogs are known for being extremely trustworthy and reliable, forming very strong bonds with their owners whom they are totally devoted and loyal to. They are also extremely protective over their families and home but extremely affectionate and gentle by nature. They can be fairly wary of strangers but would never act out on aggression. However, their alertness does mean that they make good watchdogs! These dogs take a fair while to mature and will remain playful and pup-like in nature until they are around 4 years old. Their high prey drive means that they shouldn't be placed in a home with other small animals and shouldn't be let off their leads in public places. They also have a very high pain threshold and when injured won't always let their owners on to a problem so, it's up to us 'hoomans' to keep an eye on them! Because they need to be handled and trained in a very specific way, they don't suit first time owners and really need to be placed with someone who has experience and knowledge with the breed. However, if you can withstand the snoring, these guys make lovely pets!

The Cane Corso is a Mastiff-type breed that originated in Italy, having descended from Roman war dogs. After the Roman Empire fell, the Cane Corso worked as a farmhand, flock guardian, property guardian, family guardian and hunting dog (particularly of big and dangerous game like wild boar).

The breed declined with industrialization and almost died out after the two World Wars. Only a few dogs were present in remote areas of southern Italy by the 1970's. The breed was brought to the attention of Dr. Paolo Breber in 1973 by Giovanni Bonnetti who remembered the dogs from his youth. The next year, Dr. Breber obtained some of the dogs and began a breeding program. By 1996 the breed was recognized by the Federation Cynologique Internationale. By then, some of the dogs had been taken to the United States. The International Cane Corso Federation was formed in the U.S. in 1993 and more dogs were taken there from Italy.