Will Other Dog Be Safe Around New Cane Corso?
This inquiry came in after the author had read one of my other Cane Corso columns. (https://www.askthedogguy.com/aggression-maturing-cane-corso/)
Hi John,
I’m currently not a Cane Corso owner because I’m doing as much research as I can now before getting one. I have 2 questions. First, I have an 8yr old downer dachshund (meaning she’s handicapped from her 2 hind legs and uses a wheelchair). Can a puppy Cane Corso that grows up trained eventually harm her in any way? The second question, I love Dobermans as well. If I were to get both a Doberman and a Cane Corso as puppies trained together, will they grow to be a pack together or will 1 try to harm the other? I don’t think I could handle 1 trying to dominate and kill the other. I figured if they are raised together they should do fine, right?
Thanks for your help!
Lena
Hi Lena,
The biggest reason I see a conflict between two or more dogs living in a single household has less to do with the breeds of the dogs and more to do with the relationship between the dogs and owners. A lot of people give their dogs the impression that they are really no more than a great college roommate. With some dogs, this results in no more than a hectic household.
However, a college roommate relationship with other dogs results in more conflict. There can be fights over resources (food, affection, treats etc.) as the dogs try to work out amongst themselves what would otherwise not be up for grabs if their owners had a teacher/student relationship with them.
Whether you decide on a Cane Corso or a Doberman you will increase your chances for success by finding the right breeder which is easier said than done. It takes a lot of work to find a good breeder. They are out there but the posers outnumber them vastly. Good breeders will be able to provide you names of people that have had past generations of their dogs (ideally from the same breeding pair that are now adults). (There’s a lot more to finding a good breeder – more than a column can address.)
Equally important; and some, including myself, would say more important is what the breeder and you plan to expose the puppy you get to before it hits 12 weeks of age. While genetics do play a role, temperament is almost entirely formed in a dog by its experiences between 3 and 12 weeks of age and what is done or not done will impact how your dog gets along with people of all ages, other dogs to a certain extent and its environment in general – for the rest of its life. It’s the one thing that a dog owner has decent control over and I highly recommend reading my e-book about socialization before getting a puppy. It will help you properly socialize that puppy but will also give you a pretty good idea as to whether you’re getting a pup from a decent breeder or not as when you’re interviewing breeders you’ll be able to tell whether they know they know their stuff regarding socialization or are leaving things to chance which no good breeder would ever do. Particularly anyone breeding Cane Corso or Dobermans.
http://store.askthedogguy.com/socialize-your-puppy-for-everything-by-john-wade/
John Wade
11 thoughts on “Will Cane Corso hurt my dog?”
I have a Doberman and Rottweiler will a cane corso get along with them
Hi Dody,
I have no idea. If they get along with each other I suspect so but there are a lot of things that contribute to conflict between dogs, age, gender, and the most common a lack of clear household leadership by the 2-legged folk.
Regards,
John Wade
I have a cane corso he is 2 and half he is better with small dogs then big but if i would have gotten a puppy when he was younger i think it would be fine and yes them eating and playing should have a time so theres no fight and also i would not have the same sex with owning a cane corso i hace a male so i would only get a female because thay are territorial
I have an 11 month old female cane corso, she bites when she gets excited and happy, how do I stop this
Hi Angelique,
I can’t advise you without knowing more precisely where you’re at. Especially with a Cane Corso. There’s no shortage of well-meaning but still, amateur dog trainers, veterinarians and vet techs willing to give you poorly considered advice that inevitably because it’s silly advice or because they don’t know enough about the dog and the person that has little impact or actually makes things directly or indirectly worse. Particularly for what I think you’re writing about. This might help a bit: Mouthing Nipping and Biting
If you’re looking for answers tailored to work for you and your dog you can try reading some of my eBooks or book a ‘V-Session’.
