The Cane Corso Italiano (also known as the ‘Italian Mastiff’ or ‘Cane Corso Mastiff’) is a war and hunting dog which originated in southern Italy. It likely descends from the Neapolitan mastiff and the Roman ‘Canis Pugnax’, a powerful war dog, though the Cane Corso Italiano is a lighter, more agile breed which was used by troops for hunting or as an auxiliary force (‘Corso’ comes from the Latin for ‘guardian’). The Cane Corso Italiano was also used in bull baiting, a gambling ‘sport’ wherein one or more dogs were matched up against a chained bull.
Specimens did survive, however, in Italy’s backcountry. In the 1970s, a group of Italian fanciers banded together to revive the breed of their rustic ancestors. The Society Amorati Cane Corso (Society of Cane Corso Lovers) was formed in 1983, and by the following decade, Corsi was being exhibited in European dog shows. The first Corso import arrived in America in 1988, and in 2010 the breed was recognized by the AKC.