Ella - Cane Corso

She is just beautiful, you really ort to stop putting in photos of such wonderful dogs or i may have to move in!!!!
Mark simply wont let me have another one!!!! GIT! Think i shall have to set Anna on him!
Ella looks great compared to the first phots, well done.
xxx

Aww!!! Good Luck to her and looking at how well she gets on with others, hopefully no problems. I love the photo of her catching the snow ball even the boxer thinks she looks silly.

Amazing looking dog

Wow what a difference to a couple of weeks ago.

she is in her forever home soon.

I don’t feel I am in the position to comment on how Ella’s personality or traits compare to another Cane Corso, so I’m going to put down how she is with me and my dogs, and maybe stick me little oar in here and there.

At the moment I seem to be the centre of Ella’s world. Before she does, or even intends to do anything, she will look to me. Until recently, this was usually when, (my thoughts), she was thinking about growling or snapping at one of my dogs, perhaps one had passed her or had laid too near to her. Because she’s so receptive, eye contact was enough to stop her from having a moan at any of the others’.

For the past 3 weeks or so, Ella has been fine with my dogs. She’s still not overly keen on Diva, but that could be because Diva, (who has been nipped twice by Ella, both times on the ear), is openly scared of Ella and tends to keep an arm’s length away from her, usually peering at Ella from the safety of my underarm – which in turn could be not such a good idea because I am the top of Ella’s best friend list. I know we are all, (or supposed to be), pack leader, and, giving out the right signs, a dog will automatically accept your leadership, but - I’ve never come across a dog who actually puts you in top dog position. Ella doesn’t so much as accept me as leader- she votes me in as top dog – sounds daft, but there is a difference and Ella wants to be the top dog’s protector. Poor girl has probably had such a bad life, she just wants to latch onto whoever might show her a bit of compassion, it’s clear she hasn’t been shown much of it.

Just give her a little pat and she’ll velcro herself to your leg forever or until you have to prise her away. Ella will lie two feet away from you and be fine, but if she’s closer, she needs to have you pet her, as if it’s an acknowledgement that she’s a good dog. Ella’s world is ‘I’m always guilty – but if you stroke me I might not be that guilty’. I’ve tried sitting next to her when she’s asleep so that when she wakes she’ll get to see that me being there is no big deal – but as soon as she’s aware of my presence, she’ll sit up and just look at me. I’ve known her to fall asleep sitting up because she’s too worried to lay down with me there, recently she’s taken to just moving over a bit and going back to sleep, that’s progress for ya.

Ella loves going out, and will walk nicely by your side until something takes her interest. She doesn’t so much pull towards something, it’s you who has to pull her away from whatever’s caught her eye, not necessarily another dog. However, when she does pull she’s like a steam train so she’ll need a strong hand, I use a harness on her and use a collar and a lead, (tucked into the harness), as back up should I need it, I haven’t got a halti to fit her, (or maybe I’m not putting it on right), and I know everyone has their own opinion, but I won’t use a choke chain, I don’t like them.

What I do find strange is that although shy of people indoors, she’ll pull towards people outdoors. Whether this is a Corso thing I don’t know, but I’ve never seen it before with any dog I have fostered/owned, they’re either frightened of folk – or not. My only thoughts would be that outdoors she perhaps might go into ‘protective mode’? Although those people who have approached me outside, (all of whom I have known), have been shown Ella’s calmness – so is this a Corso trait?

Ella takes food and treats nicely and she has never jumped up at anyone, including me. She makes no attempt to get on furniture or the bed. She can be left indoors with no problem, (I don’t crate her), the longest I have left her is for 2 hours and, (apart from Diva-just to be on the safe side), I will leave her with all my dogs. She is very sensitive to a human voice and will come to me for assurance if she hears raised/angry voices on the telly and still, even now, will sometimes cower down if I sneeze, cough or fall over something, (usually a boxer). If she feels threatened or something has frightened her, maybe a broom, newspaper etc. her bladder will release, not much, but we’re working on it.

Now that she tolerates my dogs’, she sometimes makes half-hearted attempts to play, but she’s not overly keen. I would say Dave would be her favourite to live with, although the most lively I’ve ever seen her is with a puppy, she did growl a bit at him at first but he wasn’t taking ‘No’ for an answer, so in the end she played with him and I was surprised to see how gentle she was.

So in my humble opinion, she could live with a confident dog, preferably male or even a young one who she wouldn’t see as a threat and who could possibly teach her how to interact better with both dogs and people.

There has been none of the usual foster thing, ‘shy, sad dog into homicidal maniac’, Her confidence has grown, but she’s never going to be an overly ‘in your face’ type of girl. Ella has a calmness about her that makes that makes her seem years older than she really is so I think it would really benefit her to find a home with one or two older children, to bring her out of herself. At the moment she has regular interaction with my grandson Josh, (just 15 yrs), and my nephew Lee aged 18yrs - both are dog savvy and she really enjoys being around them, she has no idea of play and I get the feeling that she's been stopped from doing so because every now and again she'll start to play and then immediately stops. She needs a bit of bustle in her life and enough people around her to realise that most people are ok and that she doesn’t have to latch onto just one person, which in turn should help her confidence to grow.

