Cane Corso defence training in 8 minutes
Cane Corso defence training is no mean feat. It is not just a question of the owner’s time or training skills, but above all of these dogs’ temperament and size.
Cane Corso defence training | Weight
Their Molosser-type build, along with the shape of their skull and muzzle, can sometimes make it difficult (as is the case with Boxers) to train a defence dog. Cane Corsos often struggle to grip bulkier materials, such as sleeves or trouser legs. Care must be taken when selecting the material and its stiffness so that the dog does not become discouraged at the outset or grow overly frustrated at being unable to grip the material.
Apart from skull structure, the dog’s weight is also an issue. Dogs and bitches from breeding lines where this weight is balanced or relatively low are definitely better suited to training. Very heavy, powerful dogs, which are most often from show lines (focusing on conformation), rarely cope with the intensity of the training, not to mention their temperament, which in most cases is unsuitable for advanced training.
Cane Corso Defence Training | Temperament
I have seen many Cane Corsos during training sessions and, unfortunately, most of them are timid or neutrally indifferent. In the context of defence training, both of these traits are problematic. When a dog is timid, it may become aggressive and pose a danger. When it is indifferent, it is friendly towards its surroundings and household members but offers no practical value in terms of defence. It is therefore difficult to find the ideal solution.
It is very important to understand the breed and the problem we are facing. It is worth developing the puppy’s ‘hunting’ instinct (known in the 21st century as the ‘prey drive’) from an early age, thanks to which it will happily play with tug-toys and balls. It is essential to socialise the puppy during the first few months of its life, as this will determine most of the dog’s behaviour towards its surroundings and its relationship with the world around it, including humans.
In the case of timid or fearful dogs, you need to find a trainer who can help the dog switch between its instincts in order to build its confidence and teach it to work properly.
So what can we achieve through regular training? How long does it take?
After a year of training (taking into account, of course, breaks, irregularity and the dog’s natural need to mature), you can take a fearful dog from that state to that of a normal, protective dog. Of course, no two dogs are the same, nor are all owners the same, and so on… These are, shall we say, optimistic projections, provided a balance is maintained between the trainer, the dog and the handler. Believe me, it’s very difficult to get it all to work together.
If you’re at the stage of wondering what to do next, I invite you to watch the video on my Facebook page, which features Dafi (the same dog whose training you can watch in this article) during a training session. From the 9-minute mark, you can see what this dog was like before she started training.
Cane Corso Defence Training | Acknowledgements
This section of the article is my personal thank you to Ania and Kuba. I know I shout more than I praise, but please know that I respect you very much and appreciate just how much work you’ve put into the dog. Thank you also for your trust.
Below you can see what it looked like before.
One of the first training sessions.