Has anyone any experience with the Cane Corso breed? Just feeling a little unsure of this breed. Has anyone kept a Cane Corso and have anything to report on the breed?

I'd be concerned about any dog that I wasn't meeting prior to the start of the stay. You never know what you're going to get. Smaller dogs may be more manageable if they end up having behavioral problems, but I wouldn't base my concern on the particular breed. If you are confident handling large breeds and have the set up to keep him and you(/r family) in the event you discover some behavioral issues, then go for it!

I know a little about Cane Corso because my husband wants one when we move. The new home has a huge back yard and that is what these dogs need, lots of space. They are bred for guarding so if you have a large property you need to guard, this is your dog. This dog is not for the novice, it takes a certain type of person to own these dogs, they have specific needs and the major one is exercise and hunting.

I cannot stress enough to have a meet and greet first and if you can't I would pass it up. I would not take any dog I cannot have a meet and greet with, it doesn't matter if it's a Chihuahua or a Cane Corso. Do you have children and/or dogs? You are going to want to make sure he will get along with your dogs and kids (if you have them.) They are not known to be friendly dogs but it doesn't mean this one isn't , depends on what socialization the dog has had. The reason we wanted one (which we are still looking into) is because of its guarding ability and their loyalty to it's family, they do not welcome strangers. I don't mean to scare you, you asked because you wanted advice and I felt the need to let you know this is not a docile breed like perhaps a Labrador. I have spoken to breeders and they all tell me the same thing and they won't even give it to anyone who they feel is not ready for this type of dog. Let us know what happens. I'd be interested to know.

I just did a quick google search and this breed is described generally as " Even Tempered, Reserved, Calm, Quiet, Stable, Trainable.' Where have you read that they're aggressive? Just based on the breed this dog doesn't seem like anything to worry about... obviously his individual personality will matter more though.

A neighbor in the patio home community had a friend visit with a Cane Corso. Some neighbors were upset because the owner let it run around without a leash and out of his sight. They thought it was a pit bull. Due to the emails and phone calls, I went over, talked to him and asked about the dog. The young man was very polite and we had a nice conversation. I was told he was a Cane Corso and very sweet, extensively trained, but a "one owner". He kept his dog close to him and I didn't approach. I explained we had recently had an incident with a pit bull get loose from the residential neighborhood and run around terrifying people so neighbors were concerned. Most of the neighborhood are retirees and have very small dog breeds. It was also the time of the evening that they walk their dogs. I asked him if he could put his dog on the leash and he agreed and took the dog inside.

I also have a neighbor that has a dog she was told is a heeler mix when she got her dog off CL. When she was out in CA last summer, several people told her that her dog was a Cane Corso. She plans to do a DNA test to find out more even though it's not 100%. Neither of the above dog or my neighbors' dog look to much alike. I pet sit for my neighbor and barter since she is an artist and goes to art fairs where she can't take her dogs. Both her dogs are very sweet and well behaved. They are great with people and dogs of all sizes. I believe it depends on the training and socializing of any breed and dog. Still, I would want to do a Meet & Greet. Talk to the owner and get as much information as you can about the personality, socialization, likes & dislikes, etc.

Sounds like you've made a decision, but I'll add my two cents as well.

I've got a non-Rover dog on his first stay with me now; he's a 65-70 pound, 14 month old German Shepherd mix. We had a Meet and Greet in the spring, and everything went well. Owner is a dog training friend of mine, so I felt fairly confident her dogs weren't going to be terrors, and that the information she gave would be solid. At Drop Off she let me know that he is a big time chewer, and can still be reactive towards people in dark clothes or wearing sunglasses.

I freely admit that I am a bit breed biased about Shepherds---worked at a clinic long enough to see some real fruit loops--so when he showed us his reactivity, I was a little bit more concerned than if, say, a Chihuahua had reacted. He barks when someone comes in the house, or comes downstairs, or opens the door to my room, or talks upstairs. He's okay with me, but he warily eyes several of the other family members. It's all fear based, and I wouldn't put it past him to bite if he felt threatened enough (which is, of course, what most dogs would do, it's just that his threshold is quite low).

Point being, "wary of men" can wind up being a huge pain depending on your household set-up. Our household is busy, so he goes into barking frenzy multiple times a day. As others have said, I WOULD NOT book this client without a Meet and Greet first, especially since they need someone for 30 days and a dog that big can create serious problems.
Unfortunately in our case, I probably won't be able to book this client again. I don't blame her, and I don't necessarily hate the dog. The biggest issue is that not everyone in our family can do what is necessary to help him overcome his issues while maintaining safety.