Instructions
Socialization
Enroll your dog in obedience classes. They provide a safe and stimulating environment for your dog to socialize and learn. They also help you establish your leadership role.
Invite one or two friends with calm, non aggressive dogs to your home. Reward positive behaviors such as friendly greetings and play.
Avoid taking your dog to dog parks until you're confident that it will interact with other dogs and people in a safe and friendly manner. It can usually take a month or two of socialization for you to learn your dog's signs of fear and discomfort. When you do go to the park, monitor your dog closely and remove it from uncomfortable situations before they escalate into confrontations.
Leadership
Establish a leadership role with your dog by taking daily walks together. You should walk at a steady pace with your posture communicating control: head up, shoulders back, with your dog next to or behind you. If your dog pulls ahead, stop moving and direct your dog from the collar back to the correct position and wait until you have its full attention before continuing. Repeat this until the dog remains in its position.
Avoid playing dominance games like tug-o-war for the first few months of ownership or training. Dogs use these games to establish a pecking order among their pack, and to deny the play shows the dog that your leadership is already determined.
Use a sit and stay command before setting the dog's food down or throwing its ball. Making your cane corso work for its food and play maintains your control.
Correction and Reward
Use positive reinforcement such as treats and praise to encourage the behaviors you wish to see in your dog. The cane corso is a highly intelligent breed with a strong desire to bond with its owner, so it usually responds best to positive encouragement.
Discourage negative behaviors by asserting nonviolent leadership and disengaging from the dog. For example, train the dog not to jump by moving forward into its space rather than backing away and then ignoring the dog until it's calm.
Avoid violent corrections. The cane corso is a guardian breed that's naturally nonviolent, but it will protect itself and its family against perceived threats. Using physical or verbal violence as a correction could cause the cane corso to perceive you as a potential threat, undermining its trust and making training more difficult.
How to Train a Cane Corso Dog
The cane corso is becoming popular for its regal appearance, intelligence and strong desire to protect its family. Originally a property guardian and boar hunter found only in southern Italy, this mastiff has been featured throughout Italian art and literature. Today it's gaining acceptance among dog owners around the world. Its protective nature can make training a cane corso a challenge. Consistency and patience with training and socialization, along with daily exercise, will ensure that the cane corso develops into a reliable companion and watchdog for your family.