United Pet Club

Cane Corso breed standards compared

Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.

Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC.

Size

Size
MeasureFCIAKCUKC
Height at the withers, male64–68 cm63.5–69.9 cm63.5–68.6 cm
Height at the withers, female60–64 cm59.7–66 cm59.7–63.5 cm
Weight, male45–50 kgNo ruling45.4–49.9 kg
Weight, female40–45 kgNo ruling39.9–45.4 kg
Height to length0.90.9No ruling
Skull to muzzle222

Conformation

Conformation
FormFCIAKCUKC
BiteUndershotStandard (“Slightly undershot but no more than 5 mm”)Standard (“Slightly undershot (no more than 1/4 inch) and level preferred”)Standard (“meeting in a slightly undershot bite”)
BiteLevel biteAlternate (“Level bite tolerable but not sought after”)Standard (“Slightly undershot (no more than 1/4 inch) and level preferred”)Alternate (“A level bite is acceptable but not preferred”)
BiteScissors biteFault (“Scissor bite; undershot bite more than 5 mm”)Alternate (“Scissor bite is acceptable”)Fault (“Serious Faults: Scissors bite”)
BiteOvershotDisqualifying (“Overshot mouth”)No rulingDisqualifying (“Disqualification: Overshot bite”)
BiteWry mouthNo rulingDisqualifying (“Disqualification - More than two missing teeth; wry mouth”)No ruling
DentitionFull dentitionNo rulingStandard (“Dentition is complete”)Standard (“a complete set of evenly spaced, white teeth”)
DentitionMissing teethNo rulingDisqualifying (“More than two missing teeth”)No ruling
Ear carriageDrop (pendant)Standard (“Triangular, drooping, of medium size”)Alternate (“held tight to the cheeks”)Standard (“The ears are triangular and drooping”)
Ear setHighStandard (“wide set-on that is much above the zygomatic arches”)Standard (“Set well above the cheekbones”)Standard (“wide at the set on, which is high above the zygomatic arches”)
Eye shapeOvalStandard (“Close to ovoid in shape”)No rulingStandard (“Medium size, and oval in shape”)
Eye shapeAlmondNo rulingStandard (“Medium-size, almond-shaped, not round or bulging”)No ruling
Muzzle shapeSquareStandard (“Strong, square, noticeably shorter than the skull”)No rulingStandard (“It is strong, square and flat”)
ToplineLevelStandard (“Back: Straight, very muscular and firm”)Standard (“the strong, level back”)No ruling
Tail carriageRaised (gay)Standard (“In action carried high, but never erect or curled”)No rulingStandard (“In action it is carried high, but not curled or erect”)
Tail carriageLevelNo rulingStandard (“generally carried level with the back or slightly above”)No ruling
Tail carriageRingFault (“Ringed tail, tail in vertical position”)No rulingFault (“Serious Faults: Ring tail”)
FeetCat footStandard (“Forefeet: Cat feet”)No rulingStandard (“Cat feet, with the rear feet less compact”)
DewlapSlightNo rulingStandard (“with a small amount of dewlap”)No ruling
Tuck-upModerateNo rulingStandard (“Moderate tuck up”)No ruling
ChestBroadNo rulingStandard (“Chest - Broad, well-muscled, strong forefront”)No ruling

Markings

Markings
MarkingFCIAKCUKC
MaskAlternate (“mask on the muzzle should not go beyond the line of the eyes”)Standard (“have a black or gray mask”)Alternate (“mask on the muzzle should not go beyond the line of the eyes”)
Chest patchAlternate (“A small white patch on the chest”)Alternate (“There may be a white patch on the chest, throat, chin”)No ruling
StarNo rulingNo rulingAlternate (“A small white spot on the chest”)
SocksAlternate (“on the tip of the toes and on the bridge of the nose is acceptable”)Alternate (“backs of the pasterns, and on the toes”)Alternate (“white on the toes and on the bridge of the muzzle are acceptable”)
Tan pointsNo rulingDisqualifying (“Any color with tan pattern markings as seen in black-and-tan breeds”)No ruling
White markingsDisqualifying (“large white patches.”)No rulingDisqualifying (“large white patches.”)

Cropping, docking and other procedures

Cropping, docking and other procedures
ProcedureFCIAKCUKC
Ear croppingNot recognised (“Ears are un-cropped”)Alternate (“May be cropped or uncropped”)Alternate (“They are often cropped in the shape of an equilateral triangle”)
Tail dockingNot recognised (“TAIL: Natural”)Alternate (“It is docked at the fourth vertebrae. In the case of natural tails”)Standard (“It is generally docked at the fourth vertebrae”)
Dewclaw removalNo rulingAlternate (“Front dewclaws - Can remain or be removed”)No ruling

The law on these procedures differs by country. A listing here says nothing about whether one is legal where you live.

