Raising a
cane corso pup.
A friendly handbook for the first eighteen months — from the car ride home to a calm, confident adult.
Year one, in milestones
0 → 12 MONTHSNeonatal period
The breeder's responsibility — completely blind and deaf, relying on touch and scent.
Slow is fast.
One room. One person. No visitors.
Transitional period
Rapid sensory awakening. Eyes open, ears open, first wobbly steps.
Primary socialization
The most consequential period of the puppy's life. Maximally open to new experiences.
- Crate (XL)
- Slip lead
- Stainless bowls
- Long line, 30 ft
- Frozen Kongs
- Patience
5 minutes of leash walk per month of age. Twice a day, max.
The first month home
Crate as a den. Short outings. Calm hands. Everything is new — and they remember everything from this month.
Socialization window
New people, surfaces, sounds. Calm exposures, every day. The most important window of their life is closing.
Juvenile period
Teething hits. Bigger, bolder, and chewing everything they shouldn't.
Adolescence
Selective hearing arrives. Stay patient. Reinforce the basics. They are testing — that means it's working.
Late adolescence to maturity
Body finishes filling out. True mental maturity arrives around 2.5 years.