
BULLMASTIFF VS CANE CORSO
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The Cane Corso has its roots as a Roman war dog that was bred to be used during battle as
well as herding the livestock for the army as it roamed around Europe. Once the wars were
over and the Roman Empire fell the Corso quickly became a farm and family dog watching
over their territory and protecting their homes. The Cane Corso is also called the Italitan
Mastiff because of its country or origin while the Bull Mastiff was bred and developed in
England.The Bull Mastiff was originally bred by farmers and landowners to protect the
property from poachers.
Let’s dig into the differences in their size and grooming requirements.
The Bull Mastiff and Cane Corso are both part of the mastiff breed so they are quite large
and the Bull Mastiff tends to be about an inch and 20 pounds bigger in general. The Cane
Corso is a newly recognized registered breed so there is still quite a bit of variation you'll find
in size, especially if from American breeders. It’s not uncommon for Corsos to top out around
150 pounds. In America, it’s common practice to crop their ears and often dock their tails as
well, whereas here in the UK that is not allowed.
Both breeds have short coats and minimal undercoat so they aren't ideal for extreme
weather but they should minimally. The biggest grooming difference you'll notice between
the Bull Mastiff and Cane Corso is the Bull Mastiff will almost always be more prone to
drooling then many Corsos. This is not to say that some Corsos don't have equally large
joules as the Bull Mastiff but know that you will be dealing with drool to some extent with
both of these breeds.
As longtime viewers of the show know I had a Bull Mastiff who I absolutely adored. She was
a wonderful and very laid back family dog that loved to laze around and just hang out with
us. Many of you probably also know that I recently had a Cane Corso puppy as well and you
can check out the video in the link to find out why I chose a Corso instead of another Bull
Mastiff.
The Corso is a very loyal guard dog with a high drive and instinct to protect and guard. The
Corso will typically bond more with the person that feeds and trains them more frequently,
like most dogs, and is happiest when they’re family is with them. Both breeds are extremely
loyal and affectionate family dogs and have a natural instinct to watch and guard.
Now where we get into the bigger differences is there energy and intelligence. The Bull
Mastiff in general will have a much lower energy level. My Bull Mastiff and was very docile
and would much rather cuddle on the couch then go for a two-hour hike.
Corso's on the other hand tends to have a pretty high energy level for a mastiff dog. They
want to go out, they want to work, and they love to have a job. One of the main reasons that
I got a Corso was because I wanted a family guard dog that I could also take out and hike
and bike with for a couple hours each day.
The final category of comparison is training ability and while I absolutely adored my Bull
Mastiff and her personality, she was not as keen to reach a higher level of training or
exercise.
Cane Corsos excel at obedience and agility work because of their intense desire to please
and higher energy levels. They are quick to respond to commands in obedience work and
will eagerly pick up new ones. They do tend to bond very closely to the family member that
feeds and trains them most often so it’s important that you also train them to be okay without
having you around since they are prone to separation anxiety.
This is where a Bull Mastiff makes up for its aversion to obedience work as they tend the
bond more evenly with everyone in the family and require less mental stimulation on a daily
basis.
I adore both of these breeds and have had wonderful experiences with them so it's hard to
really define which breed is better. For someone looking for more active or competition level
canine that also loves a good snuggle, I definitely suggest the Cane Corso.
If you're looking for a guard dog that is low energy and just wants to cuddle all day with
minimal exercise then the Bull Mastiff is probably a great choice for you if you are already a
calm and consistent leader.