New Puppy Care

Hey there!

It’s a happy day when you bring home your new puppy. But we’ve found that our corso pups are intensely attached to their mothers, and when they leave in the arms of new owners, they can, for one to two days, seem sort of scared, shy and not so active. This is normal puppy behavior, and there is a span of difference in the personality of the puppy as well. Optimism, self-confidence and being accepting to new people come with time, and as the puppy ages, week after week, the more that you interact with him or her, the more you will notice this.

For example, new puppies often look sad when they’re leaving. That’s because we take such good care of them here at our kennel that they don’t understand they will be greatly cared for later on. This is where you, their new owner, can help, big time. With a few simple tips, your new puppy will be wagging his or her tail before you know it, chasing a ball, playing tug with a toy, or happy wrestling with you as you interact with them.

The key to a new puppy’s heart is food…yummy food. But this food should also be nutritious. We have found that yogurt (plain or vanilla is fine; no chocolate) is a safe, delicious treat that’s easy on puppy teeth and good for their bones. We’ve also noticed that cane corso puppies tend to have a sweet tooth…they’re like bears in that way. Fresh, frozen blueberries are also a great snack for them.

When your new puppy realizes that you are their master, they will instinctively want to praise you in the future, which is a terrific start for obedience training. This breed of dog must be trained around people because they will bite and attack strangers otherwise. They are guardians by nature. Even the AKC permits a few growls on the floor when they are judging—it’s actually a sign of perfect breed temperament.

Speaking of nutritious snacks for your puppy, also provide them with plenty of bones because young dogs love to chew while they are breaking in their teeth. Bones can come from several safe animals and we’ve noticed that they like beef, venison (deer), buffalo (or bison), and pig’s bones are also safe to give to your puppy. I would advise that you not give them chicken or turkey bones. There are times, during Thanksgiving, when I let the older dogs clean out the turkey carcass after we are through with it, but they are better adapted at crunching through the bones so that little shards do not end up in their intestines in the wrong ways. We’ve never had a problem with them because their canine teeth, molars and jaws are so strong. I would suggest that you avoid giving them fish bones, however; those are very thin and can get stuck in their throats or other places. Where a corso will chew down and grind and pulverize a turkey bone, fish bones should be avoided. But they do like to eat fish muscle tissue, with out scales.

Aside from bones, dogs like and require vegetables in their diet as well because they get plenty of nutrients from fresh products. Some dogs like chewing on carrots and apples. I feel as though some vets would just say “give them dog food every day, consistently,” but that’s actually doing your dog a disservice.

By nature, they are omnivores. Like bears, dogs can process within their digestive tracts berries, apples, pears, plums and vegetables, such as potatoes, corn, carrots, sweet potatoes and green beans. I’ve also seen dogs eat pinto beans as well, but they do cause gas, so beware of that!

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