The Cane Corso is a purebred dog with deep Italian roots. He is believed to be a descendant of the Italian “Mastino Napoletano”. It is proven that already in the 4th century in the south of Italy and Sicily people bred dogs resembling Cane Corsos. The Cane Corso is available in many different colors. And one of them is a Blue Brindle Cane Corso version. But don’t expect them to be a sky blue color. When we are talking about dog colors, blue refers to a washed out blueish grey color.
Cane Corso Origins
Like we already said, Cane Corsos originate back to 4th century Italy. But back then they were called “Italian shepherd dogs”. Also the Cane Corso was already used by the ancient Greeks and the Romans as a herding dog. Especially on farms in southern Italy, the breed is to this day very popular. Due to his independent way of working, he has been a great help to his people for many centuries.
Despite their intimidating appearance, Cane Corsos are very loyal to their families and treat the people they love and trust very lovingly. They can take their protective instincts careful from strangers and other animals.
The American Kennel Club lists black, lighter and darker hues of gray, lighter and darker shades of fawn, and red as acceptable colors for this breed.
Brindling and black or gray masks that do not extend past the eyes are also permitted. Even a stray white patch is allowed. But tan pattern markings or points, such as those seen in Rottweiler and Doberman breeds, are not.
Not only do different coat colors have a significant impact on the Cane Corso’s overall appearance, but some tints have a shorter life expectancy than others. Which is why it’s important to consider the many colors available.
Character of the Blue Brindle Cane Corso
Provided a good upbringing, Cane Corsos can score points with numerous friendly character traits: they are considered docile, playful, fond of children and loyal. As optimal guard dogs, they do not tolerate unknown people – whether humans or animals – in their territory. Outside of that, they are rather reserved, i.e. ignorant to dismissive towards strangers. The family is their everything and is defended at all costs. Although a Cane Corso is never aggressive for no reason, it is quite willing to defend his territory and loved ones without compromise.
As well rounded as these dogs are, you still have to start the socialization process early. Because they are so careful and alert, they could have a hard time around strangers. Like we already said — they often see them as a threat. But not only strangers, other dogs as well. Start when your dog is still a puppy, basically as early as possible. At first, always supervise your dog when he’s in the company of other dogs.
Early socialization will also help your dog control his urges to be overly protective. Their extreme willingness to protect you can actually become a huge problem. Especially if your dog isn’t trained at all. This will also teach them how to act and react in various other social situations.
Early Socialization
As well rounded as these dogs are, you still have to start early socialization. Because they are so careful and alert, they could have a hard time around strangers. But not only strangers, other dogs as well. Start when your dog is still a puppy, basically as early as possible. At first, always supervise your dog when he’s in the company of other dogs.
Early socialization will also help your dog control his urges to be overly protective. They are very suspicious towards strangers and this can very easily become a problem. This will also teach them how to act and react in various other social situations.
Blue Brindle Cane Corso Appearance
All Cane Corsos look intimidating. Their serious facial expressions and muscular bodies are a little too scary for some people. Don’t be surprised if other dog owners avoid you and your puppy when you go for a walk.
These dogs are large and muscular. They have thick, muscular legs and a wide torso to carry their big heads high in the air. Some of them get their ears cut off, while others have adorable floppy ears. They usually weigh between 90 and 120 pounds. Also they are 20-28 inches tall.
These dogs have a short, straight, coarse coat that lies firmly on their skin. Their fur is also waterproof, so Cane Corsos are prepared for all weather conditions. When it comes to the color of their coat, don’t expect your blue brindle Cane Corso to be a strumf blue color. It will just be a faded out grey.
Health
Like many large dog breeds, the Cane Corso also has a tendency to hip and elbow dysplasia. Responsible breeders try to rule this out as much as possible. In any case, ask before buying a puppy what preventive measures the breeder has taken. The big dogs should not have to climb stairs regularly. A balanced diet as well as suitable exercise contributes to maintaining the health of the joints.
Some representatives of the breed are prone to heart disease. Here, too, the breeder can reduce the risk by selecting appropriately. Signs of heart disease can be, for example, fatigue, shortness of breath or cough. Talk to your veterinarian in these cases, because timely drug therapy can relieve the heart and often slow down the course of the disease or even be brought to a standstill for some time. The Cane Corso often has sensitive eyes, so you should protect them from dust, but also from fans and air conditioning. A healthy Cane Corso can live up to 12.
