Cane Corso

Cane Corsos are usually a better fit for a home with older kids or grown-ups. Expect a big dog that is moderately active, sheds a normal amount and needs very little grooming. The big catch is running cost — this is one of the pricier dogs to keep well.

Source: American Kennel Club breed standard.

The Corso is an Italian mastiff whose name comes from Latin roughly meaning "guardian dog", and it worked as a farm protector and boar hunter in southern Italy for centuries. It is powerful, intelligent and intensely bonded to its own people — and it is a serious dog that requires an experienced owner who will do real socialisation and training from the first week. That is not a knock on the breed; it is the honest requirement. A well-raised Corso is calm and discerning. A poorly raised one is a very large animal with poor judgement about strangers. This is the one breed on our list we would actively steer a first-time family away from, and several countries and insurers place restrictions on it — check locally before you commit.

Day to day. Moderately active — a proper daily walk plus some play in the garden or the hallway keeps this breed happy. On noise, it is quiet.

The coat, honestly. This breed sheds a normal amount and needs very little grooming. A brush a few times a week and the occasional tidy-up keeps it in good order.

Being left alone. Fine alone for a few hours. A few hours is fine; a full working day, every day, is asking a lot.

Training. Needs an experienced handler. That does not mean badly behaved — it means this breed thinks for itself, and it will not do something just because you asked. First-time owners often find it frustrating.

• You want a dog whose coat looks after itself
• You have room for a big dog and a car it actually fits in

• You have toddlers, or children still learning to be gentle
• You want a dog that does as it is told the first time
• A surprise vet bill would be a real problem this year
• Drool on your trousers would bother you every single day
• You are in a flat, or nobody can physically hold this dog on a lead

Every animal is an individual, and plenty of Cane Corsos live long, healthy lives. This is here so nobody is surprised — ask a vet, and ask whoever you get the dog from what they have tested for.

Rough running cost: $$$ (one of the pricier dogs on our list) — because it is a big dog, so food, medicines and anaesthetics all cost more, and the breed has known health issues that can mean extra vet visits.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Rescues do have Cane Corsos and Cane Corso crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.