How to take care of Cane Corso, the fierce Italian dog breed

Malayalam movie Kala starring Tovino Thomas in the lead role had created quite a stir in the theatres, garnering praise from both the audience and the critics alike. Though the lead actors were applauded for their amazing performance, it was a canine ‘hero’ that stole the limelight in a handful of scenes. Many were curious to find out more about the majestic cane corso, a well muscled and athletic breed of mastiff. It is the pitch black coat colour that makes the cane corso stand out. This Italian breed of mastiff is gaining popularity in Kerala, especially since the release of the movie.

The Italian word ‘cane corso’ means a guardian dog. As the name suggests, this dog is mostly used for personal protection, law enforcement, wars and hunting. These fierce dogs are powerful and can be easily trained.

Training from a young age would make these dogs well behaved. So, before buying them, the pet parents have to decide whether they could spend enough time with the dogs. Lack of care and attention would lead to boredom and the dogs may resort to destructive behaviour to reduce ennui.

Strong and athletic muscles, fierce eyes, broad chest, large head and wrinkled face are the unique features of a grand cane corso. Though the drooping ears are adorable, they are often cropped to make the face look ferocious.

As this breed belong to the category of working dogs, proper diet, training and exercise are required. Activities like walking, running and jumping would make the muscles stronger and powerful. In case you own a cane corso as a pet, it is better to let them roam freely in spacious and securely fenced yards. The life span of a healthy cane corso is 9 – 12 years.

Laelaps Kennels

The Laelaps Kennel and Livestock Management at Narikundu near Amabalavayal in Wayanad has a great collection of cane corso breed that isn’t commonly seen in Kerala. The kennel, started by three friends, is managed by Sachin Narayanan. His relatives Arun and Shibu are the co owners of the Laelaps Kennels. There are three cane corso dogs here, including a pair brought from Macedonia.

The menu includes two healthy meals a day, comprising of dog food and uncooked meat. The dogs are allowed to play and run and roam around freely in a fenced yard. Sachin says that the dogs are allowed to mate once a year. He thinks that it is the best option to maintain the health of the mother and the puppies. The dogs are taken to other states too for mating.

The puppies are usually sold forty five days after birth and are given multi component vaccine too. A cane corso puppy would cost between Rs 80,000 – 1 lakh. Sachin says that there are lots of takers for cane corso both inside and outside Kerala. Besides the cane corso breed, Laelaps Kennels also has other exquisite breeds like Dogo Argentino, Belgian Malinois, Afghan Hound, Fila Brasileiro and Akita.

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