In the middle of June 2007 we received our puppy. She was about 6 weeks old as I recall, but I could be off a week or two. It was early, but the breeder was a friend of mine and he gave her to us knowing we'd follow his recommendations to make sure she was healthy.
The only experience I had with being a dog owner was the dog I'd grown up with (which really belonged to my Mom). She was a cocker spaniel, and we loved her very much. She was a very chill dog, obedient and smart. The haze of childhood obscured my recollection of the training involved in getting her to that point so I didn't think a new puppy would be too much of a challenge.
I did however have some experience with my buddy's Corso, our pup's mother. She was VERY aloof, and even hostile to people she didn't know. Even people she did know she would give side-eye too. She happened to like me enough to allow me the high honor of petting her and even of her sitting on my foot from time to time.
So I did know having a Cane Corso would be very different from my childhood dog. Enter Νυχτα (Nykta).
Don't let the cuteness fool you. She was smart and determined from the start. She was the runt of the litter, but she punked her brothers anyway. When she came home with us (hated the car ride for the first time) she wanted to dominate us at every turn.
We were not prepared for the level of discipline she was going to need. We had to submit her regularly because everything was a challenge as to whose will would win out. Still she was fun and sweet (to people she knew and liked) and we loved her so much, we were willing to learn how to work with her.
When she got in trouble she would run under "her" chair, turn around and growl, teeth bared, eyes blazing. Even when she was little it was intimidating.
She learned quickly though and even though she was stubborn, she ultimately was an amazing dog. She only one time destroyed something in the house, a picture frame she chewed. Never again though, not a wire, a shoe, nothing. She was quickly potty trained, and learned important lessons quickly.
For instance, once a gardener left our gate open and she ran out and down into a canyon just at the end of our block. We came home and could not find her. She was missing overnight. Stomach churning hours ensued as we looked for her. We were worried as the canyons were home to many animals, coyotes, rattle snakes, etc and she was still quite young.
We spent a sleepless night wondering if we'd ever see her again. The ad we had placed on craigslist produced the desired results the next day. She had gotten confused as to where home was and was one street over from our place. The family had come home to find her on their porch, protecting it like it was hers. Their kindness moved her to allow them entry into their own home, and she went with them for the evening.
The family loved her, inquiring about her breed, because the kids wanted one just like her. She came home with us, and would never leave the yard again without one of us in line of sight. Lesson learned.
The E collar was a valuable tool early on, but quickly became unnecessary as she learned her boundaries. That's not to say she was always obedient. She was very stubborn, and we were not perfect trainers (lots we would change with our next pup I think), but the important things, she did very well.
After a couple years she knew her place in the family and was content in a way I don't see in a lot of dogs. She was perfectly happy to go on a short walk, but then would want to go home pretty soon after it started. She loved nothing more than spending time laying in the house with us, especially if she was able to touch both of us at the same time. She dealt with our busy schedule, patiently waiting for Mommy and Daddy to get home, and loving every second of our time together.
It took work and patience and a shift in our thinking as to what she needed for guidelines, but what she became, for us, was the best dog in the whole world.
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