General Appearance<\/strong><\/p>\n Ancient Italian breed\u00a0 medium-large size Molossus Dog. Sturdy, with a Size, Proportion, Substance<\/strong> Head<\/strong> Expression:<\/strong> Very alert and\u00a0 attentive. Some wrinkling on forehead occurs when alert.<\/p>\n Eyes:<\/strong> Medium-size,\u00a0 almond-shaped, not round or bulging, tight fitting Eye Color:<\/strong> Dogs with black\u00a0 muzzles (coat colors of black, fawn or Disqualification:<\/strong> Yellow\u00a0 bird of prey; blue eyes.<\/p>\n Ears:<\/strong> Set well above the\u00a0 cheekbones. May be cropped or uncropped. If Nose:<\/strong> Large with\u00a0 well-opened nostrils, pigment color to match pigment Muzzle:<\/strong> Very broad and\u00a0 deep, width is almost equal to its length, Lips:<\/strong> Rather firm. Upper\u00a0 lips moderately hanging, they join under the Bite:<\/strong> Slightly undershot\u00a0 (no more than \u00bc inch) and level preferred. Disqualification:<\/strong> More\u00a0 than two missing teeth; wry mouth. Neck,\u00a0topline and\u00a0body<\/p>\n Neck:<\/strong> Slightly arched,\u00a0 flowing smoothly into the shoulders with a Body:<\/strong> Depth of the\u00a0 ribcage is equal to half the total height of the Chest:<\/strong> Broad,\u00a0 well-muscled, strong forefront.<\/p>\n Back:<\/strong> Wide, strong,\u00a0 muscular. Highest part of shoulder blade slightly rising above the strong,\u00a0 level back.<\/p>\n Loin:<\/strong> Well-muscled, and\u00a0 harmoniously joined to the back.<\/p>\n Croup:<\/strong> Long, wide,\u00a0 slightly sloping. Rump should be quite round due to muscling.<\/p>\n Tail:<\/strong> Tail set is an\u00a0 extension of the backline. It is thick at the Disqualification:<\/strong> A\u00a0 natural tail that is atrophied or a natural tail that is knotted and laterally\u00a0 deviated or twisted.<\/p>\n Forequarters<\/strong> Shoulders:<\/strong> Muscular, laid\u00a0 back.<\/p>\n Upper arms:<\/strong> Strongly\u00a0 muscled, with good bone, powerful.<\/p>\n Elbows:<\/strong> Held parallel to\u00a0 the ribcage, turning neither in nor out.<\/p>\n Forelegs:<\/strong> Straight and\u00a0 with good bone, well muscled.<\/p>\n Pasterns:<\/strong> Almost\u00a0 straight, strong but flexible.<\/p>\n Feet:<\/strong> Round with well-arched\u00a0 toes (catlike). Lean, hard, dark pads Hindquarters<\/strong> Thighs:<\/strong> Long, wide,\u00a0 angulated and well-muscled.<\/p>\n Stifle:<\/strong> Should be\u00a0 moderately angulated, strong.<\/p>\n Legs:<\/strong> Strong bone and\u00a0 muscle structure.<\/p>\n Hocks:<\/strong> Wide set, thick and\u00a0 clean, let down and parallel when viewed from behind. Rear pastern: straight\u00a0 and parallel.<\/p>\n Rear dewclaws:<\/strong> Any rear\u00a0 dewclaws are removed.<\/p>\n Hind feet:<\/strong> Slightly more\u00a0 oval-shaped and less-arched toes.<\/p>\n Coat<\/strong> Color<\/strong> Disqualification:<\/strong> Any\u00a0 color with tan pattern markings as seen in black-and-tan breeds.<\/p>\n Gait<\/strong> Temperament<\/strong> Summary<\/strong> Disqualifications:<\/strong> <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" General Appearance Ancient Italian breed\u00a0 medium-large size Molossus Dog. Sturdy, with a strong skeleton. Muscular and\u00a0 athletic, it moves with considerable ease and elegance. It has always been a\u00a0 property watchdog and hunter of difficult game such as the wild … L\u00e4s mer
\nstrong skeleton. Muscular and\u00a0 athletic, it moves with considerable ease
\nand elegance. It has always been a\u00a0 property watchdog and hunter of
\ndifficult game such as the wild boar.<\/p>\n
\nA muscular, balanced,\u00a0 large-boned dog, rectangular in proportion.
\nThe length of the dog, measured\u00a0 from the point of the shoulder to the
\npoint of buttock is approximately 10%\u00a0 greater than the height of the
\ndog measured from the highest point of the\u00a0 shoulder to the ground.
\nHeight: Dogs: 25 to 27.5\u00a0 inches; bitches: 23.5 to 26 inches.