As the gray Blue Brindle Cane Corso coat coloration is produced by a “recessive mutation in the melanophilin (MLPH) gene,” it means these dogs are more vulnerable to skin problems such as mange and Color Dilution Alopecia (CDA). Finally, you have to pay attention to bloating. Feeding your dog smaller meals, spread over the day, can help counteract this.
Care
It is enough to brush your Cane Corso shiny coat every few days to remove loose hair. Their coat is short, which is why they aren’t the biggest shedders. Which will definitely many pet owners love to hear! However, they will experience more excessive shedding during the shedding season. This is usually in early spring and late autumn. It would be best to brush them then daily.
When it comes to bathing, Cane Corsos don’t enjoy it too much. But you also don’t need to do it too often. We recommend to bathe your dog only when it’s really necessary, like when you see visible dirt or he smells a bit weird.
But of course, that isn’t where the grooming ends. You also have to take care of their teeth, ears and nails.
Many dog owners neglect it, but dental hygiene is incredibly important to the overall health of dogs. So make sure you wash their teeth regularly. Clean their ears at least once every few weeks too. You can use a cleaning solution for that and some cotton balls.
When it comes to their nails, you have to be careful. If you’re experienced with trimming dog nails — go for it. But if you are not, rather leave it to a professional. You can ask your dog groomer or even your veterinarian.
What determines the color of a Cane Corso?
Now this is an interesting question. The Federation of Cynologique Internationale has actually done an excessive study on this topic. While we won’t bother you with some excessive nerdy talk, you can always go and read the full study on their website.
In the Cane Corso Imbreed standard allows the following colours:
black, black brindle, brindle, fawn, grey and grey brindle.
Read more
Cane Corso colors: All the beautiful shades
It’s also allowed for them to have a black mask around their muzzle. As you can see, there is no “blue”, “gold” or “color red” variations, even though some questionable breeders advertise their dogs as such.
Blue refers to a light gray, the gold is usually a cream-yellow color caused by a fawn gene, and a the color red probably refers to a more vibrant fawn coat.
In case you paid attention in biology class, you probably already know that there are dominant genes and recessive genes. All dominant genes will result in a solid black Cane Corso. That is because darker color genes are usually the more dominant ones. The brindle dilute gene is actually a recessive one. The brindle or merle pattern describes a coat in which there are lighter patches on the usually darker coat. There is also an inverted brindle pattern when there are darker patches on a lighter coat.
A a blue brindle dog usually has a color gray coat with a merle pattern of an even lighter and more washed out gray color.
Gray Cane Corsos therefore do have inherited a recessive diluted gene that cause them to have this light gray blueish color. The main focus should however be on the health aspects on these genes. You can read more about that down bellow.
Does a Blue Brindle Cane Corso suit me?
Before you decide to move in a Cane Corso, you should carefully consider whether you can give him the attention he needs. The breed is not suitable for living in the city or as an apartment dog: it needs a lot of space and its own territory to guard. But in this case, she can by no means be left to herself for too long: The four-legged friend related to his pack needs family connection and a lot of employment in the form of movement and tasks.
A cane corso owner should be sporty and like to spend a lot of time with his four-legged friend – preferably in the great outdoors. The stately Italians are considered very fond of children, although of course older children, who know the rules for respectful treatment of animal family members, can cultivate an intense friendship with a Cane Corso. If the dog has been socialized as a puppy with cats and other pets, he can live peacefully with them.
Be sure to keep in mind that your Cane Corso will take up a lot of your time every day for over a decade – care during the holiday or in the event of illness should also be planned carefully. Before moving in, take care of the basic equipment in the form of collar, leash, possibly chest harness, dog blankets and/or cups, toys, transport safety for the car, bowls, brushes and useful helpers such as lint brush or tick tongs.
Cane Corso Eye Color
The Iris should have a color that is similar to the darkest section of the coat (excluding the mask). Eye color in Black Cane Corsos should be dark Hazel. As the coat color lightens, the color of the eyes lightens as well, thus dogs with lighter coat colors should have slightly lighter eyes.
There are limits to how light an eye color should be. Eyes that are lighter than a light hazel should are not in line with the breed standard. The color of the iris is genetically linked to the color of other facial features such as the nose and eye rim. The tone of the related of color should not surpass that of a light hazel eye.
The darker the color, the better. Iris should be “as dark as feasible but according to the coat color,” according to the FCI standard, which recognizes that dilute colors are genetically incapable of having dark eyes.
