Page 32 - ShowSight Presents - The Cane Corso
P. 32
• Therapy
• Agility
• Obedience
• Dock Diving
• Lure Coursing
Words that describe a Cane Corso: Intelligent, Strong, Brave, Devoted, Vigi- lant, Discerning, Courageous, Loyal and Goofy! Need I say more?
The movement can be described in two words, Effortless Power!
In the United States, as per our breed stan- dard, all bites are acceptable; scissors, level or slightly undershot. However it is important to look for incisors that are in a straight line and bottom divergent canines. This directly correlates with a wide square muzzle.
The base of the tail should be very thick and wide. This breed trait usually goes along with heavy bone, which is desired.
In the AKC Working Group, the Cane Corso is one of few breeds with numerous colors and the eye color should correspond to coat color.
BIO
Zoe Devita began her journey into the Cane Corso World in 2000. The breed
sparked a passion that led her into the com- petitive world of dog showing and breed- ing. She has participated in dog shows all over the world including Europe and Eastern Europe. In 2011, when the Cane Corso made its debut, she was the owner of the first female Best of Opposite winner at the Westminster Dog Show. To date Zoe has produced twenty-five AKC Champi- ons and four AKC Grand Champions. She has also produced dogs that have Cham- pioned in Brazil, Russia, Italy and many other European Countries. Recently Zoe has produced Multiple Specialty Winners including the 2013 Breeder’s Cup Win- ner, 2013 Regional Specialty Winners, Winners Bitch and Select Bitch at the 2013 National Specialty. Zoe has received club titles from the Cane Corso Associa- tion of America including two Reproduc- tive Champions, Bitch of the Year and a Grand Championship.
Currently, she is serving as Director of Public Relations for the Cane Corso Asso- ciation of America.
Zoe Devita resides in Westchester, New York with her husband Dominick, her two children and her loving pack.
WHAT THE CANE CORSO TIS BRED TO DO
southern Italy, whether on the farm, mas- seria or rural homestead. More specifically, these dogs served as guard dogs, grip dogs, catch dogs, bull dogs, drovers, herders and hunters. Where the task of guarding the estate and courtyard was the specialized function of the closely related Neapolitan Mastiff, the Cane Corso was used to guard hay stacks, livestock, barns, homes and family members. The various colors of the breed often related to the context in which they served their guard duty. The formen- tino (frumentino) was often tied out by a haystack to guard up close and personal. The dark brindles often served as night guards or sentries, blending into the dark- ness of the countryside. During the day, any of the colors may be seen doing farm chores. Lighter brindles and fawns were often called upon to work with livestock, as they were less intimidating to the other animals. Cane Corsos might herd cattle in the morning and drive them from pasture
to pasture or from farm to market in the afternoon. The next day, they might hold a bull while it was castrated and the fol- lowing day they might be on the hunt for badger or stag. The variety of tasks dictat- ed that the dogs strike a balance of agil- ity, strength, substance, speed, endurance and gameness. Where certain tasks repre- sented a larger portion of the daily activ- ity for a Cane Corso, a degree of regional specialization could be seen. The dogs that worked with larger livestock would require greater size, substance and strength. The dogs that worked with smaller livestock or hunted more often would require more bias toward agility and speed. Balance is and has always been a hallmark of the Cane Corso. The anatomy of the Cane Corso is often compared to that of a lion- ess. This comparison underscores how the power and grace can be united in a crea- ture that can cover a lot of ground and wield tremendous strength.
By Ron Hoser
he recurring theme in any discussion related to the Cane Corso is vari- ety. This applies to the appearance, the temper- ament and the intended
use of the dogs. The term “Cane Corso” was originally used to describe a broad cat- egory of docked and cropped Italian work- ing dogs that served many purposes. Over time, Cane Corso became a breed, albeit one with an unusually broad scope. So, the question of what the Cane Corso was bred to do has many answers. The breed was rooted in utility, as a versatile tool was much more in demand than another mouth to feed was. The simple answer is that the Cane Corso would be called upon to do anything that needed to be done in
