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Labrador Retriever vs Cane Corso

The Labrador Retriever is a large breed described as "Outgoing, eager, gentle and famously good natured", while the Cane Corso is a giant breed described as "Confident, loyal, watchful and calm at home". On estimated monthly costs the Labrador Retriever works out cheaper, at about $93 a month for food plus the midpoint of insurance, about $37 less than the Cane Corso at $130. For daily exercise, plan around 90 minutes a day at the middle of the Labrador Retriever range, against 75 minutes a day for the Cane Corso.

The headline facts

Labrador Retriever

21.5 to 24.5 inHeight at the shoulder

55 to 80 lbAdult weight range

11 to 13 yearsTypical lifespan

60 to 120 minExercise per day

Cane Corso

23.5 to 27.5 inHeight at the shoulder

90 to 110 lbAdult weight range

9 to 12 yearsTypical lifespan

60 to 90 minExercise per day

Side by side

Measure	Labrador Retriever	Cane Corso
Group	Sporting	Working
Size class	large	giant
Height	21.5 to 24.5 in	23.5 to 27.5 in
Weight	55 to 80 lb	90 to 110 lb
Lifespan	11 to 13 years	9 to 12 years
Exercise per day	60 to 120 minutes	60 to 90 minutes
Good with children	Good with children	Better with older children
With other dogs	Good with dogs	With early socialization
Apartment life	With enough exercise	Not ideal
Energy	5 of 5	4 of 5
Trainability	5 of 5	3 of 5
Grooming needs	3 of 5	2 of 5
Shedding	5 of 5	3 of 5
Barking	3 of 5	3 of 5
Coat	Short, thick, weatherproof double coat that sheds heavily.	Short, dense double coat that sheds moderately year round.
Food cost per month	$41	$55
Insurance per month	$38 to $65	$55 to $95
Estimated total per month	$93 (estimate)	$130 (estimate)

Estimated totals add the standard tier food estimate for a typical adult to the midpoint of the insurance range in each breed profile. They are planning estimates, not quotes, and the method behind them is on our methodology page.

Where they differ most

The biggest gap is size: the middle of the Labrador Retriever weight range is about 67.5 lb, against 100 lb for the Cane Corso, a difference of about 32.5 lb.

The next biggest gap is trainability: the Labrador Retriever is rated 5 of 5, against 3 of 5 for the Cane Corso.

The third gap worth noting is shedding: the Labrador Retriever is rated 5 of 5, against 3 of 5 for the Cane Corso.

Which one suits you if

If you want less vacuuming: the Cane Corso sheds less, rated 3 of 5 for shedding against 5 of 5 for the Labrador Retriever.
If keeping monthly costs down matters most: the Labrador Retriever runs about $37 a month less than the Cane Corso on food plus the midpoint of insurance.
If you live in a flat: the Labrador Retriever is rated "With enough exercise" for apartment life, against "Not ideal" for the Cane Corso.
If young children are part of the picture: the Labrador Retriever is listed as "Good with children", while the Cane Corso is listed as "Better with older children".
If space and handling matter: the Labrador Retriever is the large breed of the two, while the Cane Corso is classed giant, so think about car space, stairs and how much dog you can comfortably manage day to day.

Temperament and character

Labrador Retriever: Outgoing, eager, gentle and famously good natured. The Labrador is the world's most popular family dog for good reason: friendly, trainable and up for anything involving water, balls or people.

Cane Corso: Confident, loyal, watchful and calm at home. The Cane Corso is a large Italian mastiff built for guarding property and family.

What each one costs

Food for a typical adult runs about $41 a month for the Labrador Retriever (68 lb, roughly 3.9 cups a day at a standard quality tier) and about $55 a month for the Cane Corso (100 lb, roughly 5.2 cups a day). Insurance usually falls between $38 and $65 a month for the Labrador Retriever, and between $55 and $95 a month for the Cane Corso. Adding food to the midpoint of insurance gives an estimated total of about $93 a month for the Labrador Retriever and $130 a month for the Cane Corso. That difference is driven mainly by insurance, where the midpoint for the Labrador Retriever sits at $52 a month against $75 for the Cane Corso, a gap of about $24, ahead of the food gap of about $14.

Run your own numbers, including year one costs, in the cost of a dog calculator. How every figure on this page is built and checked is set out on our methodology page.

Questions this pairing raises

Which costs more, the Labrador Retriever or the Cane Corso?

The Cane Corso costs more on these estimates, at about $130 a month against $93 for the Labrador Retriever, a difference of about $37. The total is food at a standard tier plus the midpoint of the insurance range for each breed.

Which needs more exercise, the Labrador Retriever or the Cane Corso?

The Labrador Retriever needs more exercise: 60 to 120 minutes a day, against 60 to 90 minutes a day for the Cane Corso.

Which is better with children, the Labrador Retriever or the Cane Corso?

The Labrador Retriever profile reads as the easier fit: it is listed as "Good with children", while the Cane Corso is listed as "Better with older children".

Keep exploring

Read the full profiles: Labrador Retriever and Cane Corso. Try any two breeds in the interactive compare tool, browse all popular breed comparisons, or take the breed quiz to score all 469 profiles against your life.

Last updated: November 2026