What Defines a Reputable Cane Corso Breeder – Responsible Breeding

Finding a reputable breeder is your first and most important step toward finding the perfect Cane Corso puppy for your family. A reputable breeder is a valuable asset in the journey of Corso ownership. They are not only the bridge between you and your ideal puppy but also a trusted advisor for providing support throughout the lifetime of your pup.

What defines a reputable breeder? A reputable breeder is someone who has dedicated their efforts to one or a few specific breeds, gaining expertise in their health, hereditary defects, behavior, and temperament through breeding, research, mentoring, club memberships, showing, raising, and training. They are able to screen and educate potential buyers or adopters and provide ongoing support after the purchase or adoption. They also take responsibility for the animals they breed throughout their entire lives.

Unfortunately, there is no magic wand that will help you find a responsible, reputable breeder. Instead, you will have to do some research, make some calls, and most importantly follow your gut instinct. But here are some considerations to guide you in your search.

Signs of a Responsible Cane Corso Breeder

1. Performs breed-specific regular health tests on his or her dogs and removes any affected animals from the breeding program.
2. Removes any dog with behavior or temperament problems from the breeding pool.
3. Keeps the breeding stock healthy, well cared for, well fed, in a clean and appropriate environment, provides training, free time, and walks, and is concerned with their mental health as much as with physical.
4. A reputable breeder should have a deep understanding of the breeds they work with and be able to provide answers to questions about the breed’s size, temperament, exercise needs, potential health issues, and any special requirements.
5. Provides the puppies with a constant and adequate socialization program, on top of which he also works with each pup individually. They provide toys, fun, exercise, and lots of love for each pup.
6. Doesn’t sell puppies under 6-8 weeks old, irrespective of the situation.
7. Offers follow-up advice and help to their buyers.
8. Offers a health guarantee, and all required official papers, while disclosing all information available about the puppy and his parents to the buyer.
9. Provides accurate and reliable health, vaccination and pedigree information.
10. Sell puppies only to people they meet in person – never at pet stores or over the internet to people they haven’t met. Responsible breeders encourage you to visit and spend time with the puppy and the pup’s parents – at a minimum, the mother
11. A responsible breeder willingly shows you all areas where puppies and breeding dogs spend their time. Those areas are clean, spacious, and well-maintained. His puppies appear lively, clean, and healthy and don’t shy away from visitors.
12. A reputable breeder studies and plans litter according to the phenotype and genotype of both parents, trying to maximize the chances of a healthy and according to the standard litter.
13. A reputable breeder may not always have puppies available immediately, but they can add you to a waiting list. Responsible breeders also allow their dams to rest between litters to avoid overbreeding, meaning the wait for a puppy could be over a year.

And most importantly, a responsible and reputable breeder is genuinely in love with this breed and wants the best for all their Corsos, from new puppies to the moms they breed, to senior dogs. A reputable breeder is on a quest to improve and has the desire to promote the Cane Corso breed. He plans each litter and is devoted to caring for each puppy until a home can be found.

Final Thoughts

A breeder is responsible not only for the quality, health, and improvement of his own Corsos but also for the general welfare of the breed. In other words, if a breeder is selling poor quality puppies as show dogs or studs them, he is either clueless about the breed or is looking to make a quick buck and is relying on the lack of knowledge of others to get rid of their poor quality puppies which makes them a scammer and irresponsible breeder.

Unfortunately, with our beloved Cane Corso getting more and more popular, such shady practitioners are popping up everywhere, looking to make a quick buck while releasing low-quality dogs into the gene pool and with that diluting and “killing” the breed itself.

Breeders have a responsibility that they assumed the day they decided to breed. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we don’t but we should keep trying to do better and not intentionally or unintentionally mistake pet quality for breeding quality. Our work and the genetic baggage we send into the world are our responsibility and we can contribute to the improvement of the breed, or we can contribute to its decay.

Breeding is about being excited, madly enthusiastic, making solid plans, holding your breath for a thrilling outcome, dreaming big, trying hard, progressing, being devastated and heartbroken, or being ecstatic. It’s not about selling some random puppies from some random dogs for some random amount.