The Cane Corso dog is a truly noble canine with an impressively ancient lineage. There is no job the brave and strong Cane Corso cannot tackle – and no job they won’t tackle on behalf of the person they love.
It won’t surprise you to learn that this trait, among others, has earned the Cane Corso a position in the American Kennel Club’s top 25 most popular dog breeds.
The Cane Corso dog’s many desirable qualities have led to a rise in hybrid breeding. Hybrid dog breeding pairs two different purebred dogs together to create a new type of dog – in this case, a Cane Corso mix.
In this article, learn about some of the most popular Cane Corso mix-breed dogs you can invite into your life.
Cane Corso Mix
Cane Corso mix dogs aim to combine the most desirable traits of the Cane Corso with desirable traits from other purebred dog breeds.
It might sound strange, but this type of breeding program is actually how nearly all modern purebred dog breeds were developed!
Meet These Popular Cane Corso Mix Dogs
This YouTube video introduces you to several popular Cane Corso mix dogs.
Watching the video gives you a quick glimpse into how combining two purebred dog breeds can change the whole look and personality of the new hybrid dog breeds.
Some of the puppies might favor the Cane Corso parent while others will look and act more like the other purebred parent dog. We will talk a lot more about how this might work out for individual puppies within each hybrid dog breed in later sections here.
But first, let’s get to know the Cane Corso dog!
All About the Cane Corso Dog Breed
Ancient Cane Corso dogs made a name for themselves by accompanying Roman soldiers into battle.
So it probably won’t surprise you to learn that, according to the American Kennel Club, the name Cane Corso translates to mean “bodyguard-dog.”
Today, Cane Corso dogs are prized as guard and protection dogs as well as family friends. But Cane Corso dogs also have some specific needs and requirements to thrive in family life.
This can mean enjoying a Cane Corso canine companion is off-limits to some families. But now with hybrid dog breeding programs, you can still enjoy the great traits of a Cane Corso without some of the specific needs you may not be able to provide for.
SO let’s take a look at what a purebred Cane Corso dog is going to need to integrate successfully into your daily life as a family pup in a community.
Cane Corso dogs have always been working dogs. You can see this right back to the time of the ancient Roman empire when Cane Corsos were depicted going into battle right beside their human soldier counterparts.
As Corso Dimunteanu breeder explains, Cane Corsos have an equally long history working as livestock guarding and herding dogs.
When not fighting with the armies, Cane Corsos were expected to stand guard over the army food stores – large livestock herds that traveled with the armies to provide milk and meat. The dogs were also expected to guard the troops as they slept.
Cane Corsos have also been bred to work on farms, as hunting dogs, and as carting dogs.
Their immense strength and massive size make them an ideal choice to take on a variety of very difficult jobs, from hunting wild boar to hauling heavy loads to fighting off wild wolves.
However, the breed almost died out after demand for their working dog services went into decline after World War II.
As Phog Haven Cane Corso breeders explain, it wasn’t until the 20th century that these dogs began to find a place in popular culture outside of their native Italy.
The transition of the Cane Corso from pure working dog to family pup hasn’t been an easy or swift one. These dogs are high-energy and used to working nonstop from dawn to well after dark. Adjusting to a life of ease on the couch doesn’t come naturally.
Plus, a fully grown Cane Corso can easily weigh more than 100 pounds and stand up to 28 inches tall (measured paws to shoulders). That is a lot of dog to the house, feed, clean up after, and care for, but well worth it if you love the breed.
However, if you don’t have the space to accommodate such a massive pup, one of these Cane Corso mix dogs may help you enjoy the Cane Corso traits in a smaller canine package.
Let’s meet the most popular Cane Corso mix dogs now.
Meet These Nine Unique Cane Corso Mix Dogs
These are nine of the most unique and wonderful hybrid Cane Corso mix dogs being bred today.
The first thing to know about each is that when a breed is still very new, often the dog breed is given a hybrid name. That name combines part of each purebred parent dog’s name.
The name may change as the new breed becomes established. But for now, you can use the names below as you are searching for the Cane Corso mix dog you want to own.
Labrador Retriever Cane Corso Mix – the LabraCorso
The Labrador Retriever Club explains that the Labrador got their breed start in Newfoundland, Canada.
These super friendly pups have been the number one most popular purebred dog in America for three decades!
Unlike Cane Corso dogs, Labradors are considered medium to large size dogs. They typically weigh 55 to 80 pounds and stand up to 24.5 inches tall.
So when you breed a Cane Corso with a Labrador Retriever, you are likely to have a large dog rather than a giant, which can be an advantage if you are short on space at your home.
Labradors, unlike Cane Corsos, are typically not ideal protection and guard dogs because they are just so friendly! However, the Cane Corso influence may boost these instincts in your LabraCorso puppy.
