Mag-Pie
Well-Known Member
Greetings and Salutations Everybody!
I'm new, just signed up to the forum, after spending a few days reading through and trying to learn as much valuable information as possible about the Cane Corso breed. There is so much helpful information on here that I thought it would be a good idea for me to sign up and keep gathering more knowledge. About a week and a half ago I acquired a 14 month old male CC from a family who could not keep him any longer, (he just got too big, too dominant, not very kid friendly, and just too much time consuming for them), they didn't know anyone else who could be suitable to handle him, and they were thinking of having him put down since he has some dominance and fear-aggression issues, (rather then surrendering him to a shelter where he might end up with someone who won't know how to deal with him, only to be returned and eventually put down). I was familiar with this dog since he was 6 months old, and the dog always responded positively towards me, staying calm and friendly to his owners surprise (I guess he would get really hyper and excessively bark around other people, idk). And so they thought that I could potentially be the “perfect” person to handle him. Upon doing my own research and trying to understand the breed, it's needs, and what is necessary for this type of dog, in addition to understanding dog psychology, I agreed to take him on - at first for a week only to see IF I could truly handle such a dog. After the initial first week I agreed to take him permanently. And yes, this is my first Cane Corso, so I want to take the time to properly introduce my new Italian Mastiff and myself.
The dog, his name is Luther, has been adjusting very well into my home and his new lifestyle. I am an all around animal lover, and no nonsense kind of person. I am self-employed so I am home pretty much all the time, and I have the time to commit to working with him on a regular, consistent basis. I am an alpha type of personality as far as my personal life goes - I am the calm and assertive type NOT the obnoxious standoffish type that is usually mistaken for alpha in humans. I am very responsible, conscientious, and enjoy a good challenge. I have NO kids, and DO NOT plan on having any. I live in a house with a large fenced in backyard. However I have 2 cats, 4 chickens, and 2 pigeons who I am very fond of, and Luther has been successful in respecting their boundaries in this very short time he's been with me; during the 1st week I spend every day training him with them around, and today for the most part he knows to ignore them and won't chase after them as he did in the first few days. He is very intelligent, obedient, he listens well to me and my commands, picks up new things very quickly. I stay calm and in control when I deal with him, and he seems to trust me, and above all respects me and my rules. I taught him to walk on a leash without pulling, now everyday he walks at least a mile or two with me; it was very important for me to be able to have him walk properly with me. And since he was never walked daily, and has not been socialized properly, he gets a bit skittish around cars driving by, but with everyday he is getting more confident and comfortable, otherwise he pretty much knows to focus on only me and knows to ignore other people, dogs, squirrels, etc., I'm very pleased with the progress he's made.
My significant other works afternoons so comes home at night, and that is the ONLY time when the dog has issues, that's when he starts showing aggression, lunging and ferociously barking at him. The 1st night was the most intense and extreme, and so after that display I decided to put a muzzle on him before it's time for my SO to walk through the door, just in case. As soon as he's inside the house, the dog settles down and there is no problem. I've been working on keeping Luther under control and calm, and with each passing day he becomes more and more relaxed and obedient, I no longer have to put the muzzle on him, now he'll just bark and within 5 seconds settles down, obviously he is still getting use to us and our daily schedules, it's ONLY been a week and a half. There is still some random barking during the day and in the evenings, at things and noises that he does not know which set him off, but I stay calm and patient as I continue to correct him, and teach him that “all's clear.” I do not believe in yelling, nor using physical aggression when dealing with animals, especially dogs, and frankly I do not have to resort to such measures, I can communicate through my body language and mental strength and clarity. Although, I will admit this dog does test my patience at times, and his limits, he is very head-strong which is understandable considering his breed. All in all I am very happy with deciding to give Luther a new home, and to have him be a part of my lifestyle. There is still things that need to be worked out, I am a very calm and focused person, I enjoy a quiet and relaxed lifestyle, e.g., gardening is something I enjoy doing in my free-time and ideally would like Luther to stay out of my flowerbeds, and just lay around me when I am outside planting, weeding, pruning, etc. I'd like to do more training with him, working on his impulse control, also just all around obedience, and that is why I decided to hire a professional trainer who is experienced with “bully” breeds, to help me communicate better with Luther. I believe with time this dog will become what I envisioned him being capable of becoming: an amazing, obedient, companion and guard dog for us to enjoy.
