Cane corso: the XL bully alternative becoming UK's status dog

Powerful breed currently legal in the UK is being made fashionable by celebrity owners

Cane Corso held on lead
Many of the cane corsos in the UK come from Romania, where animal welfare standards are lower than in Britain
(Image credit: urbazon / Getty Images)

"Move over, XL bullies," said The Times, there's a "new status dog" in town, and this breed currently has no restrictions.

Cane corsos – a powerful breed that can weigh up to eight stone (50kg) – are reportedly becoming more popular in the UK. The increase in their number has been linked to the recent ban on the XL bully breed, which came into force in February of last year, after a spate of attacks.

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Rebekah Evans joined The Week as newsletter editor in 2023 and has written on subjects ranging from Ukraine and Afghanistan to fast fashion and "brotox". She started her career at Reach plc, where she cut her teeth on news, before pivoting into personal finance at the height of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. Social affairs is another of her passions, and she has interviewed people from across the world and from all walks of life. Rebekah completed an NCTJ with the Press Association and has written for publications including The Guardian, The Week magazine, the Press Association and local newspapers.