As a breeder of Cane Corso for many years back, I often get questions about Corso’s needs. One of the most asked questions is about the place Cane Corso needs for its living. For example, does Corso needs a sizeable fenced yard, or can he live in a flat without problems?
Yes, Cane Corso can live in an apartment if you can make proper conditions for him.
It would help if you thought about several things before deciding to live with your Cane Corso in an apartment.
First of all, you must know that the Cane Corso dog is a highly social and very active breed. You must provide your dog companionship (people and animals) and exercise daily with that in mind. It could be short walks or play in a dog’s park. It would help if you drained that reservoir of energy in him. And also, you must feed his social need for a companion, either you and your human friends or his new fur friend from the park. Cane Corso’s can be excellent house dogs if you can satisfy their outdoor activities.
Does Cane Corso bark a lot?
From my long breeding experience, this is the second good thing about Cane Corso for comfort living in an apartment.
This is generally a very quiet dog breed. Cane Corso doesn’t bark so much. They bark only for a reason. You can hear them only in the process of feeding and when they recognize not ordinary behavior around them.
When I spoke about barking, many people asked me to order a Cane Corso to stop barking. Well, you must teach him firstly to bark on command. Then you teach him to stop it on command (shush or something similar).
What are the most dangerous things for your Cane Corso, who is living in an apartment?
In my opinion, as a breeder of Cane Corso, the most dangerous things about apartment living are slippery floors and stairs. These two things can damage Corso’s hips and make a hell of his life later. As you already know, hip dysplasia is one of the top health issues of this breed. Still, the scientist didn’t determine a more significant influence on Cane Corso’s bad hips, genetics, or environmental behavior. However, slippery floors and stairs are confirmed as the worst choice for your Corso environment.
What must you have in mind if you decide for your Cane Corso to live in a flat?
- Boredom
Don’t let your Cane Corso get bored in an apartment while you are at work. And I don’t speak only about physical boredom. It would be best if you kept their brain busy also. You all know if you Mastiff is loosed in your fenced yard, he will always find some exciting things, for him only, to do while he’s alone. Something like digging, eating strange things, running for no reason, chasing neighbor’s animals or neighbor himself, etc.
A whole different thing is if he is bored in a flat. He can do the same things like digging, chewing, chasing, but in this case, it can be your furniture, your valuables, etc. Also, there is separation anxiety I wrote about HERE.
My advice for avoiding these things is well socializing and training your Italian Mastiff puppy early.
One quick walk before you go to your job will do good for you and your Corso. There are also brain game toys you can give him while you are away.
- Slobber and drool
Does a Cane Corso drool a lot? I must say Italian mastiffs drools a lot less than the other Mastiffs for sure. However, every large breed dog with loose, long jowls must drool. Even if they produce an average amount of saliva, their mouth can’t form a seal because of that flappy jowl. So instead of swallowing it, saliva runs down the inner cheek and drips on the floor. Or a piece of furniture in this case. The most intense drooling was when they anticipated food or after drinking. I wrote an article about Cane Corso drooling HERE.
Bright tip to avoid that Corso markings of your furniture are to feed him simultaneously in the same place and keep his water bowl at the same spot. This way, you can control and easily clean the central “contamination” spot.
- Farts
Does Cane Corso fart a lot? I can say Cane Corso is a moderate “fire starter.” Gasses in dogs are expected as in humans. However, some dogs are eating faster and consume more air during that process. Now that air must go somewhere. Also, the important thing is the diet. Cane Corso likes to eat pretty fast and has loose lips, making them ideal for a top farting dog. But, from my long time, breeder experience they are not.
If you are living together in an apartment, farting can be inconvenient. However, you can influence their eating speed by all kinds of bowls made for that use.
Second, the most important thing is to pay close attention to your Corso diet. It would be best to switch his diet slowly by introducing new stuff daily in a tiny amount. Also, as a breeder, I recommend a raw diet from a well-known source. I wrote an interesting article about everything you need to know about the Cane Corso raw diet. You can read it HERE.
4. Tail waggling
Having a Cane Corso living in an apartment will make you think about stuff placed on your coffee tables. I am not kidding, as a high social breed Italian Mastiff, or Cane Corso is a highly waggling dog breed. He gets excited every time he sees you. And he turns that motor in his tail. And he doesn’t know where the switch-off key is. If your dog doesn’t have a docked tail, he will swipe everything around him. I wrote a good article about cropping Cane Corso’s ears and docking tails HERE if you are interested.
5. Shedding
Now, you don’t need to worry about shedding too much. Cane Corso is a low to moderate shedding dog. Brush him regularly and bathe him from time to time, and you won’t have any problems with loose hair in your apartment. More about Cane Corso shedding you can read in an article I wrote HERE.
Conclusion
Here you are everything you need to know about Cane Corso living in an apartment from my perspective. As an Italian Mastiff breeder, I explain to you how to treat a Corso residing in a flat and the most dangerous things for his health in such an environment.
I mention the essential things, gradually decreasing by importance, that can bother you.
Give your Mastiffs everything they need, and they don’t need much, and they will return it to you, the best way. Keep them healthy with regular exercise and a proper diet, and they will live happily everywhere you place them. Just be close to them. That’s the most crucial thing for Cane Corso. To have his human nearby.