Cane Corso

The cane corso originated in Italy and can be traced back to ancient times. The molossus, a now extinct mastiff-type dog, is an ancestor of the cane corso and similar mastiff-type dogs. Throughout its early history, the cane corso acted as a guard dog, war dog, and skilled hunter of various game (including very large game). Its name is derived from the Italian word for dog, cane, and the Latin term cohors which means "protector" or "guardian."  

A significant decline of the cane corso breed was brought on by World Wars I and II but small numbers of the dogs still existed. During the 1970s cane corso enthusiasts sparked a revival of the breed and by 1988 they were being imported into to United States. The AKC officially recognized this breed in 2010 as part of their miscellaneous class before making it a member of their working group 7 years later.