Welcome the gentle giant, Kenny.
Kenny is a 3 year old male Cane Corso and is extra large in size, weighing 53 kilograms.
Kenny was visited at home by a Pawprints volunteer who conducted an in-person assessment. She described Kenny as “calm, loving and friendly” upon meeting him, and said he was “a Velcro dog who wanted to lean in for cuddles”.
Typically, Kenny is welcoming towards guests in the home and can be quite vocal about it. He will bark due to excitement and does not intend to be intimidating; he is simply thrilled to see new people.
Kenny currently lives with Willow, a 4 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier Cross, who he has a good relationship with. Despite Kenny’s size, Willow is regarded as the “boss” of the pair. Kenny is indeed a gentle giant.
The pair have a very good relationship, often sleeping alongside each other and playing together, but they are not bonded and can be rehomed separately. He is socialised around other dogs, in particular a much smaller dog belonging to a family member.
He enjoys their company and is completely non-confrontational.
Kenny’s current family includes a 17 month old child whom he adores. She is very affectionate with Kenny and loves to share her toys with him. Kenny’s behaviour has always been appropriate around children and has not given any cause for concern.
Kenny accepts a collar, lead and harness. He typically loves his walks and was previously walked on a daily basis, with a weekly visit to a dog field so he could run off lead.
His owner reports that he is keen to engage with other dogs while out and about and will pull towards them in excitement, occasionally barking in greeting.
Unfortunately, Kenny is not getting any regular exercise at the moment.
Our volunteer took Kenny for a walk during the assessment and noted a bit of a stubborn streak when he was reluctant to leave the house without Willow. Therefore, it should be noted that he has the capability to hunker down and put the brakes on if things are not quite to his liking.
Kenny was very excitable and did pull quite a lot. This is understandable given the fact he had not been out for a number of weeks. The assessor felt he would need some reminder work on lead training, particularly as he is a very strong dog.
Kenny is fed once a day in the late afternoon or early evening, and he sleeps well overnight. He has recently been spending time in the garden before settling down for the night. He has previously eaten his own poo, so needs to be observed while in the garden. He has also, on occasion, chosen to defecate in the kitchen with the purpose of eating it.
Kenny is toilet trained but not crate trained and enjoys being close to his humans while indoors. He tends to swipe things, particularly from worktops, that he is not supposed to have and will try to eat them as soon as possible.
Kenny has attended training classes in the past and understands basic commands such as sit, off and here. He is also trained to sit nicely and wait for his meals.
Kenny has never shown any aggressive behaviour but has previously displayed food guarding issues. This was as a young puppy and is no longer problematic.
He still is not comfortable with being touched while he eats and may “give the side eye”, but he does not growl or show any other concerning behaviour.
Kenny is frightened of water. He does not like baths at home, hosepipes or swimming outdoors. He will happily go to the groomers to be washed there, and his owners describe him as “placid and happy to be handled”.
This is what our assessor had to say about Kenny:
“Kenny is a perfect dog for someone strong, with large breed experience. He seemed very trainable and well-natured. His current owners obviously have firm boundaries, which have made him into a lovely dog. As long as these are kept, he will be a wonderful family dog.”