Yes, I am aware that this dog is not a dog for an inexperienced handler, also it is not a dog for those faint of heart nor weak of mind. It is a dog that requires a lot of patience and training, otherwise it can become a liability with a potential to do a lot more damage then your average pet dog. I've read numerous accounts where CC was the culprit, be it in killing other small dogs, prey animals, or attacking people. I have no illusions about the potential of what a dog of this size, strength and jaw power could do when faced with someone who has no real knowledge of dog behavior, this breed, nor understanding of their own shortcomings. I understand the importance of knowing the dog as an individual, it's history, it's silent signs, etc.; and having him properly trained, making sure he gets his daily exercise, keeping his mind occupied, feeding him quality diet, maintaing a positive relationship, etc., all of these things are essential. And, I as his new owner am willing to commit and continue working with Luther using sensible training techniques, counter-conditioning and desensitization, so that he can be rock-steady in any situation, and can become a well adjusted, confident, and obedient companion and guard dog. I strongly believe that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners (through intentional and/or unintentional actions) - and that means understanding what type of dog one has, what are it's limitations, and knowing how to overcome those challenges. As humans we keep dogs, we breed dogs, etc., and so we are responsible for dogs. Unfortunately, there are many humans who do not know what responsibility even means for themselves, never mind for an animal such as this dog. The way I see it, don't blame the dog when it doesn't know our rules, when we do, but have not taken the time that it requires to teach him, we should not expect anything more from them then what we give them. It's our responsibility, and if we don't/won't/can't then perhaps a dog is not something that some people should acquire, perhaps a plant would be more sensible… I am well aware that I do not have all the answers, and am in a sense an amateur when it comes to dealing with dogs such as the Cane Corso breed, and so I am here to keep learning more form all you wonderful and experienced CC owners. Thanks in advance for sharing all the information. P.S. Sorry for writing a book, I just wanted to properly introduce Luther and myself.
I'm new, just signed up to the forum, after spending a few days reading through and trying to learn as much valuable information as possible about the Cane Corso breed. There is so much helpful information on here that I thought it would be a good idea for me to sign up and keep gathering more knowledge. About a week and a half ago I acquired a 14 month old male CC from a family who could not keep him any longer, (he just got too big, too dominant, not very kid friendly, and just too much time consuming for them), they didn't know anyone else who could be suitable to handle him, and they were thinking of having him put down since he has some dominance and fear-aggression issues, (rather then surrendering him to a shelter where he might end up with someone who won't know how to deal with him, only to be returned and eventually put down). I was familiar with this dog since he was 6 months old, and the dog always responded positively towards me, staying calm and friendly to his owners surprise (I guess he would get really hyper and excessively bark around other people, idk). And so they thought that I could potentially be the “perfect” person to handle him. Upon doing my own research and trying to understand the breed, it's needs, and what is necessary for this type of dog, in addition to understanding dog psychology, I agreed to take him on - at first for a week only to see IF I could truly handle such a dog. After the initial first week I agreed to take him permanently. And yes, this is my first Cane Corso, so I want to take the time to properly introduce my new Italian Mastiff and myself.
The dog, his name is Luther, has been adjusting very well into my home and his new lifestyle. I am an all around animal lover, and no nonsense kind of person. I am self-employed so I am home pretty much all the time, and I have the time to commit to working with him on a regular, consistent basis. I am an alpha type of personality as far as my personal life goes - I am the calm and assertive type NOT the obnoxious standoffish type that is usually mistaken for alpha in humans. I am very responsible, conscientious, and enjoy a good challenge. I have NO kids, and DO NOT plan on having any. I live in a house with a large fenced in backyard. However I have 2 cats, 4 chickens, and 2 pigeons who I am very fond of, and Luther has been successful in respecting their boundaries in this very short time he's been with me; during the 1st week I spend every day training him with them around, and today for the most part he knows to ignore them and won't chase after them as he did in the first few days. He is very intelligent, obedient, he listens well to me and my commands, picks up new things very quickly. I stay calm and in control when I deal with him, and he seems to trust me, and above all respects me and my rules. I taught him to walk on a leash without pulling, now everyday he walks at least a mile or two with me; it was very important for me to be able to have him walk properly with me. And since he was never walked daily, and has not been socialized properly, he gets a bit skittish around cars driving by, but with everyday he is getting more confident and comfortable, otherwise he pretty much knows to focus on only me and knows to ignore other people, dogs, squirrels, etc., I'm very pleased with the progress he's made.
