Breed History

THE TRUE BEGINNINGS OF A LEGEND

The legacy of the Cane Corso is well deserved. The type of dog remembered by Italians is a well rounded working dog capable of many farm jobs that were later deemed unnecessary. The Italian Mastiff of old was a capable hunter, while also being a dog trusted around livestock and family. Guarding animals as they grazed and moving them between fields and being able to drive animals to market. This dog was also a dog very dedicated and loyal to the family. Fearsome and able to protect both the person and premises of their families. This type of dog was a part of the Italian landscape just as much as the farmers themselves, and is an indisputable part of the history in those regions. However, this was still a “type” and not a specific pedigreed breed.

          “A true Hercules,generous with children and little dogs … good in herd-watching ... a fearless fighter ... guardian of the house, it prefers giving its life rather than letting the thief steal something .. always making frontal attack putting the opponent on the ground and leaving it alive if it does not resist” Il Cane Corso (Flavio Bruno)

A VERSITILE COMPANION

In some regions these dogs were remembered differently as they were named for function. The “straw stack dog” or “Cane de Pagliaio”, was used to watch the straw bales and in protection of the animals (for this job, a fawn coloured coat was preferred as camouflage against the straw and wheat). Some remember the dog as a Goatherd Dog, a Swineherd Dog, a Butchers dog (used for driving cattle to slaughter or market) and a Hunt dog.

FROM LEGEND TO ALMOST MYTH

During the industrial revolution, many dog types suffered for their newfound lack of work and in some regions were very nearly lost altogether. However, the legacy of these special dogs lived on in the memories of many families who owned them and in particular the memories of those who had encountered them.

In the 1970s, a handful of these individuals, inspired by their heritage, set out to resurrect their forebears' canine companions. The dog Basir (of whom the standard is based ) and his brothers Babak and Bulan were bred by the Malavasi Brothers, out of Dauno and Tipsi. Tipsi herself was bred by the famed Dr. Paolo Breber. Another breeder of note in the revival effort was Umberto Leone of Di Casa Leone, who bred the famed Plud out of his dog Elsa (Leone x Leonessa). Plud later went on to found the Del Dyrium bloodline under Vito Indiveri.

Indiveri was a nomadic merchant who relied on robust and nimble mastiffs to aid him in his work. Indiveri's profession led him to numerous dairy farms across Italy.

           “ My initial encounter with them was at a farm around 1977 or 1978... I immediately recognized them and was astonished: They were indeed the same dogs my grandfather had  ..........  Being a merchant on the move and traversing through the secluded locales of Puglia, Molise, Calabria, Lucania, and extending to Sicily, Umbria, and Abruzzo. It dawned on me during my travels that a considerable number of my clients owned Corsi. ” Vito Indiveri

BREED TO SAVE

In 1957 Professor Giovanni, a respected zoologist, noticed the plight of the Cane Corso type dogs and wrote an article for the Sicilian Hunter titled “Breed to Save”, and this inspired a number of people to start looking for these dogs. In 1970, the recovery effort began in earnest with people continuing to look for suitable subjects  to continue breeding with. In 1983, the SACC (Society Amatori Cane Corso) was founded by Dr. Paolo Breber and 5 others. The first standard drafted for the Cane Corso was a summarised. At this stage, when dogs and their lineages are traced and there is an effort to breed only to dogs with traced lineages, this constitutes the foundations of a breed of dog instead of a type of dog.

RECOGNITION

In 1994, the Cane Corso was added to the ENCI registry as the 14th recognised Italian breed. In 1996, the Cane Corso was accepted by the FCI and therefore became a dog recognised internationally.

For many years after these events the Cane Corso was a rare sight around the world. The first person credited to have brought the Cane Corso to Britain was Nino Lo Raso, of Lo Raso Cane Corso who still works with Cane Corso and other guardian breeds today. 

FROM ITALY TO THE UK

This was in 1997 and Capo and Nala were the first dogs to come from Italy to the UK, bred from Giancarlo and Anna Malavasi, of the Malavasi family that produced Basir. In 1999, the first UK Cane Corso litter was born in quarantine from a bitch imported during pregnancy by Dogue de Bordeaux breeder Alan Bates and Grant Slater. This bitch was named Ursula and imported from Dell Abazia, and the sire of the litter was named Fidel, son of Italian Champion Boris. In 2000, Kenny Contado started owning and breeding the Cane Corso and founded his kennel Olive Retreat. Kenneth’s dogs have appeared in TV and film productions such as Game of Thrones. Kenny purchased a male from Simone Tanzarella and a bitch from Nino lo Raso, from his litter with Capo to another bitch named Bedra. Nino’s female Nala from the Malavasi kennel never produced a litter.

In 2001, William Argent established his breeding pair, Henry and Grace, from a kennel he found in Italy. This pair had a number of litters, and at the time of their deaths Grace was 7 and Henry was 9 and a half. In 2002, Telesto Kennels began with the purchase of Puma from Val D’Erro. Later, Puma was bred to Panther, and Aplagris Nero was bred to Aplagris Luna. These two litters became the foundations of Telesto Kennels. In 2006, Boleyn Cane Corso imported a female aged five years, and she had two litters in 2006 and 2008. This bitch was named Baila Di Fosso Corno of Di Fosso Corno. Boleyn Cane Corso also imported Vanugular and Colpogrosso, the son of Italian Champion Bora. Cocoon Di Fosso Corno was also imported to the UK and produced litters in 2008.

Hall, P. (2024). True beginnings of a legend. [online] Italian Cane Corso - GB. Available at: www.iccgb.co.uk.