Cane Corso Size: a big dog with a big heart

Cane Corso are large dogs – some of the largest in the world. You need to know that if you are planning on getting a Cane Corso. While little puppies are always adorable, you need to know that you have enough space in your apartment, house (and your heart) for a really large dog before you decide on bringing that cute little puppy home.

How big is Cane Corso full-grown: what should you expect from your pup? Should Cane Corso size stop you from adopting a Corso?

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Cane Corso size and weight
Cane Corso full-grown: Cane Corso Size by age
Cane Corso full-grown size: Cane Corso and nutrition
Cane Corso size and growth stages

A full-grown Cane Corso male can grow to almost 70 cm tall and weigh up to100 lbs.

Cane Corso size and weight

As with other breeds, male Cane Corso are significantly larger than females. A full-grown Cane Corso male can grow to almost 70 cm tall and weigh up to100 lbs. (Some even go over that and weigh up to 120 lbs).

Females are smaller at around 60-65 cm tall and weigh around 40-50 kg. The weight and height of each dog can be highly individual and depend on many factors such as lineage, nutrition and the amount of exercise the dog gets.

Cane Corso full-grown: Cane Corso Size by age

Below is a table of height and weight you can expect from your dog as they age from a small puppy to a Cane Corso full grown.

Cane Corso full-grown size: Cane Corso and nutrition

To make sure your Cane Corso grows well to their full potential, they need good nutrition: a perfect balance of proteins, fat and carbohydrates in their diet, as well as vitamins and minerals. You will also need to make sure your Cane Corso puppy is well hydrated. A fully balanced and varied diet is absolutely critical for your puppy’s health.

Meat and fish are some of the best sources of protein for your dog, as well as milk and eggs. Meat is always the number one treat for dogs. It should be the main part of your pup’s diet. Puppies under a year old should be fed minced meat or meat cut into small pieces. It’s good to use raw beef, rabbit, or chicken (without bones). 

Bones can be given separately, but only raw bones, starting with 2 months of age. Your puppy won’t eat the whole bones, but they love chewing on them: it’s very good for their teeth too.  Eggs can be given in combination with meat as an extra source of vitamins. Dairy products can be very healthy too but should be given in limited quantities.

If you don’t want to feed your dog meat, you could give them commercial food (kibble).  It’s a good idea to continue feeding them the same brand of kibble that your pup’s breeder was feeding them, except you need to make sure the food itself is age-appropriate.

Cane Corso size and growth stages

If you have ever owned a puppy, you know how fast they grow.  There are some distinct stages that your puppy will go through as they grow, and you should know about them so you can know what to expect.

The first two months of your Cane Corso puppy’s life is a period of quick, extreme growth bursts

The first two months of your Cane Corso puppy’s life is a period of quick, extreme growth bursts. Both male and female puppies will grow to about 25 lbs during these months.

During this time, puppies not only grow very quickly physically. They also learn heaps about the world. This is the time when they go through their most important socialization stages. This is a very important time in their lives which defines a lot of their character traits further in life.

Most of this time, the puppies spend with their moms. This is when they learn everything from their mother, such as their eating, toileting, relationships with their siblings (including how not to bite too hard), and how to relate to humans. If the puppies spend enough time with their mom, you can be confident they will learn everything they need to know.

This is why it’s never recommended to take young puppies away from their mother. A human will never be able to teach the puppy those basic, elemental things they learn from their mother.

Month 2-3 is when the puppies will grow even more and reach up to 35 lbs. At this time, they start paying less attention to their mother and more to their environment. They also start forming their individual temperaments, and their inborn traits start to be more distinct. This is also the time when the puppies will pay more attention and have more interest in human companionship. This is a very important time when a puppy will learn that humans are their friends.

At this time, it is very important not to frighten the puppies, as this is the time when every frightening situation will stick in the dog’s memory forever. If, for example, a child inadvertently (or intentionally) scares the puppy at this age, the puppy may grow into a dog that’s terrified of children for the rest of their lives.

At this age, puppies will need lots of support and encouragement. You will need to show them various objects at the household, and also show them the rules of life with you. Encourage and praise them generously for everything they do well. Discourage bad behavior by diverting their attention to something different. but don’t outwardly punish the puppy: they are too young to understand punishment anyway.

At this age, the puppies will learn more about the objects that surround them. Some may excite them (like your shoes – so nice for chewing!) Some may frighten them – like your vacuum cleaner, for example. Let the puppy take their time learning about these new items, and encourage them to be brave and explore.

With you behind their back, they will understand they can safely explore and will grow to be more confident dogs. This is what yo want in Cane Corso: a nervous Cane Corso is not a great dog.

Months 3 to 4 is when your Cane Corso will grow even more and can weigh up to 50 lbs. This is when puppies become more and more independent. They develop their own routines, their likes and dislikes. They also watch you and your family carefully and learn about what you like and dislike. They also learn about the hierarchy in your family and the relationships between all family members. They learn to be gentle on your children, as their protective instinct starts to grow as they mature.

At the same time, your puppy may start to test the grounds a little bit, to find out just what exactly is allowed and what isn’t. This is when some dogs may start to want to dominate – only to see if they can. This can express in barking or growling, or refusing to follow your commands even if your Cane Corso knows perfectly well what you want from them.

Remember, the most important thing for your Cane Corso is your attention and love.

This is an important time to show your puppy that, even though you love them dearly, you will not tolerate misbehavior. If your puppy growls or barks or does something you don’t like, stop any communication with them.

Don’t “fight” them – they might think it’s just a fun game. Remember, the most important thing for your Cane Corso is your attention and love.

Withdrawing is the worst punishment for them. Remember that all family members must cooperate with this. This way the unruly puppy will quickly understand that doing certain things will make the whole family ignore them. Eventually, they will stop misbehaving.

Months 4 to 8 s when your pup will grow from 50lbs to almost 80lbs. They are becoming a powerful and heavy dog. Incidentally, around the same time, they may become somewhat unruly when walking on a leash. They may get overly excited about exploring their environment and may pull the leash too hard.

8 to 10 months is when your Cane Corso will grow more and reach up to 90 lbs in weight.

This is a good time to start training them to walk on the leash without pulling, rewarding them when they do it well. It’s also a good time to practice other commands as well. Your young Cane Corso needs to have things that occupy both their body and their mind: they have to be busy. It’s good if they are busy training with you and learning new things rather than chewing on your shoes or coming up with other acts of mischief.

8 to 10 months is when your Cane Corso will grow more and reach up to 90 lbs in weight. This is also a time when they may develop many fears: such as fear of cars, fear of certain noises or people. This is a normal developmental stage for a Cane Corso and will soon pass as your pup becomes a mature, confident dog.

After 12 months of age is when your Cane Corso will reach its final weight of 85-100 lbs and become a full-grown dog. This is when some males might start getting dominant over other male dogs, and also interested in females. They might also test their limits again, learning more about their place in your family “pack”. You should continue training your pup and watching their nutrition to make sure they are growing up healthy and happy.