Cane Corso colors and patterns

What each club's breed standard says about every Cane Corso color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.

Breed standards describe the Cane Corso in Black, Grey, Slate, Red, Fawn and Wheaten. Standard patterns: Solid, Brindle and Reverse brindle.

Coat: rulings by club
Color or patternFCIAKCUKCKUSA
BlackStandard (“Black”)Standard (“Black”)Standard (“Black”)Standard (“Black”)
GreyStandard (“lead-grey (blue), slate-grey (blue), light grey (blue)”)Standard (“Gray”)Standard (“all shades of grey”)Standard (“lead-grey (blue), slate-grey (blue), light grey (blue)”)
SlateStandard (“slate-grey (blue)”)Standard (“lighter and darker shades of gray”)Standard (“all shades of grey”)Standard (“slate-grey (blue)”)
RedStandard (“stag red”)Standard (“Red”)Standard (“stag red”)Standard (“stag red”)
FawnStandard (“light fawn; dark fawn”)Standard (“Fawn”)Standard (“all shades of grey and fawn”)Standard (“Light fawn; dark fawn”)
WheatenStandard (“dark wheat colour”)Standard (“lighter and darker shades of fawn”)Standard (“all shades of grey and fawn”)Standard (“dark wheat colour”)
AlbinoDisqualifyingNot recognisedDisqualifying (“Albinism”)Disqualifying
LiverDisqualifyingNot recognisedNo rulingDisqualifying
IsabellaDisqualifyingNot recognisedNo rulingDisqualifying
Patterns
SolidStandard (“Black”)Standard (“Solid fawn and red”)Standard (“Black”)Standard (“Black”)
BrindleStandard (“black brindle, grey (blue) brindle”)Standard (“Black Brindle”)Standard (“brindle”)Standard (“black brindle, grey (blue) brindle”)
Reverse brindleStandard (“black brindle, grey (blue) brindle”)Standard (“Black Brindle”)Standard (“brindle”)Standard (“black brindle, grey (blue) brindle”)
PiebaldDisqualifying (“large white patches”)No rulingDisqualifying (“large white patches”)Disqualifying (“large white patches”)
Tan pointNo rulingDisqualifying (“Any color with tan pattern markings as seen in black-and-tan breeds”)No rulingNo ruling
Eyes: rulings by club
Color or patternFCIAKCUKCKUSA
Dark brownStandard (“as dark as possible but according to the coat colour”)Standard (“dark brown eyes are preferred”)Standard (“the iris is as dark as possible, depending on the color of the coat”)Standard (“as dark as possible, but according to the coat colour”)
Light brownNo rulingStandard (“lighter shades are approved”)No rulingNo ruling
BlueDisqualifying (“Wall eye (blue flecked)”)Disqualifying (“blue eyes”)Disqualifying (“Wall eyes”)Disqualifying (“Wall eye (blue flecked)”)
YellowNo rulingDisqualifying (“Yellow bird of prey”)No rulingNo ruling
Patterns
MarbledDisqualifying (“Wall eye (blue flecked)”)No rulingNo rulingDisqualifying (“Wall eye (blue flecked)”)
Nose: rulings by club
Color or patternFCIAKCUKCKUSA
BlackStandard (“Black”)Standard (“Dogs with black pigment have black noses”)Standard (“Large and black”)Standard (“Black”)
SlateStandard (“A grey mask may have a nose colour of the same nuance”)Standard (“gray pigmented dogs have gray noses”)No rulingStandard (“A grey mask may have a nose colour of the same nuance”)
PinkDisqualifying (“Total depigmentation of the nose”)No rulingDisqualifying (“Nose pink, without pigmentation”)Disqualifying (“Total depigmentation of the nose”)
Patterns
Butterfly noseFault (“Partial depigmentation of the nose”)No rulingFault (“Butterfly nose”)Fault (“Partial depigmentation of the nose”)

What the rulings mean

Standard
Described by the club's breed standard.
Fault
Named by the club's breed standard as a fault: the animal can be shown but is penalised.
Disqualifying
The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this colour or pattern.
Not recognised
The club does not accept this colour or pattern for the breed.

Color changes

How a Cane Corso's colors can change over its life.

  • Blackchanges toRust

    Coat · With body condition · can change back

  • Blackchanges toGrey

    Coat · Progressive

  • Blackchanges toBrown

    Coat · In the sun · can change back

  • Blackchanges toSnow nose

    Nose · With the season · can change back

  • Blackchanges toPink

    Nose · With the season · can change back

Published standards