\nWeight: Proportionate to\u00a0 height.<\/p>\n
\nMolossus, large, its total\u00a0 length reaches approximately one third of
\nthe height at the withers. Planes of\u00a0 the skull and muzzle are slightly
\nconvergent; they are not parallel. The\u00a0 circumference of the head
\nmeasured at the cheekbones is more than twice the\u00a0 total length of the
\nhead; skin is firm and smooth. Skull: Viewed from the\u00a0 front, skull is
\nwide and slightly curved; width is equal to the length. From\u00a0 the side, a
\nprominent arch begins above the eyes and then flattens backward\u00a0 toward
\nthe occiput. Viewed from the top, it has a square appearance due to the
\nzygomatic arches and powerful muscles swathing it. Stop: Well-defined
\ndue to\u00a0 developed and bulging frontal sinuses and prominent arch above
\nthe eyes.<\/p>\n
\nrims preferred with only a\u00a0 minimal amount of haw being visible.<\/p>\n
\nred, and these colors brindled) dark\u00a0 brown eyes are preferred. Gray
\nmuzzles (coat colors of gray, fawn or red and\u00a0 these colors brindled),
\nlighter shades are approved. Pigmentation of the eye\u00a0 rims is complete,
\npigmentation of eye rim matches pigment color of dog.<\/p>\n
\ncropped, it is in an equilateral\u00a0 triangle. If uncropped, they are medium size,
\ntriangular in shape, held tight\u00a0 to the cheeks, and not extending beyond the jaw bone.<\/p>\n
\ncolor of the dog. Dogs\u00a0 with black pigment have black noses; gray
\npigmented dogs have gray noses;\u00a0 pigmentation is complete. The nose is
\nan extension of the topline of the muzzle\u00a0 and does not protrude beyond
\nnor recede behind the front plane of the muzzle.<\/p>\n
\nwhich reaches approximately one\u00a0 third of the total length of the head;
\nthe depth of muzzle is more then 50% of\u00a0 the length of the muzzle.
\nThe top and bottom muzzle\u00a0 plains are parallel, and the nose and chin
\nform a perpendicular line. Viewed\u00a0 from the front, the anterior face
\nshould look flat and form a trapezoid, wider\u00a0 at the bottom. Muzzle is
\nnot overly narrow or snipey.<\/p>\n
\nnostrils to form an inverted ”U.”\u00a0 Pigmentation matches color pigment
\nof dog. Dogs with black pigment have black\u00a0 lips; gray pigmented dogs
\nhave gray lips.<\/p>\n
\nScissor bite is acceptable, if\u00a0 parameters of the head and muzzle are
\ncorrect. Dentition is complete. Incisors\u00a0 are in a straight line. No
\nmore than two missing teeth.<\/p>\n
\nUndershot more than 1\/4 inch.<\/p>\n
\nsmall amount of dewlap. The length\u00a0 of the neck is approximately one
\nthird the height at the withers.<\/p>\n
\ndog, descending slightly below\u00a0 the elbow. Ribs are long and well
\nsprung. Moderate tuck up.<\/p>\n
\nroot with not much tapering at\u00a0 the tip. When not in action, carried
\nlow, otherwise horizontal or slightly\u00a0 higher than back, not to be
\ncarried in a vertical position. It is docked at the\u00a0 fourth vertebrae.
\nIn the case of natural tails, the tip reaches the hock but\u00a0 not below.
\nCarried low, it is neither broken nor kinked but supple. Hanging\u00a0 when
\nthe dog is in repose; generally carried level with the back or slightly
\nabove the level of the back when the dog is in action, without curving
\nover the\u00a0 back or being curled.<\/p>\n
\nStrong and muscular,\u00a0 well-proportioned to the size of the dog.
\nStraight when viewed from the front\u00a0 or side; height of the limb at the
\nelbow is equal to 50% of the height at the\u00a0 withers.<\/p>\n
\nand nails, except in the case of white\u00a0 toes. Front dewclaws: Can remain
\nor be removed, if left intact should only be a\u00a0 single dewclaw on each leg.<\/p>\n
\nAs a whole, they are\u00a0 powerful and strong, in harmony with the forequarters.
\nStraight when viewed\u00a0 from the rear or front.<\/p>\n
\nThe coat is short, stiff,\u00a0 shiny, adherent and dense with a light undercoat that becomes thicker in cold\u00a0 weather.<\/p>\n
\nAcceptable colors are\u00a0 black, lighter and darker shades of gray,
\nlighter and darker shades of fawn,\u00a0 and red. Brindling is allowed on all
\nof these colors. Solid fawn and red,\u00a0 including lighter and darker
\nshades, have a black or gray mask. The mask does\u00a0 not go beyond the
\neyes. There may be a white patch on the chest, throat, chin,\u00a0 backs of
\nthe pasterns, and on the toes.<\/p>\n
\nThe movement is free\u00a0 flowing and powerful, yet effortless, with
\nstrong reach and drive. As the dog\u00a0 accelerates, the feet converge
\ntoward a center line of gravity in a near-single\u00a0 track. When viewed
\nfrom the side, the topline remains level, with minimal roll\u00a0 or bounce.<\/p>\n
\nThe Cane Corso as a\u00a0 protector of his property and owners is
\nunequaled. Intelligent, he is easily\u00a0 trained. Noble, majestic and
\npowerful his, presence is impressive. He is docile\u00a0 and affectionate to
\nhis owner, loving with children and family.<\/p>\n
\nThe overall conformation\u00a0 of the dog should be well-balanced and
\nproportionate. The foregoing description\u00a0 is that of the ideal Cane
\nCorso; any deviation from the above described dog is\u00a0 penalized to the
\nextent of the deviation.<\/p>\n
\nYellow bird of prey; blue\u00a0 eyes.
\nMore than two missing\u00a0 teeth; wry mouth.
\nUndershot more than \u00bc inch.
\nAny color with tan pattern\u00a0 markings as seen in black-and-tan breeds.
\nA natural tail that is\u00a0 atrophied or a natural tail that is knotted and
\nlaterally deviated or twisted.<\/p>\n