American Pit Corso Dog Breed

Other names:
Corso Pitbull
Pitbull King Corso

Pronunciation: [ Amer·i·can cah•nee core•so ]

The American Cane Corso is a double-hybrid dog that comes from cross-breeding a purebred Cane Corso with an American Pit Bull. These are big dogs with a significant social stigma. They are not particularly favored by many dog breeders, lovers and the public in general.

American Pit Corso Breed Details

The American Pit Corso is a dog that was bred primarily for fighting. Sadly, the two parent dogs tend to be popular by way of dog-fighting too. There are many videos online whereby the titles are along the lines of "cane corso kills pitbull." Many people who have crossed these two dogs believe that they will get a dog that can be used to win against Cane Corsos and Pit Bulls. According to many canine experts, however, the cross-breeding of these two dogs does not create an even stronger dog. Under better circumstances, the American Pit Corso is said to have a friendly disposition. Still, they are definitely not for first-time dog owners, and may not be suitable for homes with children or other pets.

Here are some facts about the American Pit Corso that you should know:

PROS

  • Doesn't bark much
  • Excellent guard dog
  • Low grooming needs
  • High tolerance to pain
  • Good for highly active lifestyles

CONS

  • Not good with other pets
  • Needs lots of daily exercise
  • Prone to separation anxiety
  • Potential for great destruction
  • Must have large home and space
  • Tendency for flatulence and drooling
  • Requires a great amount of socialization
  • May be illegal to possess in some places
Type
Hybrid
Lifespan
8 - 12 yrs.
Height
18 - 26 in.
Weight
50 - 90 lbs
Friendliness
OverallFamily FriendlyChild FriendlyPet FriendlyStranger Friendly
Maintenance
Easy to GroomEnergy LevelExercise NeedsHealthShedding Amount
Behavior
Barks / HowlsEasy to TrainGuard DogPlayfulnessWatch Dog
Ownership
Apartment DogCan be AloneGood for Busy OwnersGood for New OwnersIntelligence

American Pit Corso Breed Description

With the right trainer and family, these dogs are exceedingly loyal, and they are great guard dogs. They may not make as good with watchdog duties as neither they nor they parental purebreds are prone to barking. Because these dogs are mixed, how much of which parent breed you get will not be obvious until they are mature.

American Pit Corsos are intelligent enough, and they will be a bit headstrong. They must be made to firmly understand that they are not the leader of the pack, however, or you will have problems. These dogs understand how smart and strong they are, and they will use both traits to try and get what they want.

They are great guardians for your family, provided they respect you. Once they do, your Pit Corso will be loyal to the very end. They won't hesitate to put themselves between you and a threat. They are also very playful and are at their best when they are made to feel comfortable and not threatened.

As the American Pit Corso comes from two dog breeds that have long been historically trained to hunt big and dangerous game, you can be sure you will have a very strong dog. It's more than merely tiring them out that you will want to exercise them for a couple or more hours daily; it's to prevent anxiety as well as help socialize them.

American Pit Corso Variations

Since this is a hybrid dog and not a pure breed, there are many informal variations, it appears, as breeders seek to stake out new territory. Sometimes the "variation" names may be informal, such as calling the biggest dogs "king" in an attempt to distinguish a certain look. In this case, it appears that King Corso Pitbulls are simply very large American Pit Corsos. The name Cane Corso is sometimes mispronounced as "kane" rather than "cah-ney," and this may have contributed to the "cane" eventually being said as "king." There seems to be no way to tell, but there are some people who raise and sell what they term a Pitbull King Corso or something similar.

These dogs, strictly speaking, cannot even be recognized as the typical F1, F2. etc. The most an American Pit Corso can be called is an F1b as it comes from a hybrid being bred back to a purebred dog. How far down the F1b, F2b, etc. line yours may be will require authenticated paperwork from the person who was responsible for producing the King Corso dog mix with Pitbull.

American Pit Corso Temperament

The Cane Corso Pitbull mix temperament is a potentially volatile one. The two dogs from which this hybrid is produced are dogs that are too often used for illegal dog-fighting. Many breeders, clubs and even governments say that this mixed breed is produced by people who think that mixing two easily aggressive dogs will be even more aggressive than either breed. While it is up to a trainer or owner to prevent aggressiveness in a dog, it can be much harder when one or both parents were made aggressive. It can also be very difficult if the dog is a rescue abandoned by someone who couldn't or wouldn't control the dog's behavior.

Even if you are successful with raising one of these puppies into a responsible dog, there might be people's reactions and a general stigma when they are in public. This can cause aggressiveness when the dog feels threatened, and you might not pick up on it until it's too late. They tend to be very serious dogs that need a job to help prevent anxiety.

American Pit Corso Health

Big dogs tend to have certain problems no matter if they are purebred, hybrid, or a mix of pure and mixed breeds — the latter being the case for the American Pit Corso. Hip dysplasia and bloat are perhaps two of the most prevalent concerns, followed by eye issues. Because of legality and behavior problems, it is not uncommon to adopt these dogs with unforeseen conditions and health problems too. You should be aware of what can occur.

Below is a list of the more possible issues that may affect your American Pit Corso:

  • Bloat
  • Parvo
  • Allergies
  • Entropion
  • Ectropion
  • Blindness
  • Ichthyosis
  • Babesiosis
  • Hip dysplasia
  • Nerve disease
  • Skin infections
  • Bladder stones
  • Knee problems
  • Thyroid disease
  • Cerebellar ataxia
  • Cleft lip or palate
  • Demodectic mange

The average lifespan of these dogs is not really known. Cane Corsos have the typical short life of a big dog at 10-12 years, but American Pit Bulls have a wide range of possible lifespans, from 8 to 14 years.

American Pit Corso Health Concerns

Below are potential health concerns associated with American Pit Corsos.

Bloat
Entropion
Hip dysplasia
Allergies
Bladder stones
Demodectic mange
Ectropion
Blindness
Skin infections
Cerebellar ataxia
Thyroid disorders
Cleft lip
Parvovirus
Ichthyosis
Babesiosis

About this Article

Authored by:Dog-Learn
Updated:October 19, 2017
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