My significant other works afternoons so comes home at night, and that is the ONLY time when the dog has issues, that's when he starts showing aggression, lunging and ferociously barking at him. The 1st night was the most intense and extreme, and so after that display I decided to put a muzzle on him before it's time for my SO to walk through the door, just in case. As soon as he's inside the house, the dog settles down and there is no problem. I've been working on keeping Luther under control and calm, and with each passing day he becomes more and more relaxed and obedient, I no longer have to put the muzzle on him, now he'll just bark and within 5 seconds settles down, obviously he is still getting use to us and our daily schedules, it's ONLY been a week and a half. There is still some random barking during the day and in the evenings, at things and noises that he does not know which set him off, but I stay calm and patient as I continue to correct him, and teach him that “all's clear.” I do not believe in yelling, nor using physical aggression when dealing with animals, especially dogs, and frankly I do not have to resort to such measures, I can communicate through my body language and mental strength and clarity. Although, I will admit this dog does test my patience at times, and his limits, he is very head-strong which is understandable considering his breed. All in all I am very happy with deciding to give Luther a new home, and to have him be a part of my lifestyle. There is still things that need to be worked out, I am a very calm and focused person, I enjoy a quiet and relaxed lifestyle, e.g., gardening is something I enjoy doing in my free-time and ideally would like Luther to stay out of my flowerbeds, and just lay around me when I am outside planting, weeding, pruning, etc. I'd like to do more training with him, working on his impulse control, also just all around obedience, and that is why I decided to hire a professional trainer who is experienced with “bully” breeds, to help me communicate better with Luther. I believe with time this dog will become what I envisioned him being capable of becoming: an amazing, obedient, companion and guard dog for us to enjoy.
Yes, I am aware that this dog is not a dog for an inexperienced handler, also it is not a dog for those faint of heart nor weak of mind. It is a dog that requires a lot of patience and training, otherwise it can become a liability with a potential to do a lot more damage then your average pet dog. I've read numerous accounts where CC was the culprit, be it in killing other small dogs, prey animals, or attacking people. I have no illusions about the potential of what a dog of this size, strength and jaw power could do when faced with someone who has no real knowledge of dog behavior, this breed, nor understanding of their own shortcomings. I understand the importance of knowing the dog as an individual, it's history, it's silent signs, etc.; and having him properly trained, making sure he gets his daily exercise, keeping his mind occupied, feeding him quality diet, maintaing a positive relationship, etc., all of these things are essential. And, I as his new owner am willing to commit and continue working with Luther using sensible training techniques, counter-conditioning and desensitization, so that he can be rock-steady in any situation, and can become a well adjusted, confident, and obedient companion and guard dog. I strongly believe that there are no bad dogs, only bad owners (through intentional and/or unintentional actions) - and that means understanding what type of dog one has, what are it's limitations, and knowing how to overcome those challenges. As humans we keep dogs, we breed dogs, etc., and so we are responsible for dogs. Unfortunately, there are many humans who do not know what responsibility even means for themselves, never mind for an animal such as this dog. The way I see it, don't blame the dog when it doesn't know our rules, when we do, but have not taken the time that it requires to teach him, we should not expect anything more from them then what we give them. It's our responsibility, and if we don't/won't/can't then perhaps a dog is not something that some people should acquire, perhaps a plant would be more sensible… I am well aware that I do not have all the answers, and am in a sense an amateur when it comes to dealing with dogs such as the Cane Corso breed, and so I am here to keep learning more form all you wonderful and experienced CC owners. Thanks in advance for sharing all the information. P.S. Sorry for writing a book, I just wanted to properly introduce Luther and myself.
