Cane Corso Presa Canario Dog Breed

The Cane Corso and Presa Canario mix, as a crossbreed, is not an official member of any breed group. Neither does any info exist about these hybrids' specific origin; since the two parent breeds are similar mastiff types, it's likely the Presa Canario and Cane Corso mix has existed naturally for a long time--but no breeder or breed club has claimed this crossbreed's creation. Regardless, these protective, intelligent, energetic dogs can be good pets for active families, especially those in need of a good guard dog--but they'll require a great deal of training and socialization.

A few Cane Corso vs Presa Canario facts: they're giant-sized, averaging 24 inches at the shoulders in height and 105 pounds in weight; they have short, stiff coats that may or may not shed seasonally; and they're highly energetic and will need a good bit of exercise.

Some advantages and drawbacks to owning a Presa Canario mixed with Cane Corso:

The Cane Corso x Presa Canario hybrid is the offspring of two big, powerful mastiff breeds that both need firm training from experienced owners. These big hybrids, like their parents, will be affectionate with their family members--and suspicious of and highly protective against everyone and everything else!

Physically, these dogs are large and muscular; their short coats can be single- or double-layered. (The coats shed moderately, but if they have an undercoat they'll shed more heavily in the spring and fall.) The coats come in a variety of colors (in both solid and multi-colored patterns) including black, brown, gray, red, fawn, and various brindle patterns, among others.

In terms of personality, one fact is clear: these hybrids must be trained and socialized, as they're protective to the point of aggression against anything they see as unknown threats. This means the Cane Corso-Presa Canario mix isn't for everybody! These dogs will need confident owners, a lot of living space, and near-constant supervision. Anyone looking for a dog, but can't/won't fulfill these requirements, will need to find another breed.

And for such a big dog, the Cane Corso-Presa Canario mix is extremely energetic. These hybrids will need exercise--walks or jogs, fetch and other games, or even canine sports competitions--on a daily basis.

The Cane Corso-Presa Canario, as a mix of two similar mastiff types, doesn't see a lot of variation in physical features. The only true variety is in the coat type: it can be single like the Presa Canario's or double like that of the Cane Corso (in which case the coat will shed more in the spring and fall).

Breeders use symbols like P, F1, F2 and so on to denote a crossbred dog's genetic material. For the Cane Corso-Presa Canario mix, the following applies:

• P: Purebred; 100% Cane Corso or Presa Canario
• F1: P x P; 50% Cane Corso, 50% Presa Canario
• F1b: P x F1; 75% of purebred parent's DNA
• F2: F1 x F1; 50% Cane Corso, 50% Presa Canario

(The sequence continues up to F5 or higher.)

Breeders often use the F1b cross to accentuate one parent breed's features. An F1b Presa Canario and giant Cane Corso mix (where the purebred parent is an unusually large Cane Corso), for example, will indeed be huge, and can weigh as much as 135 pounds.

Protective, intelligent, loyal, energetic, and at times stubborn and dominant, the Cane Corso-Presa Canario mix temperament is one of confidence and devotion. These hybrids are usually affectionate with loved ones, and they'll guard them at any cost! Both parent breeds are known to respond with dominance and even aggression to potential threats--so these crossbreeds require firm training and socialization, starting during puppyhood, to help curb any aggressive tendencies. That said, Cane Corso-Presa Canario mixes can get along well with kids and most other pets, especially if they grow up together; these hybrids might be instinctively dominant around other dogs (particularly those of the same sex), so it might be better for these dogs to be part of a "one-dog" household.

In regards to training: Cane Corso-Presa Canario mixes are smart, and can respond well to it--they can learn commands and tasks without too many repetitions, in other words--but they'll need confident, "alpha" handlers who are willing to teach the dog who's in charge.

And Cane Corso-Presa Canario mixes have terrific watch- and guard dog abilities. They're protective, alert, and confident, so they'll bark at and investigate unknown sight and sounds; odds are they'll also be able to physically neutralize most any potential threats as well.

The Cane Corso-Presa Canario mix, due to hybrid vigor (in which a crossbred dog inherits the healthiest traits of its parent breeds), is pretty healthy. Even so, these hybrids can suffer ailments common to the parent breeds including hip dysplasia and various eye issues, among others. Giant-sized dogs like this one are also naturally prone to health problems like gastric torsion (or bloat), especially if they're allowed to "wolf" their food, and a disease of the joints called osteochondrosis disseacans.

Potential owners are advised to ask breeders for health screenings for the dog and/or its parents, or they can have their own veterinarians do the screenings.

Life expectancy for these hybrids is relatively short, at 10-12 years.