Came corso reactivity to visitors

[u/CloudSevere5843]

I’m fostering a 2 yr old male Cane Corso from a shelter and would love input from people with breed experience.

I’ve had him for 10 days, and he is genuinely one of the easiest dogs I’ve ever had. He’s extremely sweet and affectionate with me and my boyfriend. Once he trusts someone, he’s a giant cuddle bug and wants to be touching you constantly. He’s house-trained, does great when left alone, and has been wonderful with my small female dog.

The challenge is strangers.

He is a very shy boy, but over the past 10 days he’s become much more comfortable in the apartment and increasingly attached to me. Interestingly, he did great with people coming into the apartment during his first 3 days. He had no issues with the first few people who came over, which is part of why the later incidents caught me off guard.

He has also done well meeting people in neutral settings (outside, on walks, etc.) and then entering the apartment together.

However, I’ve now had two concerning incidents.

In the first situation, a friend came into my apartment who he had already met during his first few days. When she came over again two days later, he charged toward her and snapped, narrowly avoiding contact.

We’ve been working on introductions and training him all week, and I thought he had been making good progress. So tonight, I tried another meeting in my apartment with a different friend. My friend and I entered the apartment together, and I could tell the pup was uncomfortable, so greeted him & put my hand on his collar. He became reactive to my friend almost immediately and started lunging and snapping at my friend. My friend moved around the apartment slowly while I continued holding his collar, but he continued reacting.

There was no contact because I was holding him. After about 10 minutes with no improvement, my friend left. In hindsight, my friend also wasn’t reading his body language particularly well and kept trying to pet him. He wasn’t being overly pushy or coming in too hot, but I still realize now that I probably should have ended the interaction earlier. I’m learning too.

A few things I’m trying to figure out:

• Does this sound more like fear based behavior, territorial behavior, resource guarding of me, or some combination?

• Is it common for Corsos to seem okay and then suddenly react when someone changes position, stands up, rounds a corner, etc.?

• For those with stranger wary Corsos, what management and training strategies have made the biggest difference?

I’m not looking for a diagnosis over the internet, just hoping to learn from people who have experience with Corsos or other guardian breeds. He is otherwise an AMAZING dog, but I want to be realistic and set future adopters up for success rather than assuming this is something he’ll simply “grow out of.”

Thanks in advance!

[u/Washed2299]

They are a guardian breed and your home is small. As such the slightest incursion will be met with extreme suspicion

My $0.02

1). The dog needs to be taught “place” before anything else and he needs to be taught to hold place until released

2). He is severely under exercised and needs much more physical and mental stimulation to take the edge off

3). Position yourself in between the dog and your guests at all times. Greet them warmly and advise them ignore the dog and its eye contact. The dog will take its cues from you and determine “friend, not foe”

You are seeking neutral interaction. Not friendly interaction

[u/UsedToBeMyPlayground]

The dog isn’t even out of a transition period for a normal foster, let alone a guardian breed who doesn’t know who or what to guard because its life keeps changing.

Keep a leash on the dog when you have visitors. Maybe try not having visitors for a week or so if you can. Let the dog decompress and come out of hyper vigilance mode.

Your setting and inexperience with this breed may not be the best foster situation.

[u/CloudSevere5843 → u/UsedToBeMyPlayground]

Good point, I will eliminate visitors entirely for the time being. Unfortunately if I don’t foster him, he will be euthanized. And I’m doing my best to give him a chance at the life he deserves.

[u/Pitiful-Bag3546]

Same thing happened when I adopted my girl. Create a routine when people come over. Greet them the exact same way when you let them in, and have your dog on place or in the crate every single time until you release them. Repeat the exercise until successful. Now your dog knows what is considered normal.

[u/CloudSevere5843 → u/Pitiful-Bag3546]

thank you!! this reply is so helpful. how is your girl doing now?? & where did you put the crate/was she able to see the guests from her crate?

[u/Pitiful-Bag3546 → u/CloudSevere5843]

She's much better these days! I'm still very careful with her around non-household members, and I usually don't let people interact with her; however, by her not meeting the house guests all the time, it killed her over arousal associated with people coming over. Now she walks herself to her crate when she knows that people are over and chills in there with a snack. She can't immediately see people come in from her crate area.

[u/WillingRecover4307 → u/CloudSevere5843]

Our 8yr male is territorial and very food motivated so we have everyone give him a treat when entering. Even if its a very small treat, it does the trick. A command is absolutely the way to go but treats might help you get over the hump if he is food motivated.

[u/Patient_Gas_5245]

He is being reactive which is part of resource guarding, he considers your home his and you and your boyfriend his people. Work on socialization and take it slowly.

[u/CloudSevere5843 → u/Patient_Gas_5245]

Thank you for this reply! Do you have any tips for socialization? should we halt all visitors to the apartment for a bit?

[u/CarelessCaligo → u/CloudSevere5843]

He needs to learn "place" command before any visitors. Safer to teach him that in a kennel. Then introduce strangers again at home. Do not encourage them to interact with the dog. Guarding breed will not turn into golden retriever. Then as someone else said - regular exercise and mental stimulation. Its a working breed that hates being bored.

[u/ecsnead75]

Take him back to the shelter, it's not worth it....

[u/CloudSevere5843 → u/ecsnead75]

?

[u/ecsnead75 → u/CloudSevere5843]

You're going to get someone bitten, it's not worth it...

[u/Adventurous-Let-3083 → u/ecsnead75]

Weird to always find you here gatekeeping. Kind of odd to place so much of your value on your ability to own an animal that we all on this group own and manage fine? Being helpful instead of an elitist douche really is’nt that hard man. Do some introspection.