09/01/2026
🐾 WIDE, OPEN NOSTRILS MATTER — FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION
One of the differences we frequently see between the traditional, rustic Cane Corso and some of the more modern Americanized examples of the breed is in the construction of the head and muzzle.
The Cane Corso was NOT bred to look like a Boxer.
The FCI standard calls for a large nose with ample, well-open nostrils and a muzzle that is strong, square and noticeably shorter than the skull — but that does NOT mean an excessively shortened, pinched muzzle.
Why does this matter?
Because structure has a purpose.
A broad, substantial muzzle combined with large, open nostrils supports unrestricted airflow and reflects the functional Molosser type the Cane Corso was developed to be.
When breeding continually selects for an excessively short, Boxer-like muzzle, we can begin seeing a very different phenotype:
• Narrow or pinched nostrils
• Excessive shortening of the muzzle
• An exaggerated stop
• A more brachycephalic appearance
• Loss of the traditional rustic Corso head
Nostril size and muzzle construction are inherited through multiple genes affecting craniofacial development, which is why breeders have to look at the entire phenotype — and generations behind it — rather than one feature alone.
At Savage Cane Corso, we intentionally breed toward the traditional rustic Italian Cane Corso and the FCI standard. We aren’t trying to reinvent the breed or make our dogs look like another Molosser.
The Cane Corso already had an identity.
Our goal is to preserve it.
Big, open nostrils.
A strong, broad muzzle.
Correct proportions.
Functional structure.
Traditional Italian type.
A Cane Corso should look like a Cane Corso — not a Boxer.
Preservation over modification. Function over exaggeration.
🐾 Savage Cane Corso
Bred to Serve • Born to Protect
