The Differences In Searching

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Ente Nazionale della Cinofilia Italiana (ENCI) in January 1994 recognized Cane Corso Italiano as an indigenous Italian breed and Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) recognized the Cane Corso Italiano breed in December 1996. It took 15 years for recovery and recognition by ENCI. During these 15 years, Dott. Stefano Gandolfi and his colleagues had travelled thousands of kilometre in the Italian South that spanned a period of about 7 to 8 years searching for the subject – Cane Corso Italiano.

 

Despite the fact that Prof. Casolino knows and speaks southern dialects, it had been difficult and especially so in the beginning of the search for Corso Italiano. Quoting Dott. Gandolfi: “(It) was like to pursue a ghost. Everyone remembered the breed, but no one knew where the dogs were”. Resulting from the search information and records about the Corso Italiano breed very much enriched and became the basis for development of the breed standard leading towards to subsequent recognition. Prof. Casolino had, in fact, documented the areas and locations where pockets of Cane Corso Italiano can still be found during their search.

 

As told to author Cathy Flamholtz, before 1986, Sottile Sr. had seen photograph of Branchiero in a dog book. He made a trip to Sicily 1986. While there, Sottile Sr. attended the wedding of a friend. On the way to the ceremony they drove along a road in the country. He just happened to see a farmer in the field with cows. Working among the animals were these impressive dogs. The dogs turned out to be Branchiero Siciliano, the same dogs Sottile Sr. had seen in that dog book. 2 years later, 1988, Sottile Sr. imported the dogs from a farmer/breeder in Sicily. The name and where about of this farmer/breeder in Sicily is never disclosed, only known to Sottile Sr., an astute businessman.

 

“The search for Cane Corso by Sottile Sr. is no different from the search by Dott. Gandolfi and his colleagues”, “Sottile Sr. bought his dogs from the farmer, just like Dott. Gandolfi and his colleagues did” - claimed the so-called corso-connoisseurs in the US. The agenda is again to add credence to the descendants from dogs of unknown origin imported by Sottile Sr. as Cane Corso Italiano.

 

Is there a search by Sottile Sr.? Cathy Flamholtz described it as “a chance meeting in a field on an Italian country roadside” in her book ‘A Celebration of Rare Breeds Volume II’ published 1991 by OTR.

 

Assuming there is a search by Sottile Sr., which subject is he searching – Branchiero or Corso?

 

Dott. Gandolfi and his colleagues conducted their search for the Corso Italino breed, and hoping that through the recovery it would help preserve part of the traditions and culture of the Italian South. There has been no mentioned of why Sottile Sr. conducted his search. Isn’t it for ‘meeting the demand of the American canine market’?

 

 

 

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