Dogs with black muzzles (with black, fawn, or red coats) should have dark-brown eyes, while dogs with gray muzzles (usually gray and the dilutes of fawn or red) can have lighter hues. It also applies to all Brindle patterns.
Dark brown eyes are desirable in dogs with black muzzles (black, fawn, or red foundation coats, and brindled varieties). Lighter colors in Gray Cane Corsos, Blue Fawm or other light variations are pretty common. The eye rims should be completely pigmented and match the dog’s pigment hue.
The Iris should be quite similar in color to the coat’s darkest tone (not including the mask). As a result, the darkest base colors tend to produce the darkest eye colors.
Is the Blue Cane Corso Rare?
If you are a fan of Cane Corsos you probably already heard about blue Cane Corsos. But have you ever seen one? It’s not like there are any strumf blue Cane Corsos walking around on the streets…
Literally no breed standards include a blue Cane Corso. That’s why many wonder does a blue Cane Corso exist. Well, the answer is — not really. At least not in the color blue that you know. The color gray is most likely what people are referring to when they say blue.
While it’s not a major concern if the breed’s color is incorrectly labeled, it is a red flag when buying a puppy. A breeder who brands his Cane Corso puppies as blue-colored should be an immediate red flag. No responsible breeder would do that, and no good breeding programs would approve of that. It’s most likely a backyard breeders doing that.
This indicates that the breeder hasn’t bothered to search up the original breed standard, which is a must for conscientious breeders who underwent breeding programs.
Ask these questions of your breeder to expose backyard breeders that are attempting to dupe you into purchasing a puppy that is likely undersocialized and lacking in health certificates.
Also, stay away from anyone who refers to shades of red or fawn as “yellow” or “golden” puppies.
Is the color of a Cane Corso related to his lifespan?
Different studies and statistical methods have found that there really is a correlation between the color of his coat and a lifespan. It seems as if the recessive and dominant gene of any color variation also cause different health issues in a Cane Corso. The recessive gene is problematic in particular, as it brings a greater risk of different diseases.
This data collection studied information from over 232 naturally deceased Cane Corsos owned by 73 individuals/kennels, living in 25 countries.
Even though this is the biggest study of it’s kind, it’s still pretty small generally speaking. While it is reliable data, still take it with a grant of salt, because of the size. Further, bigger studies need to be done to know things for sure.
In addition to that, this study was mainly done on Eastern European Cane Corsos. Which is something to think about as well. But anyway, let’s take a look at the results now:
Cane Corso colors and their life expectancy:
- Black Brindle: 10.30 years
- Brindle: 10.13 years
- Grey Brindle: 9.84 years
- Fawn: 9.01 years
- Black Cane Corso: 9.00 years
- Grey: 9.00 years
- Other: 8.09 years
But don’t despair too soon. There is still data on Cane Corsos that lived even up to 18 years!
If you want to improve the lifespan of your Cane Corso, you have to take good care of his overall health. There are several things that you could improve, for example:
- Being on point with his vet appointments
- Low-stress environment
- Healthy and balanced diet
- Regular exercise
How much is a Blue Brindle Cane Corso puppy?
A Blue Brindle Cane Corso is going to be an expensive dog. Typically, the cost will be between $900 and $2,000. Italian imports Cane Corsos can be a bit more expensive than that.
This is for a dog that has a solid pedigree and has passed health testing but isn’t quite ready to show. This doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with them; it only means they don’t meet the breed standards for showing. So dog lovers not interested in dog shows shouldn’t worry about that at all.
But maybe you are interested in dog shows — in that case, you’ll have to pay even more. Show quality ones are usually sold for $2,500 to $4,000, but they can go as high as $8,500. (if they have a superior pedigree which drives up their price). A pedigree assures dog owners that their pet is purebred and descended from a reputable line. In some cases they will even come from a bloodline of showdogs.
Read more:
- Cane Corso price: What does this breed cost?
- Cane Corso puppies: Taking care of them
There will also be the ongoing costs of keeping them in show-quality condition. As a result, breeding and purchasing a show-quality Cane Corso is more expensive for pet owners. There are endless additional costs which is good reason to consider your finances before buying one.
You can also read our other articles on the Cane Corso breed and their mixes:
- Cane Corso Dogo Argentino Mix
- Cane Corso Pitbull Mix: What To Know
- Corso Blue: The Rare And Mystery Cane Corso