How High Can a Cane Corso Jump? – Proper Fence Height

Before I got my Cane Corso puppy, I had to figure out how high can they jump, so I can evaluate if my fence is the proper height. Apart from that, I was curious how athletic Cane Corsos are and what they are capable of.

How high can a Cane Corso jump? A healthy adult Cane Corso can jump up to 6 feet. They may not look like good jumpers at first because they are big and heavy, but they are highly athletic, and their hind legs are extremely powerful. I recommend all Cane Corso owners to put a fence of 6 feet or more.

Cane Corsos are very smart and easily trained. With this in mind, a Cane Corso can be trained to respect the boundaries of the yard in a really short time. If you put in the effort to train your Corso while he is a puppy, it will have a huge payoff as he won’t try to go beyond the fence, then even a shorter fence will suffice.

Why Can Cane Corsos Jump So High?

Most dogs that are “high jumpers” have a light athletic long body, plus they are super fast, and they use their fast run-up to jump so high. The Greyhound is the fastest and the highest jumping dog, so we can confirm that speed = high jump. So, how can a Cane Corso jump so high?

Cane Corsos use the incredible power of their back legs to shoot themself upwards. Take a look at this 65kg (143lbs) Cane Corso easily jumping this wall with almost no run-up.

We know that Cane Corsos are fast, but they don’t use their speed to jump high, they use their muscular build and strong legs to jump high.

Proper Fence For a Cane Corso

My recommendation for all Cane Corso owners is a 6-foot vinyl or wood fence. If you have a shorter fence, and can’t add to it or rebuild it for some reason you absolutely must boundary train your Corso. Luckily, Cane Corsos are easily trainable, and it’s in their nature as guard dogs to respect the boundary of their property.

Here are a few rules to keep your Cane Corso in your yard and discourage climbing the fence:

Privacy Fences – I already said that I recommend wood and vinyl fences, that is because they are not see-through like a wire fence. If your Corso can’t see what’s on the other side of the fence, he will be less interested in climbing it.
Don’t stack stuff against the fence – Cane Corsos are great at climbing and can utilize any item stacked against the fence to propel themselves over the fence with their strong legs. So, remember to not leave stuff like chairs, tables, boxes, etc. leaning on your fence.
Corso see, Corso do – Never lean over the fence to greet your Corso and teach your neighbors to not pet him by leaning over the fence. Corsos are very smart, if they see you climbing on the fence, they will realize that they can too, and will think that it’s normal behavior to do so.
Walks and Excercise – Frequently take your Corso for walks, give him plenty of exercise and playtime. Plus add some toys and mental challenges in your yard, and he won’t have any desire or interest to climb the fence.
Training and setting boundaries – As I said a couple of times already, Cane Corsos are easily trainable. Correct them every time they try to climb the fence, teach them the boundaries of your property, and he will quickly adopt these new rules.

A good fence will not only keep your Corso from the danger of running onto the street and the risk of being hit by a car. A tall fence will also discourage and keep intruders away from your property. Anyone who might trespass in your yard will not be welcomed by a guardian dog such as a Cane Corso.

But you can’t just rely on the fence, you have to train your dog and discourage him from climbing on the fence. Have a look at this Cane Corso climbing this 6-foot tall fence.

Discourage Climbing

When you see your dog climbing or jumping up on the fence. Correct him by saying “No” in a firm voice, and don’t leave until you see him get off the fence. If he doesn’t respond to your words, you can guide him off the fence, while repeating the firm “No”.
Your dog needs to see the fence and the fence door as a boundary, not as an obstacle because Cane Corsos see all obstacles as challenges they need to overcome. Anytime you open the door to let your Corso out of the fenced area, you need to give him the “wait” command, have him wait a couple of seconds, and then give him the release command. That is how you teach boundaries.

Electric Collar

The use of electrical collars, otherwise known as “Wireless Fences” is somewhat controversial. Some people think it’s not moral to give dogs a “static electricity correction” when they leave the marked area. I personally never used an electrical collar as I have a big wooden fence, and I always train my puppies early on, that said, I’m not here to judge or change your mind. The fact is that people use them, so let’s talk about it.

There are different types of electrical collars, but the principle is pretty much the same. You mark out the area (create your wireless fence) around the perimeter you want your dog to stay in, usually by a thin wire or “flags.” Then you put the collar on your dog, and how it works is, when your dog gets near the edge of the perimeter, the collar first gives a sound warning, and if your dog crosses the perimeter the collar gives him a small electrical shock.

Many of these collars have options for sound-only correction or sound + shock correction. And the idea is to switch to sound-only when your dog learns not to cross the perimeter. The way I see it, Cane Corsos are fast learning dogs, they will probably learn not to cross the marked area in 1 or 2 days, so it isn’t that cruel. It would be cruel if your dog is a slow learner and he is getting shocked multiple times a day for months.

Then again, it’s totally up to you as the owner to decide what training method you will choose, don’t let other people’s judgments or opinions influence your decisions, after all, you know your dog better than anyone else.

What To Do If Your Corso Does Get Out?

This happened to me when my Corso was 4-5 months old. I was just coming back from work when my neighbor called me to tell me that he saw my dog get out of the yard and ran off in the direction that leads towards the city.

I was searching for her for 2 hours, finally, I found her sitting on the porch waiting for me. The point of the story is, don’t panic like I did, 90% chance your dog will find his way home, and that’s the first place you should look.

Anyway, make sure your dog has a collar on him, that has your contact information, and even better have him microchipped.