Cane Corso also known as Italian Mastiff, is the ideal pet for many animal lovers. Typically, they are active dogs with high exercise needs. While they are rated as one of the more energetic breeds, many have wondered how smart the Cane Corso really is.
Cane Corsi are highly intelligent dogs with many capabilities. It is considered that this breed has similar intelligence to German Shepherds. So you can expect your pet to understand your commands quickly.
The intelligence of a Cane Corso can be influenced by many factors. We’ve explored this in detail to give you a greater understanding of the breed and its intelligence levels.
How Smart Is a Cane Corso?
It is reported that a Cane Corso is reasonably smart and scores three out of five on an intelligence scale. The top thing to understand is that you can quickly get a ranking of your pet by doing an IQ test. You can check various abilities of the dog to assign it points and use them for the score.
A key thing to note is that many specialists report that Cane Corso puppies have the brainpower of 2 to 2.5-year human kids. This is why you can expect your dog to be highly intelligent. Your pet can also outwit other animals at your home, depending on the type and breed.
Do They Learn Things Quickly?
A Cane Corso is easier to train than most other dogs on the planet. They are known to easily understand their owner’s commands. Typically, a Cane Corso can learn about 165 words with signals during training.
Another thing you should understand is that a Cane Corso is also called a working dog because it is intelligent and hardworking. This is why you will not face many difficulties when teaching your pet. However, you must keep some things in mind.
For instance, Cane Corsi tends to be territorial and averts strangers. This means that you must be more diligent when teaching the dog. Not only that, but you should also be consistent with the training. These tips will help you ensure your Cane Corso learns things quickly.
Are They Natural Problem Solvers?
Cane Corsi are intelligent dogs that can help you with various things. However, they may not be the best natural problem solvers. This ability depends on the pet’s training, which varies from one dog to another. So if you want this dog to be helpful, you must train it properly from an early age.
Besides that, assistance and therapy dogs are better at solving problems than most other animals. You can train your Cane Corso to help you with various things by teaching it using different commands. If you are consistent, your pet will be able to solve multiple problems.
Can A Cane Corso Sense Danger Easily?
The top thing you should note is that Cane Corsi are highly loyal and protective of their owners. This is why you can expect your pet to alert you of danger in various conditions. The dogs have sensitive hearing and smell senses to detect threats easily.
Your Cane Corso can alert you when an intruder enters your home by repeatedly barking. Not only that, but the dog may also act aggressively toward the stranger. This is because Cane Corsi are not very friendly around unknown people. So you must go to your pet when it is repeatedly barking.
Besides that, Cane Corsi also detects different animals within their environment quickly. This means that the dog can protect itself easily.
What Makes Cane Corsi So Smart?
The top feature that makes Cane Corsi so clever is that they are eager to please their owners. This is why the dog quickly understands instructions and comply with signals. Besides that, this breed is also sensitive to attention at times and gets it by being intelligent.
Another thing you must remember is that a Cane Corso is a hardworking and active breed. They are also highly loyal and protective of their family members. So you can expect your Cane Corso to act swiftly when you are in danger.
Lastly, a Cane Corso is highly intelligent because of excellent genes. This means that your pet is born wise. Of course, you will have to train it properly to maximize the benefits of high intelligence.
Are They Emotionally Intelligent?
A Cane Corso is a loyal and protective dog but is not highly intelligent emotionally. This is why the breed is not the best if you require a support dog. The vital thing to note is that Cane Corsi love their owners and families. However, they do not show much affection.
Sometimes, your Cane Corso may prefer to stay near you. However, you must remember that this breed does not need close attention. They also don’t require constant petting, mainly due to their low emotional needs.
Besides that, you must also remember to avoid keeping other pets at home. Typically, Cane Corsi are calm, but they do not do well when facing other animals in their environment.
While they are not highly emotional, they do have high activity needs. So be sure to meet them, or your dog will resort to destructive behavior to get rid of boredom.
Does The Cane Corso’s Breeding Affect Their Intelligence?
The Cane Corso dogs are descendants of the molossoid breed. This is one of the reasons behind the intelligence of this breed. The ancestors of this type were known for sharp hunting skills. Not only that, but they also had a tough endurance for labor.
Besides that, research also shows that breeding affects the intelligence of various dogs. This is why you must understand the parental history of your Cane Corso. It will allow you to comprehend the smartness of your pet.
You must also note that human intelligence is affected by genes to some extent. The same thing also happens in dogs. If you breed two smart Cane Corsi, their offspring will likely have exceptional intelligence. This is because of the survival of the fittest concept.
Does Cane Corso’s Intelligence Makes Training Easier?
Many dog specialists and Cane Corso owners will tell that training this breed is relatively easy. The critical thing to note is that this is true because of the high intelligence of these dogs. You can easily teach your Cane Corso to understand different words and what they mean
Aside from that, you can also train your dog to do various tasks using proper instructions. You must remember that a Cane Corso is eager to please its owners.
This is why you can use it for multiple purposes. You can also use members of this breed as guard dogs due to their high sensitivity.
However, you must remember that this breed is highly active and requires extended outdoor time.
So you must be consistent when meeting the needs of your dog. This is because Cane Corso dogs are known for being stubborn at times.
Do They Easily Socialize with Other Dogs?
A key feature of Cane Corsi is that they can be aggressive at times because of their guarding nature. This is particularly true when your pet comes across strangers and kids. So it may be tough for you to turn your Cane Corso into a friendly dog.
Besides that, you must remember that the period before 16 weeks is a crucial stage in a Cane Corso’s life. Typically, you must start socializing with your dog before this time. An early start will help you with making your pet comfortable around strangers.
If 16 weeks have passed, your Cane Corso puppy will be nervous around most people outside and inside your home. So you must engage in early socialization by taking your puppy to the park, dog parties, and much more.
You must also remember that the task will still be difficult even before 16 weeks. This is because this breed is not friendly towards strangers because of its protective nature. Therefore, you must be consistent and patient when making your Cane Corso socialize with other dogs.
How Does the Intelligence of the Cane Corso Compare to Other Giant Dog Breeds?
The Cane Corso dogs are smart and easy to train because of their intelligence. However, they are still behind compared to other giant dog breeds in terms of smartness. For instance, Golden Retrievers have better intelligence than this breed.
Besides that, Labrador Retrievers are also more intelligent than other dogs. Australian Cattle Dog is also one of the smartest breeds on this planet. So you should not expect your pet to be superior to most other giant dogs.
The IQ depends on various things, including genetic and environmental factors.
However, you can expect your Cane Corso to be smarter than most small dogs. The breed is intelligent and works best for guarding. So your pet will be better than other dogs when informing you of threats.
Final thoughts
Specialists rank the intelligence of this breed three out of five. Hence, you can expect your pet to act cleverly in various situations, including when you are in danger.
Exactly how smart a Cane Corso is may vary due to environmental and genetic reasons. You can easily find out how smart your pet is by doing an IQ test. The best part is that you can organize a test from the internet or ask your vet for guidance.