Conversely, while Labradors are typically great with other dogs and small children, Cane Corsos are known to be less tolerant of both. If you have other pets or young kids, you will want to pick your LabraCorso puppy with great care.
Both Labradors and Cane Corso dogs have short, smooth coats with two layers. This matched trait will mean your LabraCorso puppy is easy to groom but hard to clean up after during seasonal sheds.
Finally, both Labs and Cane Corsos have a similar life expectancy – between 9 and 12 years. Choosing a breeder that completes all recommended pre-breeding health screening tests will help ensure your LabraCorso puppy lives a long and healthy life.
Rottweiler Cane Corso Mix – the RottCorso
The American Rottweiler Club states that Rottweilers are large to giant size dogs, typically weighing 75 to 125 pounds and standing up to 27 inches tall.
With Cane Corso dogs often weighing in at 100 pounds or more and standing 28 inches or taller, you are going to be adopting a very large dog with a RottCorso.
Of course, this also means you have even more dogs to love!
But is the RottCorso the right pick for you?
The first thing to know is that your RottCorso will have excellent, professional-grade guarding and protective instincts. This is so much the case that you will want to consider enrolling your dog in K-9 training to help temper and hone those instincts.
Neither the Rottweiler nor the Cane Corso scores high marks for socializing well with other dogs or small children. In the latter case, this is mostly because these dogs are so large they could easily cause harm without intending to.
Both the Rottweiler and the Cane Corso have short, smooth, double-layer coats. You won’t have a lot of brushing or bathing to do, but you will have a lot of sweeping and vacuuming during the seasonal coat sheds.
Rottweilers have one of the shortest life expectancies of large dog breeds at just 9 to 10 years. Sadly, these dogs are especially prone to a particularly aggressive type of cancer, osteosarcoma.
The United Federation of Animal Welfare (UFAW) estimates that up to 12 percent of all Rottweilers may be affected.
However, one way that breeders can help reduce the risk of these types of serious health issues is to crossbreed with other less affected dog breeds. So you may find that your Rottweiler Cane Corso mix has a lower risk factor than a purebred Rottie.
Finally, both the Cane Corso and the Rottweiler require daily training and exercise to avoid becoming bored and destructive. These dogs need to be with their people and your RottCorso will inherit this trait strongly from both parent dogs.
Doberman Cane Corso Mix – the Dobe Corso
The Doberman Pinscher and the Cane Corso may not look much alike from the outside looking in, but they share certain key traits in common from the inside out.
For example, both the Doberman and the Cane Corso make expert guarding and protection dogs. Both are great picks for K-9 and security work and will make excellent watchdogs.
The Doberman typically weighs 60 to 100 pounds and stands up to 28 inches tall. The Cane Corso matches that height but may weigh up to 40 pounds more. Either way, you will have a tall dog that is either more slender or stocky.
And since both parent dogs have short, neat, smooth coats, you will have hardly any grooming duties. But since the Doberman has a single-layer coat, if your DobeCorso takes more after the Doberman parent, you may have less shedding to contend with.
Dobermans are very high energy and need a lot of training, socialization, and exercise daily. The same holds for the Cane Corso, so you can expect your DobeCorso to need early and ongoing training and daily play and exercise to stay healthy and happy.
Doberman Pinschers are known to be gentle and loving with children as well as adults but do not tend to tolerate other dogs as well. Cane Corso dogs don’t always adapt well to either kids or other dogs.
So in this category, if you have kids or other dogs, you will have to work closely with a DobeCorso breeder to find the right puppy for you. Working with a later-stage hybrid dog breeder (F3 or later) is probably a smart strategy here.
The lifespan range of the two-parent dogs combined is nine to 12 years. By working with a reputable breeder, you can hope to hit the high end of that range for your DobeCorso puppy.
Mastiff Cane Corso Mix – the MastCorso
As Guardian Cane Corso breeders highlight, before the Cane Corso was the Cane Corso, they were reportedly called the Italian Mastiff.
Mastiffs are distant relatives of molossers, working dogs that represented the largest domesticated dogs on the planet. Molossers, a term associated with ancient Molossi tribal peoples, is widely believed to be the precursor breed line to modern mastiffs.
All this to say that a Mastiff Cane Corso mix dog is going to be an enormous dog – there is none bigger on this planet in terms of sheer mass.
Let’s look at what we are talking about here weight and height-wise. The Cane Corso will weigh 100+ pounds and stand around 28 inches tall. The Mastiff typically weighs between 120 and 230 pounds and stands up to 30+ inches tall depending on gender.
So you can count on a puppy who grows up to weigh into the triple digits and stand up to two and a half feet tall.
Because your MastCorso is going to be so enormous, you want to be sure you are prepared in every way to accommodate your new dog’s presence in your life and needs. This includes food, bedding, transportation, training, and exercise.
