Cane Corso Breed Magazine - Showsight

handling abilities. I quickly saw the wisdom in relegating myself to Handler’s helper and staying outside the ring. It wasn’t long before they were doing all of our kennel han- dling and winning. It was not uncommon for us to travel with many Corsos to shows. Sometimes the girls would have as many as ten entries in different classes. It was my job to be standing ringside with the next entry in line. On one particular occasion the girls and their dogs had won every class. Jon Cole was the judge and he had been pretty patient watching me hand dogs to the girls and letting them get set. But when the time came for winners class and we didn’t have anyone to handle the puppy as the girls are already in the ring with other class winners. Mr. Cole— who had obviously realized by now that I am the mom— says, “Just bring her in, Mom.” Well, I am immediately embarrassed and terrified. I said, “But sir, I am not dressed for the ring.” He just smiled and motioned me in the ring. Now mind you, we were in the Bitch ring and he had been watching my daughters handle their dogs for 10 classes. He asked me to take my dog around. I got halfway, I looked up and he is grinning. He turns to the girls, standing with perfectly stacked dogs and says, “Oh wow, she’s good!” My girls immediately lose their composure. I think Taylor swal- lowed her bait while stuffing down a giggle. Then he looks over at the crowd and says something like, “I see where the girls get it.” Everyone erupts into laughter, including me. By the time I get back in line, I am laughing so hard I can’t stack the dog. My girls are trying their best to stay in “professional mode”. But we are all wrecked. Mr. Cole was fabulous and turned a stressful situation into great fun.

the top breeders in Europe and attended the World Dog Show in Poznan, Poland with an entry of over 200 Cane Corsos, the Euro Show in Budapest, Hungary and a CACIB show in Naples, Italy. Serving in the National Breed Club since 2009, Ron has served as Regional Vice President, Chair of the Work- ing Dog Committee, CCAA approved Breed Mentor, Director of Events and currently President. 1. Where do you live? What do you do outside of dogs? We are about an hour west of Philadelphia in Chester County, PA. Most of my work is in the consumer electronics industry, primarily dealing with mobile electronics and home entertain- ment systems. 2. Number of years owning and/or showing the Cane Cor- so? What attracted you to the breed in the first place? I have 16 years in the breed—I got my first Cane Corso, Saxon, in 1999. I began showing my girl Nani in 2005. After growing up with Rottweilers, I decided to seek a different breed. My primary target was Neapolitan Mastiffs, but as I did more and more research, I found more info about the Corso. The combi- nation of sturdiness and agility made it a good fit. The striking appearance was icing on the cake. 3. What, to you, is the ultimate hallmark of the breed? In my opinion, the hallmark of the Corso is its utility. This is a do-it-all breed. 4. Describe the Cane Corso in three words: Intuitive. Utilitarian. Balanced. 5. What makes this breed the ideal companion in the 21st century? As a companion, the Corso balances social and guardian instincts. They form strong bonds with their people and are very sensitive to the energy exuded by their handler. This makes them a great family companion and protector for those sufficiently assertive to be their leader. 6. What about the breed makes it a great show dog? The show flair of the Corso is mostly about the swagger of the big, powerful breed and the nobility of expression. 7. What, if any, are the traits breeders should focus on preserving? Two broad strokes… utility and temperament. This is a func- tional working breed. To compromise that ideology for mass acceptance or purely for appearance is to destroy the essence of the breed. As related to temperament… this is a strong breed, but not a breed that is necessarily sharp. In order to serve as a family protector, they must be sufficiently social and stable to be with the family during their adventures. They should, however, not be expected to be overtly friendly in all situations.

RON HOSER

BIO Ron Hoser acquired his first Cane Corso in 1999. In early 2005, he began exhibiting in rare breed shows. With his wife, Jennifer, Ron bred his first Cane Corso litter under the FireHorse prefix in 2006. Now an AKC Breeder of Merit, he has produced numerous AKC Champions, several AKC Grand Champions, multiple specialty winners, including the 2013 CCAA National Specialty winner and 2012 CCAA Breeder’s Cup winner. Ron has produced the top winning Cane Corso in AKC and the top producing Cane Corso stud male in AKC to date. Always a student of the breed, Ron has visited some of

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