Indian Bull Terrier vs Cane Corso - Breed Comparison

As a descendant of the Canis pugnax, the Cane Corso dog which hails from Italy has been used for guarding livestock and property. The Corso’s lineage goes far back to ancient Roman times, with the name of dog actually meaning bodyguard dog.

As life changed in Italy, the Corso became more rare so that some enthusiasts of the breed began to look at helping the dog recover from the brink of extinction. By 1994, the breed was accepted by the Italian Kennel Club and the dog was also recognized internationally, with the American Kennel Club recognizing the Cane Corso in 2010.

Not much is known of the dog breed crossings that James Hinks carried out to get the Indian Bull Terrier. It is believed that he used the old English Bulldog, the English White Terrier and even the Dalmatian and Greyhound.

The dog comes from the UK but was later introduced to India. The Indian Bull Terrier, known as the Indian gladiator was introduced to India by the British Colonial Forces. The dog was developed from British dogs, namely Irish and English strains of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, the original English White Terrier and the Hinks Bullterrier breed. The legacy of Hinks is known worldwide – he is known as the one who mixed white terriers to bull dogs to make bull terriers. He made a breed that was the base breed of the egg shaped head bull terriers we see today.

The dog is similar in looks to the old type English Bullterrier. The dog has always been valued as a fighter and as a watchdog.

A Molosser Dog:

The Cane Corso is a large dog which hails from Italy. He is a molosser. The dog is muscled and is somewhat less bulkier than other Mastiff breeds. He is 64-70 cm in height and he weighs 45-50 kg.

The head of the Cane Corso is large and the ears are cropped and stand erect. The tail is also traditionally docked to give the dog a distinctive look, but these days, with regulations regarding tail docking, the dog can also be seen with a full tail.

The Corso has a short coat which comes in fawn shades, gray, red, brindle or black shades. White markings are common on the chest, chin, toes and sometimes on the nose.

Temperament:

The Corso is a working dog who needs lots of mental and physical stimulation. He’s an inquisitive dog who is confident and ready to meet life as it comes. He’ll want a strong, firm owner with leadership qualities. He'll require training and socialization and then he becomes an affectionate, obedient pet who gets on well with all members of the family as well as other pets. He is a highly intelligent dog and responds well to training.

The Indian Bully is a powerful, muscular, athletic and aggressive breed. He is a medium sized dog standing at roughly 46 cm to 56cm and weighs in the region of 20 – 30kg, both male and female.

As a Molosser, he has a strong, lean body with fairly long legs. Because of the white coat, quite a lot of them are born deaf and they also have skin allergies. The coat of the Indian Bull Terrier is short and smooth and nearly always white although you may well find some small dark markings on the coat. While solid white is the more common color, tan, red-brown and brindle can also be seen. He has the traditional egg-shaped head, erect ears, slanted eyes and long tail.

Temperament:

Your robust Indian Bull Terrier is a fearless dog, and where he has always been used for fighting in India and Pakistan, they are seeing the value of owning him as a pet too.

He is a loving, devoted pet, regarded as a bit of a clown. He is active and intelligent and apart from him wanting a lot of exercise, he just loves being with his human family, being involved with their hike, walks, ball games and swimming.

Being such a robust, active breed, he isn't suited to life in the city where the home is tiny and with little space to run. He is also strong-willed and maybe this characteristic of his might prove to be a bit of a handful for the first time dog owner.

He will need to receive early training and socialization, more so when there are children in the home. He can be inclined towards aggressiveness. They are capable of bonding with kids in the home but they can lean towards aggressiveness with other children.

The Cane Corso is known for his agility and athleticism. He is full of energy and he also wants lots of attention and companionship from his human family. With proper training and socialization his temperament changes so that he becomes a super friend and companion while also being protective.

The dog is attentive and receptive to training. The way a dog turns out is essentially what the owners are like, and many Cane Corso dogs have been blamed for being aggressive because they’ve been brought up by aggressive, abusive and irresponsible owners.

The Cane Corso is a large dog with an exuberant nature and who expresses his joy by snorting, wheezing, grunting and slobbering. Treat him well as a family member and you’re going to have a wonderful friend and protector.

Indian Bull Terriers are affectionate, playful 4-legged family members. They are loyal, protective and social and will get on well with their own human family members but not necessarily with strangers.

Precautions need to be taken around visitors who aren't familiar with the dog. He is powerful and energetic and must be trained and socialized to become the obedient, loving, loyal pet he is known to be.

The life expectancy of the Cane Corso is 10 to 12 years. He is a large, healthy dog breed, but all large dogs are inclined towards bone and joint problems which includes hip dysplasia. Your Cane Corso is also prone to eye defects.

Cherry Eye:

Strangely, dogs have 3 eyelids, with the third eyelid being home to tear producing gland. There are some dogs where the ligament fails so that the gland pops out, looking like a cherry stuck at the inner corner of the eye. The veterinarian will be able to perform surgery to attach the gland back.

Entropion:

There are dogs where the eyelids roll inwards. Entropion causes hair to rub on the surface of the eye, resulting in pain and also damage to the cornea. Sometimes surgery will be necessary to fix the eyelid.

With love and good care, your Indian Bull Terrier can reach up to 14 years of age and even more.

If you own the white Indian Bull Terrier, you need to keep in mind that deafness is found in many white dogs. Another concern for your white dog is sun protection. Whether white or one of the other shades, your dog has short, sparse hair and spending hours in the sun can be hazardous to him and he can suffer with serious sunburn. Serious sunburn can lead to other complications such as cancer.

Grooming:

The short coat sheds fairly heavily twice a year. His coat will certainly need a brush twice a week but during shedding time it will be more often if you want to avoid your home being full of hair. As you brush, its the chance to check for fleas, ticks and skin infections.

Brush your Cane Corso’s teeth at least 2 or 3 times a week to remove tartar build-up. If you don’t there is the problem of bacteria which can result in gum disease, bad breath and tooth loss.

Diet:

Your Cane Corso is a large, active dog and will therefore require a high quality food for his breed type. The type of food your dog eats will depend on his age and his activity levels.

The quality of dog food is highly important as it is a contributing factor towards his health. Always try to give your dog some home-made food such as vegetables, rice and meat. Include some raw meat into his diet from time to time as a dog is a carnivore, and raw meat in his diet will help to stave off skin problems. Never forget to check that he has fresh, cool water around the clock.

General Care:

Your Indian Bull Terrier has a short coat and he doesn't thrive in cold, damp weather. When its really cold, keep him indoors or put a sweater on when he needs to go outdoors.

Give him a nice, warm, dry place to sleep and ensure that if he goes outside, there is both sun and shady spots for him to lie.

Grooming:

This is a low maintenance dog, so a twice-weekly brush will do him the world of good. It will get rid of loose hair, he will love the closeness the brushing provides and the brushing will keep his coat shiny and healthy.

If you have a white Indian Bull Terrier, if he has dirty marks on his coat, you can just wipe him down with a damp cloth.

Remember to do regular checks on his ears and teeth too. Tooth decay can bring on a host of illnesses for your pet.

Diet:

If you are going to be giving your pet commercially manufactured dog food, make sure its the best there is.

Your Indian Bull Terrier is an active dog and you want to make sure that he remains healthy and active for the 10 to 14 years that he is with you. If you're unsure as to how to feed your pet, speak to your vet.

It will always be to your pets benefit to feed him some homemade food too and cooked chicken, brown rice and pasta and vegetables will keep his eyes bright and alert. If you can, try to add in some raw meat into his kibble too as this helps to keep his skin healthy. Never ever leave him without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.