A MastCorso is so enormous that even a growing puppy could easily harm a small child or another family pet without intending to. This is why dog experts typically do not recommend these dogs for families with small children or babies in the household.
However, it is worth pointing out that Mastiffs tend to be very gentle with small children. So there is a chance a MastCorso might work out as long as you start puppy training and socialization with your kids right from day one.
The Mastiff, like the Cane Corso, has a short, flat, double-layer coat. You won’t have to brush or bathe your MastCorso too frequently. But you will end up coated in dog hair during seasonal shedding unless you do a lot of de-shedding and sweeping.
Sadly, the larger the dog’s size, the shorter the lifespan tends to be. This is true for Mastiffs, which generally live just six to 10 years. Cane Corsos can live nine to 12 years, which is surprisingly long for a giant dog breed.
This may mean your MastCorso puppy can benefit from the Cane Corso parent’s longer life expectancy.
Golden Retriever Cane Corso Mix – the Golden Corso
The Cane Corso Association of America points out that Cane Corso dogs are not the right choice for every individual or family.
Of course, this is true for every purebred dog breed, which is why there are so many different breeds to choose from!
A GoldenCorso, or Golden Retriever Cane Corso mix, is going to be particularly unusual because some of the key traits most dog owners look for are quite different in the two-parent dogs.
For example, the outgoing and friendly Golden Retriever temperament is quite different from the reserved and family-only Cane Corso temperament.
The long and wavy Golden Retriever coat is quite different than the short, flat Cane Corso coat.
And the Golden Retriever’s natural love for other dogs and young kids contrasts with the Cane Corso’s indifference towards both.
So if you have your heart set on a Golden Corso, this is the right time to find a later-stage hybrid breeder (F3 or later) to work with.
Later stage crossbred puppies tend to have more established looks and personalities that make it easier to predict what your puppy will grow up to be like.
So if you want a guard dog versus a neighborhood canine social director, your breeder can direct you to the puppy that best matches your needs.
One area where the Cane Corso and Golden Retriever are similar is in life expectancy, with a range of nine to 12 years between them.
Boxer Cane Corso Mix – the Boxer Corso
If the Cane Corso is number 25 on the AKC’s list of the 197 most popular purebred dog breeds, the Boxer is number 14.
Boxers are medium to large dogs depending on gender. Typically a Boxer will weigh 50 to 80 pounds fully grown and stand up to 25 inches tall.
A Boxer Corso may end up being lighter and shorter than a Cane Corso, which makes this Cane Corso mix a better pick if you have space issues at home or in your car.
Both parent dogs have short flat coats. However, while the Cane Corso has a double layer coat, the Boxer has a single layer coat. This can mean your Boxer Corso sheds less than most working dog breeds.
If a low shedding Boxer Corso is important to you, working with a later-stage hybrid breeder (F3 or later) can help you pick the right puppy.
Boxers have a life expectancy of 10 to 12 years. Cane Corso dogs have a life expectancy of nine to 12 years. So your range is nine to 12 years for your Boxer Corso.
Poodle Cane Corso Mix – the Canoodle
The Poodle is the most popular parent dog for modern hybrid dog breeding programs. This is due to the Poodle’s mostly non-shedding coat.
While many breeders refer to the Poodle as hypoallergenic, Very Well Health explains that this is a myth.
No dog breed is hypoallergenic. Rather, lower shedding dogs may trigger human allergies less because of lower contact with shed hair.
The Cane Corso may have a short, flat coat, but it is double-layer and sheds heavily when the seasons shift. Crossing a Cane Corso with a Poodle may reduce this if the puppy takes after the Poodle parent.
But what most dog lovers don’t realize is that the Poodle’s coat catches and traps the surrounding hair, which turns into tangles and mats if not brushed daily. So you are trading one problem for another.
Happily, Poodles and Cane Corsos are a better match in terms of temperament, guarding instincts, and energy levels.
The cross with a Poodle may also result in a tall yet slim dog who is slightly easier to handle and manage as an adult.
German Shepherd Cane Corso Mix – The German Corso
The German Shepherd is one of the most respected and beloved guarding and protection K-9 in the world today.
The German Shepherd has all of the watchdog and protection dog talent of the Cane Corso at potentially one-third of the weight and size.
If you want the finely honed K-9 instincts of the Cane Corso but are struggling to accommodate such a giant canine in your life, a German Corso may be the perfect fit for your needs.
The German Shepherd’s medium-length, the double-layer coat is similar to the Cane Corso’s short double-layer coat. You will have a lot of hair to clean up after during seasonal sheds no matter which parents your puppy favors.
Unfortunately, the German Shepherd also has a much shorter life expectancy than is average for a large dog breed, ranging from just seven to 10 years. Here, the Cane Corso parent may have a positive influence on life expectancy for the German Corso.
