Development Stages / Feeding Cane Corso's

CRITICAL PERIODS IN A DOG'S LIFE -- DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES

0 to 7 Weeks Neonatal, Transition, Awareness, and Canine Socialization	Puppy is with mother and littermates. During this period, puppy learns about social interaction, play, and inhibiting aggression* from mother and littermates. Puppies must stay with their mother and littermates during this critical period. Puppies learn the most important lesson in their lives--they learn to accept discipline. *Note: Some lines of dogs don't begin to get incisors until about 7 weeks, so this time period may last two additional weeks in those dogs--one can't learn to inhibit his bite if he has no teeth.
7 to 12 Weeks Human Socialization Period	The puppy now has the brain waves of an adult dog, but his attention span is short. This period is when the most rapid learning occurs. Learning at this age is permanent so this is a perfect time to start training. Also, this is the ideal time to introduce the puppy to things that will play an important part in his life. Introduce the puppy to different people, places, animals, and sounds in a positive, non-threatening way.
8 to 11 Weeks Fear Imprint Period	Avoid frightening the puppy during this period. Any traumatic, frightening or painful experience will have a more lasting effect on the puppy than if it occurred at any other time in its life. Avoid any elective surgery* at this time. *Note: This is the time period during which ears are usually cropped on a Cane Corso. We find that the fear period usually occurs in our dogs around 7-8 weeks, so we generally have ears cropped a bit after this time.
13 to 16 Weeks Seniority Classification Period or The Age of Cutting	Puppy cuts teeth and apron strings! Puppy begins testing who is going to be pack leader. You must discourage* any and all biting because such biting is a sign of dominance! It is important that you are a strong and consistent leader. Formal training must begin. Such training will help you establish your leadership. *Note: A quick pinch of the puppy's lip while staring him in the eye and hollering in his face works well in most puppies.
4 to 8 Months Play Instinct Period Flight Instinct Period	Puppy may wander and ignore you. It is very important that you keep the puppy on a leash at this time! The way that you handle the puppy at this time determines if the puppy will come to you when called. At about 4-1/2 months, the puppy loses his milk teeth and gets his adult teeth. That's when puppy begins serious chewing! A dog's teeth don't set in his jaw until between 6 and 10 months. During this time, the puppy has a physical need to exercise his mouth by chewing.
6 to 14 Months Second Fear Imprint Period or Fear of New Situations Period	Dog again shows fear of new situations and even familiar situations. Dog may be reluctant to approach someone or something new. It is important that you are patient and act very matter of fact in these situations. Never force the dog to face the situation. DO NOT pet the frightened puppy or talk in soothing tones. The puppy will interpret such responses as praise for being frightened. Training will help improve the dog's confidence. Neuter or spay the dog now.
1 to 4 Years Maturity Period	You may encounter increased aggression and renewed testing for dominance. Continue to train your dog during this period.

Feeding Cane Corso's

At Peretti Cane Corso we strongly believe that the nutrition provided to puppies and adults has a great effect on overall health. Genetics provide a foundation but it is the balance of nutrition that keeps your Corso healthy and fit. Poor diet can lead to numerous health problems which are unfortunately, often solely blamed on genetics.

Anyone can purchase a beautiful puppy with �potential", but it is the truly dedicated who take the time to provide a well thought out diet and stimulating environment to allow a puppy to reach its full potential.

A well thought out diet needs to be a diet which meets your lifestyle, provides fresh foods, supplements when needed, rotation of meat proteins and balance.

The ideal feeding regime is one based on a raw, fresh human grade model. We realize that not all households are able to follow such a disciplined feeding schedule, we recommend that you research canine nutrition and various feeding protocols and develop one that will work with your household.

We feed our program roughly 50% RAW and 50% natural dry kibble, in separate feedings of course. We rotate our schedule a few times a year to provide variety and to take advantage of various ingredients of other quality products.

Our method is to provide fresh meat, vegetables, and raw bones and fruits on occasion, striving for a 60/40 split of meat/vegetable. For our raw we use primarily chicken, beef, and tripe. We feed human grade ONLY, RAW ONLY with the bones. We also add vegetable and fruit to our raw mix.

When feeding a raw diet use only fresh human grade meats. If you choose to feed raw and kibble, do so in separate feedings. Fresh, raw bones only! Cooked bones are brittle and cause damage to your loved one. In addition, we also supplement hard boiled eggs, fish oil, bacon with grease, vegetables and chicken with the dry kibble to provide some extra nutrients and to maintain a strong drive to consume all portions.

50% Kibble � The quality of kibble varies greatly, there are a few high quality kibbles on the market. We choose to use Canidae or Diamond Naturals Chicken and Vegetables. We stay away from foods with a lot of fillers and grains. Both companies have high standards in their packaging and manufacturing process.

Peretti Cane Corso has had success with these methods to maintain overall health over the years. Please find a balance of diet and exercise that will compliment your life style along with the needs of the breed and age.

Also, don�t forget to provide all of the vaccinations that are necessary to your living area, to keep your pet safe from infection.

Just some recommendations that work for us!