Regards,
John ‘Ask The Dog Guy’ Wade
Embracing Science and Common Sense
http://www.askthedogguy.com
>>——->;∞
I PRESSED ON
Hello,
I currently have a 2 yr. old male American Pitbull (neutered) & a 1 1/2 yr. old male Yorkie. They are a bonded pair. Sweet, very mild tempered, not aggressive at all. I was just gifted an 8 week old Cane Corso Doberman puppy. Mom is Cane Corso, dad is Doberman, born into a family with small children and other animals. I am an experienced dog owner, and have always made sure to train my dogs. However, I’ve never owned either Cane Corsos or Dobermans before, and have had various people say that they have an aggressive temperament…is this true? I am wondering if he will get along with my other two as an adult, or if he could hurt either one even with training.
I normally don’t listen to other people’s opinions if they’re not professionals, but having it brought up a few different times already, got me thinking, and I just want to make sure I know everything I can about this breed.
Hi Luz,
Your Cane Corso/Doberman isn’t a ‘breed’. A Cane Corso is a breed. A Doberman is a breed. A crossing is what we used to call a mutt, but has in recent years been re-marketed by unscrupulous income stream focused breeders by using the oxymoron term a ‘designer breed. More like every Jurrasic Park movie than ethical breeding.
In answer to your question, how will this new mix ultimately get along with your other two, once an adult, even if he were pure-bred, there are a lot of variables that impact how things may turn out. The risk is somewhat higher because they are all the same gender.
My biggest concern would be when the newest moves out of puppyhood and into adulthood as the other two may be less accommodating.
In my experience, one of the biggest factors that contribute to conflict in multi-dog households is that dogs that aren’t really trained there is far more potential for conflict. By trained I don’t mean – ‘All Positive/Purely Positive/Force-Free/Never Say No/R+…’, treat, treat, treat nonsense. I mean relationship trained, in the sense, they know who’s the student, and who’s the loving authority figure. Who is living in who’s house?
In the end, it would be the exception if they didn’t have disagreements. That would be normal enough, but just as it is with that other social species – humans – there are a ton of variables influencing how frequent, and how serious these ‘disagreements’ might become.
– John Wade (www.askthedogguy.com)
How are these dogs from puppies growing up with 4 and 5 year old active boys
Hi Colleen,
Any dog that experiences the normal raucous behavior of children of different genders and levels of development that is
exposed to their behavior between 3 – 12 weeks of age
is far more likely to perceive the differences in their behavior (from an adult’s) as ‘normal’. Statistically, human males in the range of 8 years of age are bitten by more dogs than anyone else, and that is due to aspects of an 8-year-old male’s behavior and the breeder and first owner not taking the time to expose the pup and the 8-year-old males sufficiently between 3 – 12 weeks of age. FWIW, any breeder saying their breed is ‘good with kids’ without adding the caveat mentioned above is a breeder that likely doesn’t know what they’re talking about in many of the other areas that contribute to breeding stable dogs. Read this: Questions To Ask The Breeder Or A Rescue Before Deciding This Is Where You Want To Get A Dog
– John Wade (www.askthedogguy.com)
Hello John,
In the past,i have always had neopolitan mastiff,all well behaved,trained and now passed.Recently i brought back a male mixed breed,indian street dog,who has settled well after dealing anxiety issues.I have now taken on a one year old cane corso female,who the previous owner had downsized to a flat,i have only had her for three days but she is showing signs of dominance to the male mixed breed.I have booked the cane corso in for training classes.Any advice please and which book is the best one to buy from you for a one year old.
Thank you so much for your time.
Hi Beverly,
In general terms, I’d suggest, The Beautiful Balance – Dog Training with Nature’s Template (eBook) by John Wade. For more personal tailored attention, let me know if you want me to send information on how I work personally with people in similar situations. [email protected].
– John Wade (www.askthedogguy.com) (Don’t forget! If you find that the many free resources on this site inform, save you time and, or money, Click the link to Buy Me A Few Coffees)