Updated Sep 2, 2022
Are Cane Corsos Friendly or Aggressive?
Cane Corsos are not aggressive by nature. But certain circumstances could cause them to become aggressive. The question is too broad for a single answer.
Likewise, there is not a single overall answer to the question 'are Cane Corsos friendly?' It kind of depends…
It's going to depend on who they are interacting with, and under what circumstances.
Let's break the question down a bit.
Are Cane Corsos Friendly or Aggressive Towards Humans?
It really depends on who the human is and how he is behaving. A Cane Corso will not be aggressive for no reason, but neither will he be automatically friendly. We need to break it down further
Are Cane Corsos Friendly or Aggressive Towards Their Family?
The nature of the Cane Corso is to be gentle, friendly and affectionate towards his family members . All that is required for him to behave like this is to treat him well. If a Cane Corso's owner looks after him, provides for him, and gives him love and attention, the dog will form a strong bond with its owner.
The Cane Corso is also protective by nature, and this tendency extends to his whole family. The family is a highly important thing to the Cane Corso. He will never be aggressive towards any family member under normal conditions.
A Cane Corso will be gentle and protective towards small children. However, all interaction between dogs and children should be supervised. With the Cane Corso, this is especially essential, due to his size — it's not that he would be likely to behave badly, but he could easily knock a small child over without even realizing.
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Are Cane Corsos Friendly or Aggressive Towards Strangers?
Cane Corsos are most likely to be neutral towards strangers, maybe a little aloof. Their guarding instinct will cause them to remain alert, but they won't become aggressive without cause.
A Cane Corso will follow his owner's lead when encountering a stranger. If the owner obviously knows the person and greets him warmly, the Cane Corso will also be relaxed and friendly.
If the person is a complete stranger known to neither the owner nor the Cane Corso, the dog will most likely remain on alert.
If the person acts normally, all will be well.
If the person acts in a threatening manner, the Cane Corso's protective instinct will probably be triggered. He won't necessarily become aggressive, but he will put himself between you and the stranger, and give warning barks and/or growls.
Are Cane Corsos Friendly or Aggressive Towards Cats?
Much is made of the Cane Corso's high prey drive. And there may be some of that present. But it's important to remember three things.
So, Cane Corsos can be fine with cats. Bear in mind that each pet dog has its own specific personality — and cats do too. However, if your Cane Corso is correctly presented to your cat, you can be confident that they can get along. You must monitor them until a relationship is established.
Are Cane Corsos Friendly or Aggressive Towards Other Dogs?
The Cane Corso is unlikely to be aggressive towards other dogs unless there is a reason. Having said that, there will always be dogs that just do not get on.
The Cane Corso is a very large, very strong dog. And to cap that, he has a huge bite force — at 700lbs PSI, the Cane Corso's bite is considered to be in the top 3 of all dogs.
For this reason, it is essential that a Cane Corso remains under control. This means early training, early socialization, and keeping him on a leash at all times.
Our Cane Corsos have lived with three cats, and several other dogs. Older dogs, younger dogs, and smaller dogs (there have been no bigger dogs!). They have got along just fine with all of them, with no problems at all.
Of course, it is important to introduce any incoming animal in the right way, and to supervise interactions until you are sure there are no problems.
It is also worth noting that dogs of the same gender can be more of a problem than dogs of the opposite gender. Bitches especially can be more likely to have issues getting along with other bitches.
These things usually get worked out but, in general, dogs of opposite gender are more likely to be friendly with each other.
Are Cane Corsos Affectionate?
Cane Corsos can be very affectionate with their owners and family members, and people they know and like.
Obviously it can vary from dog to dog, but they are typically friendly and affectionate when they are comfortable.
Adult Cane Corsos do not tend to be affectionate with people they don’t know. As they grow into adulthood, the deep-seated protective side of their nature becomes more prominent.
So Cane Corso pups are more likely to be affectionate with a wider range of people, but they tend to become more selective as they mature.
They remain affectionate with family and friends but will tend to remain alert with strangers unless they get a chance to know them.
Additional Factors
If any animal is abused or not treated well, this will inevitably have an effect on the animal's behavior. Given the Cane Corso's size, strength and corresponding potential to be dangerous, it becomes very important that he is not mistreated anywhere along the line.
A responsible dog owner will always treat his animal well, and any dog lover will provide a good, stable and loving environment. This is all it takes.
When encountering a Cane Corso that you don't know, just be aware that his history is unknown to you, and exercise a little caution.
How To Make Sure Your Cane Corso Is Friendly
This may be easier than you think — your Cane Corso's nature is working for you.
There are three basic steps to ensure your Cane Corso is friendly.
(1) Get Your Puppy From A Reputable Breeder
Breeding is a huge part of any dog's character and behavior. The right choice of breeder is particularly important for a Cane Corso owner.
The Cane Corso is a big strong and muscular dog, with an imposing look. Unfortunately, this is very appealing for a group of people who are actively seeking a scary dog. The Cane Corso's appearance makes him ideal stock for this market.
Wherever there is demand, somebody steps in to fill it. And there are breeders who cater to this section of the market. Dogs originating from a breeder in this market are like to have been bred to emphasize an aggressive nature. The very opposite of a friendly dog.
On the other side of the coin, many good Cane Corso breeders specialize in producing a good family dog with a much more friendly nature.
Clearly, this is your starting point in ensuring you end up with a friendly Cane Corso.
