Cielo Blu Cane Corso Mastiffs

The Cane Corso is not the result of a recent mixture of different dogs. On the other hand, he can boast of an ancient history which dates back to over one thousand years. His old ancestors, born in Tibet were named "Leontonix" by Aristotle, meaning descendants of a lion. These mastino dogs, known to the Italic peoples as "Canis Pugnax" (the old Roman Molossian), migrated to Rome where they were noted as being lighter weight, less encumbered, but just as powerful. They would often be seen fighting lion in the Coliseums. These dogs that now earned their living in Rome, were the Neapolitan Mastiff and the Cane Corso. The Cane Corso, because of its athleticism was later put to greater use by Italian farmers as they helped manage buffalo and sulky oxen to the slaughterhouses. During wartime, he went ahead of the infantry. In addition, affluent Italian families used the Cane Corso as a loyal guardian of their small children at play.

"Bodacious"
Pictured above is our Cielo's father. Bo was highly sought after because of his pure Italian import pedigree and his awesome temperament .

"Cerberus’ Gr Ch. Prince"

Imported by DiGuardia Cane Corso upon the inception of the Cane Corso in America. Prince is the sire of our cornerstone female, “Echo”. This makes Prince one of the Patriarchs of Cielo Blu.

In the recent past, the Cane Corso has found an excellent preservation area in Southern Italy, especially in Puglia, Luciana, and Sannio. According to noted Italian Cane Corso enthusiast Stefano Gandolfi, his name derives from the Latin word "Cohors" which means guardian or protector."

Thus, the Cane Corso's general appearance is that of a mesomorphic animal whose body is longer than it is tall. Probably the most athletic of the mastiff breeds, the Cane Corso has the muscularity of a wrestler while maintaining the agility and endurance of a marathon runner. A Cane Corso male should measure a minimum of 24 inches at the withers and 100 pounds; females, 22 inches and 80 pounds. The ears may be cropped or uncropped, but the tail is docked. The short, dense coat requires minimal weekly grooming. Accepted colors include black, blue, fawn, chestnut, tawny, and stag red, with or without brindle markings, as well as the less desirable black-and-tan and blue-and-tan patterns. White may appear on the chin, chest, and the front of the toes.

"Corina",
Here again we have Quentin Bembry showing Corina, one of the matriarchs of Cielo Blu in 1993.

Today's Cane Corso is a stable, protective dog that is highly territorial. While he may be aloof and suspicious of strangers, he maintains loyalty and total submission to his owner. Because the breed can be highly dominant toward people and other dogs, plenty of socialization and obedience training should be introduced to him at an early age. As stated previously, the Cane Corso was used as a guardian of affluent families' children in Italy. Because of this history, today's Cane Corso displays the ability to discern a harmless, innocent child from a threatening individual who means you harm. Thus, the Cane Corso craves regular affection, attention and interaction with its family. This athletic breed thrives in a house or apartment provided that its daily exercise needs are met.