Home / Breeds / Compare / Rottweiler vs Cane Corso
A well raised Rottweiler is a calm, confident and deeply loyal family guardian. The Cane Corso is a large Italian mastiff built for guarding property and family. This page puts the two side by side on the numbers that actually differ: size, exercise, grooming, what each costs to keep, and the health tests a breeder should show you.
The biggest gap is lifespan: the middle of the Cane Corso range is 10.5 years against 9.5 years for the Rottweiler.
The next biggest gap is trainability: the Rottweiler is rated 4 of 5 against 3 of 5 for the Cane Corso.
The third gap worth noting is shedding: the Rottweiler is rated 4 of 5 against 3 of 5 for the Cane Corso.
| Rottweiler | Cane Corso | |
|---|---|---|
| Group | Working | Working |
| Origin | Germany | Italy |
| Height | 22 to 27 in | 23.5 to 27.5 in |
| Weight | 80 to 135 lb | 90 to 110 lb |
| Lifespan | 9 to 10 years | 9 to 12 years |
| Coat | Short to medium double coat, straight and coarse on top. | Short, dense double coat that sheds moderately year round. |
| Temperament | Loyal, confident, calm and protective | Confident, loyal, watchful and calm at home |
| Energy | 4 of 5 | 4 of 5 |
| Trainability | 4 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Grooming needs | 2 of 5 | 2 of 5 |
| Shedding | 4 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Barking | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 |
| With children | Better with older children | Better with older children |
| With other dogs | With early socialization | With early socialization |
| With strangers | Wary of strangers | Wary of strangers |
| Apartment fit | Not ideal | Not ideal |
| Daily exercise | 60 to 90 min | 60 to 90 min |
| Food per month (model) | $58 (5.5 cups a day) | $55 (5.2 cups a day) |
| Insurance per month (model) | $55 to $95 | $55 to $95 |
| Monthly total (model) | $113 to $153 | $110 to $150 |
| Yearly total (model) | $1,361 to $1,841 | $1,322 to $1,802 |
| Lifetime total (model) | $12,247 to $18,408 | $11,894 to $21,618 |
| Breeder health tests | 5 recommended tests | 6 recommended tests |
| Health watch | Hip and elbow dysplasia, osteosarcoma (bone cancer), heart defects and cruciate ligament tears are the main risks. Look for hip and elbow scores and heart screening from breeders. | Generally hardy for a giant breed. Watch for hip dysplasia, bloat, eyelid problems such as cherry eye, and demodectic mange in young dogs. Reputable breeders screen hips, elbows, heart and eyes. |
Rottweiler: scores 17 on the first-time-owner rule (trainability weighted double, then calmer energy, grooming and barking), against 15 for the Cane Corso.
Cane Corso: matches the Rottweiler on the apartment rating ("Not ideal") and edges ahead on the tie-breaks: barking, then daily exercise, then size.
Rottweiler: matches on the children rating and edges ahead on trainability and stranger friendliness.
Cane Corso: sheds less, rated 3 of 5 for shedding against 4 of 5 for the Rottweiler. Shedding is only a proxy for loose hair in the home; no breed is allergen-free.
Cane Corso: runs about $3 a month less than the Rottweiler on modeled food plus insurance ($130 against $133 at the midpoints).
Verdict rules, in full: first-time owner scores 2 x trainability + (6 - energy) + (6 - grooming) + (6 - barking). Apartment ranks the apartment rating, then barking, exercise and weight. Children ranks the children rating, then trainability and stranger friendliness. Allergy ranks lowest shedding, then grooming. Budget ranks the lowest monthly modeled total. Level scores are declared ties.
The published breeder panel for the Rottweiler lists 5 recommended tests; the Cane Corso panel lists 6. 3 test areas appear in both panels.
Listed for the Rottweiler and not in the Cane Corso panel: Eye examination (OFA or CERF certificate); JLPP DNA test, recorded with OFA.
Listed for the Cane Corso and not in the Rottweiler panel: Dental skeletal retinal atrophy (DSRA) DNA test; Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL1) DNA test; Patellar luxation evaluation (OFA).
Full panels: Rottweiler health testing and Cane Corso health testing.
On the modeled figures the Rottweiler costs more month to month: about $133 a month at the midpoint of food plus insurance, against $130 for the Cane Corso. Run across the lifespan ranges, the model gives $12,247 to $18,408 for the Rottweiler and $11,894 to $21,618 for the Cane Corso. These are planning estimates, not quotes.
They are level: both plan on 60 to 90 minutes a day, and energy is rated 4 of 5 for the Rottweiler against 4 of 5 for the Cane Corso.
The Cane Corso sheds less, rated 3 of 5 for shedding against 4 of 5 for the Rottweiler. Coat notes for the Cane Corso: Short, dense double coat that sheds moderately year round.
Not equally. The Cane Corso is the better fit for an apartment: it matches the Rottweiler on the apartment rating ("Not ideal") and edges ahead on the tie-breaks, barking, then daily exercise, then size.
The Rottweiler rates higher for trainability at 4 of 5 against 3 of 5 for the Cane Corso. Temperament notes describe the Rottweiler as: Loyal, confident, calm and protective
The Cane Corso: its published breeder panel runs to 6 recommended tests, against 5 for the Rottweiler. A longer panel is not a mark against a breed; it usually means the breed club has identified more inherited risks that testing can screen for, and it gives you more paperwork to ask a breeder for.
Choosing between more than two? Open the comparison tool and put up to four breeds side by side, or read all written breed comparisons.
Breed facts follow the standards and club guidance summarized on each breed profile. Cost figures are modeled estimates for planning, labeled with their basis, and are not quotes or veterinary advice. Health test panels are the recommendations published by the breed clubs and CHIC, as set out on each breed's health testing page.