(2) Establish An Early Training Regime
Many people lack confidence in their ability to train a dog. And a large dog with the Cane Corso's appearance can make training seem even more intimidating.
But training your Cane Corso is likely to be a whole lot easier than you think. Again, the dog's nature is working for you. The Cane Corso is a smart dog, eager to please and quicker to learn. All of which makes training pretty straightforward.
Starting training early is the way to go -- while he is still a puppy and much easier to control.
By far the easiest way to get started is to incorporate everyday events where you naturally have your dog's attention. When you are about to give him something he wants, his eagerness to please is at its peak, and getting him to do something first is easy.
The phrase 'Sing for your supper' is relevant here. Feeding times are naturally the times when you have something your dog really wants — and he knows it. Teaching him to 'sit', 'stay', 'lie down, or any other basic command doesn't come any easier than this.
And the best thing is that feeding times occur several times every day, providing you with regular and frequent opportunities to teach, train and reinforce your leadership. All without you having to do anything other than what you already do every day.
There are many other everyday opportunities to train your Cane Corso. We have a full article on this here:
8 Ways To Use Everyday Events For Cane Corso Training
— and a video here:
5 Ways To Use Everyday Events For Natural Cane Corso Training
(3) Start Socialization Early
Socialization sounds complicated, but it actually couldn't be easier. It's just the process of bringing your Cane Corso into contact with other humans and other dogs as much as possible.
Different environments come into play as well — your dog needs to experience various noises, various locations and walking surfaces — stairs, subway, elevator etc.
This happens naturally in most people's lives, as they take their dog out or friends come to the house to visit.
But, of course, you can supplement these occurrences. One person I know takes his Cane Corso to any local venue which is dog-friendly. He takes his dog to dog-friendly places to teach the dog to be friendly!
For example, quite a few large stores have a dog-friendly policy — here’s a few:
So, help your Cane Corso to experience the world. Take him with you when you visit places like these.
Of course, it is essential that a large dog like the Cane Corso remains under control at all times. This means keeping a careful eye on all interactions and keeping the dog on a leash at all times.
You may even want to use a muzzle under some circumstances, until you become confident in your Cane Corso's behavior, and how he will react to various circumstances. Better safe than sorry.
Using these three simple steps will make it as easy as it can be to raise a friendly Cane Corso.
Summary
Under normal circumstances, a Cane Corso is not an aggressive dog by nature.
The Cane Corso makes a great family dog. He is friendly and protective towards all family members, including babies and small children. Nevertheless children and dogs should be supervised.
Cane Corsos can get along fine with cats and other dogs. Just introduce them carefully, and keep an eye on early interactions until you're sure everything is OK.
Cane Corsos should be perfectly safe with strangers, as long as there is no perceived threat to them of their family.
All that is needed to have a Cane Corso who behaves well with everybody is to treat him well and encourage his natural tendency to follow your lead. This makes essential obedience training easy. Early training and early socialization are both necessary.
Cane Corsos can be outstanding pets and perfect family dogs. Faithful, friendly and protective, with a calm, stable personality, they will naturally follow their owner's lead. They are devoted to their owner and make fantastic companions.
Related Questions
Are Cane Corsos Stubborn?
There might be some acts of independence or stubbornness, particularly when they are teenagers.
Nevertheless, the biggest concern for the Cane Corso is to be part of his family group. For that reason, he will submit to his owner.
The secret is to be steadfast.
A calm and confident manner will get a better result than shouting and anger. Let him see what is wanted by praising him, let him know what is bad with a quick sharp disciplinary command.
Be calm and consistent. He will quickly get the hang of it.
Are Cane Corsos Difficult To Train?
Some individuals say that Cane Corsos are challenging to train. That has not been our experience.
Cane Corsos are intelligent canines, and eager to please their owners. They also have a good capacity to retain what they have learned. This mix makes them really rather straightforward to train.
Cane Corsos naturally follow their owner, as long as it is clear who the leader is. With a little thought and care, it is fairly simple to establish and keep authority. However an owner must be consistent to do this successfully.
Are Cane Corso Puppies Friendly?
Cane Corso pups are normally friendly.
As they develop into adult dogs, the protection side of their nature tends to come to the fore, and they typically become less trusting of strangers.
They stay loving and friendly towards their loved ones — indeed their family, and their requirement to guard and protect it, becomes their primary focus.
They also naturally follow the behavior of their owners. If you are friendly towards a visitor, your Cane Corso will quickly pick up on that and will usually accept the visitor, too.
Is A Cane Corso Good with Kids?
The Cane Corso is gentle by nature, but this is a huge dog and he will need to be taught to be especially gentle in his interactions with small children.
Not for the reason that he is expected to be aggressive, but just because of his large size.
Cane Corsos are caring and dedicated to their family, and they will soon learn to include children in the group.
Because the child is more likely to be unpredictable than the canine, it is recommended that children should always be monitored when with your Cane Corso. You should also always keep a careful eye on things when other children come to visit — children play-fighting, yelling and screaming could appear to your cane Corso as a threat.
How Dangerous Is A Cane Corso?
A Cane Corso is not an inherently dangerous dog. Any canine needs to be managed responsibly and the bigger the dog breed, the more serious the consequences of any bad behavior. But, if you follow some simple guidelines, there is no reason your Cane Corso should be a dangerous pet.
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