Cane Corso Doberman Mix: a dog for the strong of heart

A Cane Corso Doberman Mix is definitely a unique mix for many reasons. Of course, because we have our Ollie, he will always seem very special to us. But, apart from that, both Cane Corso and Dobermans are not your every-day breeds. A lot of people that ask us about Ollie’s breed don’t even know what Cane Corso is. Although everyone has heard of Dobermans!

This is a very loving dog, at least with us, his family. It took us a while to teach him that he is not a little fluffball full of love, but more like a little horse! It takes strength, both physical and mental, to manage and control a dog this big and powerful. You will also need plenty of leadership skills to make this dog understand that you are the alpha and not them.

Cane Corso Doberman Mix personality

With this dog,  you have to be ready that it isn’t even really a dog, but a little horse that has no idea about its own strength and the sharpness of its teeth. It will take a lot of your attention: perhaps 99% if not 120%. You will never be able to relax again, at least until your pup matures into older age!

Even if your dog is perfectly behaved and trained, you will still need to explain to everyone that it won’t tear them apart. This is a large dog ad it’s intimidating-looking enough that people are generally worried and concerned when your dog gets anywhere close to them. This is something to keep in mind when making the decision of adopting a Cane Corso Doberman Mix.

It is very likely that your Cane Corso Doberman Mix will be a “one owner” type of dog: it will only see one person in the family as the true owner. It will try to dominate over everyone else (even if lovingly). It will accept you as an owner only if you have enough authority in your household and over the dog itself. Otherwise, the dog may very well try to become your owner, which is not a great situation.

Cane Corso Doberman Mix is a serious dog. They are also very smart, sensitive and have a good memory. If you offend the dog without a reason (by raising your voice or hitting them), they will remember it. They may become aggressive in response, or lose the trust and connection they had for you. This may lead to the dog becoming more independent, aggressive and even dangerous. A large dog is a lot of responsibility, both for yourself, the dog, and the society around you. This is also a guard dog – guarding instincts are strong both in Cane Corso and Dobermans – so they will try to protect you and your property from other dogs as well as people. A dog like this requires proper training and strong discipline to be safe for everyone around it.

An obvious bonus here is that now you will be able to go out for walks at any time of day in any area of your town/city. No one will dare to approach you with this pup by your side.

This is a wonderful dog, but they do require lots of training and a serious approach from the owner.

Cane Corso Doberman Mix: coat care

Cane Corso Doberman Mix has quite a short coat but that doesn’t mean you won’t have any issues with dog hair. They shed all the time, more so during “official” shedding seasons, but really it’s pretty much all year round. If you don’t vacuum daily you will find dog hair everywhere including in your own mouth. Special brushes and lots and lots of brushing to the rescue!

Due to their short coats, your Cane Corso Doberman Mix will likely be cold outside during the winter months and might need a coat. Yes, this large, intimidating dog may need a coat! Either that, or you’ll have to get them to be really active so they produce more heat and stay warm.

Need I say that you will also be cleaning and washing your dog quite often? The thing about dogs is that they love rolling in stuff that you would prefer not to even come close to. Of course, all that stuff ends up on their coat and eventually on your furniture and yourself unless you clean your dog regularly! That’s just life with dogs.

Our Cane Corso Doberman Mix is not very picky when it comes to food. He eats a lot and is not very careful when he eats. He has a special rug and a special bowl and a special “step” for the bowl so that it’s sitting at a convenient height. In terms of what to feed, it’s your own choice. You can feed commercial and then you pretty much know that a good brand will most likely have a perfect combination of all the necessary nutrients for your particular type of dog (you may want to consult with your vet as to what food is considered the best in your local market.

You could also make your own dog food but that would require careful monitoring of vitamins and minerals which can be quite involved and complicated. We just feed premium dog food brands and he seems to be doing quite well on those.

You would think a large and powerful dog like Cane Corso Doberman Mix would have enough self-respect not to beg at dinner time, and you would be wrong. Ollie is always at the table when we eat and he is almost always begging which can get quite annoying. He’ll just sit next to you, try to hypnotize you with his gaze, and drool all over the floor.

Cane Corso Doberman Mix: doggy smell

Our Cane Corso Doberman Mix doesn’t actually have too much of a dog smell, which is surprising for such a large active dog.

Cane Corso Doberman Mix: Guarding instincts

This dog is a mix of two guard dogs and they do have powerful guarding instincts. Ollie really doesn’t like closed doors: he likes it when he can walk all over “his” territory and keep everything under control. He likes looking out of the window, checking on everyone who dares to pass by. If you lock this dog somewhere ina room where they don’t have an “outlook” and which they cannot escape, you can expect your things to be chewed up. At least we do with Ollie.

Walking your Cane Corso Doberman Mix

This is a large, active dog, and they require a good walk at least twice a day. No matter the season, no matter the weather, the dog needs to have access outside. The walks have to be active – not just a brisk stroll around the block. We have a large park nearby and always play fetch or something else active, so that Ollie can run around and expend all that pent-up energy. If you have a bike, that’s also a great way to spend time with your dog.

If your Cane Corso Doberman Mix doesn’t get a chance to regularly spend their energy, they will very likely start destroying your home from sheer boredom and frustration. You have been warned.

Cane Corso Doberman Mix downsides

While this is a wonderful dog that will bring lots of love and laughter into your life, they also come with some downsides. With Ollie particularly, I can say that he is quite a nervous dog. He is just not as calm as we would probably want him to be. He likes to whine and barks way too much. He especially complains a lot if he thinks he should be taken out for a walk, but you are still in bed for some reason. Or you are taking too long putting on your shoes in the morning. He is a real drama queen. He sighs, and snorts and has all these facial expressions for every occasion. Oh, he also snores at night. Loudly!

We love Ollie very much. But we might look for a smaller dog next time we consider getting one. This is a large and very serious dog that needs a very serious approach. If something doesn’t work out, it will be very difficult for you to find a new owner for this dog as most people would be intimidated by them. You need to be a 100% sure this is something you will want to live with for the next 10-15 years. It is not a toy. If you don’t have enough experience with dogs, as well as time and patience to invest in this dog, you may be better off with a different breed.