If you’re looking for a loyal, protective, and playful dog, look no further than the fierce but loving Cane Corso. But if you’ve ever owned a dog before, you’re probably wondering: do Cane Corsos shed a lot?
Finding dog hair on all your belongings is probably the messiest part of owning a dog. Luckily, Cane Corsos don’t shed as often as other double-coat dogs since their fur is much shorter. Taking care of these dogs is also simple due to their independent and intelligent nature.
Before you adopt a Cane Corso, keep reading to learn more about its shedding and grooming needs.
Do Cane Corsos Shed Excessively?
To answer the question plainly, Cane Corsos do shed, but not excessively. Compared to other large dog breeds, Cane Corsos shed surprisingly less. Since their double-layered coat is short and their undercoat is thin, you don’t have to worry about cleaning up dog hair all the time.
As a result, they’re classified as low or moderate-shedding dogs as they molt throughout the year. For the majority of the year, Cane Corsos shed lightly, but it will increase once the shedding season comes around. The shedding season occurs twice a year.
During this season, you can expect to find a lot of dog hair around your home, so it’s best to invest in a small vacuum cleaner to keep your surfaces clean and fur-free. If you already have experience with a pet dog, a Cane Corso’s shedding won’t be too hard to deal with.
When Do Cane Corsos Shed the Most?
Cane Corsos shed moderately throughout the year. But once spring comes to an end and summer rolls around, your Cane Corso will begin to shed a lot more. This excessive shedding allows them to keep their coat fresh and prepare for the upcoming cold weather.
This shedding may continue throughout the summer, depending on the Cane Corso’s age and grooming history. As a result, they can enjoy new and thick hair once winter finally comes around. As a first-time pet owner, this inconsistency in shedding may be confusing and hard to deal with, but it gets easier after 1 year of owning a Cane Corso.
In fact, their shedding is one of the main aspects contributing to their well-rounded and self-sufficient nature. Not only will their new thick coat help them stay warm in the winter, but the summer shedding season keeps them fresh and light on hot days.
If you live in or near the Southern Hemisphere, it’s possible that shedding season may arrive in the early spring for your Cane Corso. Depending on where you live, the amount of daylight hours directly influences a dog’s shedding cycle.
Since there are more daylight hours from spring through fall, these dogs tend to shed more during those seasons. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, your Cane Corso shedding in the spring and fall may be due to a sudden change in humidity or temperature.
Why Do Cane Corsos Shed?
Different dog breeds shed for different reasons. As we’ve noted, this breed tends to shed moderately, but their shed is still influenced by various reasons. Here are a few reasons your Cane Corso may be shedding less or more:
Season
You’ll notice that your Cane Corso sheds significantly more when any of their two shedding seasons come around. These seasons tend to be during late spring and early fall.
During the spring, your Cane Corso may shed their undercoat as it allows them to stay cool and light during the upcoming summer days. As fall comes around, they’ll begin shedding their thin summer coat to keep warm for the winter.
Climate
The amount of hair your Cane Corso sheds on a daily basis may vary depending on whether you live in a cold or hot climate. If you live in colder regions, your Cane Corso will adapt and grow a thicker and longer undercoat to stay warm. As a result, they’ll molt a lot more during shedding season. On the other hand, dogs living in warm climates will develop a thinner and lighter coat and shed less.
Age
Of course, your Cane Corso’s age can also influence how much they shed and molt when shedding season comes around. When your Cane Corso is still a puppy, it’ll shed a lot less, but it will increase as the dog grows older. Seniors tend to shed a lot more than usual.
Fleas
Your Cane Corso may also shed more after catching fleas. The best way to protect your dog is by regularly using a flea treatment specifically designed for dogs. Not only does this prevent shedding, but it also protects their well-being since fleas can carry disease-causing bacteria.
Diet & Exercise
Your Cane Corso’s diet and exercise can also influence how much it sheds, even if that sounds unbelievable. It’s crucial that your Cane Corso gets the proper nutrition and enough daily activity to have a healthy coat. For this breed, the daily exercise requirement is 2 hours.
If your Cane Corso is excessively molting, it may be due to a deficiency in certain minerals and vitamins. Overweight dogs may deal with more shedding than others, so it’s crucial to keep their calorie consumption in check.
How to Reduce a Cane Corso’s Shedding
While you can’t eliminate shedding entirely, there are some ways to reduce it. It’s healthy for a Cane Corso to shed moderately throughout the year, but it can still get tedious to clean up after their fur all the time. Here are a few ways you keep their molting to a minimum, especially during shedding season:
Healthy Diet
Before all else, you must ensure that your Cane Corso is on a healthy, balanced, and nutritional diet. While high-quality dog food works ideally for their diet, you can also home-prepare their meals with consultation from your vet.
It’s best to ensure that the dog food formula for your Cane Corso is high in minerals and vitamins, such as omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. They can do a great of strengthening your Cane Corso’s hair and nourishing its skin and coat.
Grooming
Cane Corsi aren’t very high maintenance when it comes to grooming, but that doesn’t mean they don’t require any attention at all. Regularly brushing your Cane Corso’s hair will allow you to prevent excess shedding, especially if you maintain it daily during the shedding season. Otherwise, once or twice a week may be enough.
By regularly brushing your Cane’s fur, you’ll be getting rid of loose and dead hair in one go instead of letting it shed all around your home.
Bathing
It may seem like showering your dog as much as possible is the right course of action, but that’s not true. If you bathe your Cane Corso too often, you can risk increasing the rate of their shedding, which can be even more hectic during the shedding season.
When it comes to Cane Corsi, showering them once a month is enough to keep them clean and healthy. If they get themselves dirty, a quick rinse will be just enough.
Dog Shampoo
We can’t stress enough the importance of choosing your dog shampoo carefully. Although high-quality dog shampoo may be more expensive, its benefits make it a worthwhile investment.
We recommend looking for dog shampoos with a high vitamin E content and moisturizing properties to strengthen your dog’s coat. This will also loosen their dead hair and make it easy to brush their coats.
Consult Your Vet
If you’re concerned about your Cane Corso’s excessive shedding, it’s best to discuss this with your vet. They may be able to observe any underlying health conditions or hormonal imbalance as the real reasons behind the problem.
How to Groom a Cane Corso
Cane Corsi are low-maintenance dogs, which means that grooming them is pretty straightforward. All you need to do is remember to brush their coats once or twice a week to get rid of dead and loose hair and prevent shedding it around your home.
During their shedding seasons, it’s better to brush their coat every day since they’ll be losing hair a lot more often. We recommend using a bristle or rubber brush to groom your Cane Corso, as these brushes can also distribute their natural oils and massage their skin.
Conclusion
Cane Corsi are intelligent, playful, and protective dogs, and luckily, they don’t shed too much. As long as you regularly brush and bathe them and visit the groomer, you won’t have to deal with excessive shedding.
However, if your Cane Corso is excessively shedding, it’s best to consult the vet with your concerns. You may also utilize the above-mentioned tips to minimize the amount of shedding from your dog.
Featured Image Credit: Sbolotova, Shutterstock