People always ask a fosterer would you keep your foster dog and Ella definitely falls into the ‘Yes I would’ category, she has a loving and loyal personality and is gentle in her ways and temperament. She could settle here and I don’t doubt that as time goes on, she’ll be fine with Diva and be happy. But there’s so much more for her out there, and I think she’ll do so much better with a family, she loves people.

So it looks like Ella will fall into the, ‘It’s going to be so hard letting this girl go’ category, and would ask that, if possible, I can be kept in the loop with her progress.




YAY!!!!!!!!!!!







Keeping an eye on Diva - lol






Bless her heart - xx

What a great update on her & she is looking fantastic

I can see why you are going to find it hard to see her move on, I am not letting my hubby see the pics or I will have him pestering me for her to come here!

I have two Corso's & I wouldn't say it is a Corso trait to be to be calm when meeting people as my two can be quite full on in the home & outside, but in saying that my boy was a nervous wreck when he came to me & it did take him a long time to come out of his shell, but when he did he sure made up for lost time! I remember the first time he barked, he looked so scared & ran to hide under the table where he shook uncontrollably & acted as if I was going to beat him That didn't last long though, he loves to talk & tells me off good & proper if I shake my fist at him & ask him if he wants a bunch of fives

From what you have said I think she is very much like how my boy was when he came to me, I really hate to think what some of these dogs have been through

Ella was fabulous today!

Those first few pictures at the begining of this thread are of a totally
different dog! She's so happy & cuddly and shes looking fantastic.
I recieved lots of slobbery kisses all over my face and she was so
gentle. I think I may have fallen in love a little
Her foster mummy should feel very proud for making such a
positive difference to this dogs life

Good luck Ella. I truly hope you're in your forever home soon

In case everyone did not realise Ella came to me today for her spay next week and Bonnie went to stay with Cushti


You did a great job with her Janice

sharon wrote:

You did a great job with her Janice

Hear, hear. Having met her tonight it's hard to believe she's the same dog, she's in such lovely condition.

And what a sweet nature

She's a doll. She so quiet and unassuming it's hard to think what she did to get abused, and by the way she cowers at sudden movements and ducks at anything moving over her head, she obviously has been.
She's always been clean, never chewed, doesn't understand play, never attempted to get on a couch or a bed, rarely barks, basically, she spends most of her time looking at you - lol


I didn't do anything other than feed her and teach her to take treats without including fingers Just say 'Nicely', and hope for the best.


I think fosterers are masachists, (sp?)


Strange here without her lying down looking at me with her paws crossed - I thought Ella looked sad, but Bonnie looks like she's going to burst into tears at any moment

Hi, its been a little while as been a bit poorly, but cathcing up with Ella.....OMG... she is jsut lovley.

As someone who fosters I completely understand the tears that go with saying goodbye to a special one. After many years of fostering we only failed once and it was with a corso who sadly never made it passed 7 months. They are without doubt special dogs.

You have done such a wonderful job with her and yes it may only seem like feeding and cleaning etc but the point is that it was you, you who took her in, you who made space and you that gave that special love that she needed to become who she is.

Well done, I am rather jelous as I am unable to foster for about 6 months (doctors orders) my last foster went last week and I am missing it already.

Keep it up and never underestimate the wonderful jpb you are doing.

xxx

Aww thank you for that

Took Ella up to vets4pets this morning as she is being spayed today of course they all fell in love with her the moment they saw her she was being such a good girl

Good luck today beautiful girly!

cushti wrote:

I will let you know as soon as I hear anything

Oooo fank yoooo

sharon wrote:

of course they all fell in love with her the moment they saw her

It's hard to imagine anyone not falling in love with Ella - she's such a honey

for a quick recovery - she's been through enough already poor love.

I collected her at 4 she is very sleepy but OK

Oh great - give her a hug from me

Will do

I took Ella back to the vets today as she was still very sleepy and she had a bit of a bleed from her wound

Ivan kept her in and put her on a drip checked there was no internal bleed, all was OK so gave her a bit of a clean up, after she had the fluid she perked up and then started to eat well, she is back with me and back to her wonderful self

Why do these dogs do this to me

Don't scare us Ella! Be a good girl and heal quick!

sharon wrote:

I took Ella back to the vets today as she was still very sleepy and she had a bit of a bleed from her wound

Ivan kept her in and put her on a drip checked there was no internal bleed, all was OK so gave her a bit of a clean up, after she had the fluid she perked up and then started to eat well, she is back with me and back to her wonderful self

Why do these dogs do this to me

Cos she probably wanted to phone me - and you wouldn't let her