The American Kennel Club ranking reflects purebreds ... If a Frenchie is sometimes described as "a clown in the cloak of a philosopher," a cane corso is a protector with no use for a cloak.

The American Kennel Club has said that dog thieves ... Yet keep an eye on the cane corso. The powerful, protective breed vaulted from nearly 50th to 14th in the rankings in just a decade.