My name is Michael Ertaskiran, like the author of the letter in Question I am a former President of the ICCF. I have been monitoring your little debate as best as I can using globalink translation software, while not perfect I believe I have the spirit of the discussion. First let me state I have no interest in getting into a debate on a forum in which I do not speak the language, however I hope to offer some insights from a perspective most of the participants cannot offer, I live in the US and visited Italy, Italian kennels (both in the north and the meridone) observing and stewarding in AICC raduno’s. I am sure any of the people I had the pleasure of spending time with in Italy would convey my deep dedication and passion for the Cane Corso Italiano. I hope that Mr. Nick De Croce can lend his translation skills to this post so all can understand.

I must admit to being dismayed to read that so many have drawn conclusions on the American Corsi based on pictures on some website, firstly as we all know pictures do not tell the story very accurately. You have to see the dog with your own eyes. Any dog can fool you based on a picture (unfortunately the subjects selected for your discussion do not accurately represent the reality of the breed in the US). Secondly, websites are designed to sell dogs, (anyone can get a big beautiful website proclaim himself an expert and fool the layman, while he may know next to nothing about the breed) the dogs I have seen in advertisements/websites are some of the worst examples of the breed I have seen. Unfortunately many in this country are still in the dark about our beloved breed (some websites still mistakenly claim the ICCF had a standard before SACC did, in reality there was no ICCF when Dr. Morsiani composed the Italian standard).

I believe this ignorance is the direct result of neglect on the part of the SACC. Had they taken a more nurturing educational approach then a dictatorial one, things in this country may very well be quite different. The fault for what has transpired in America over the years lays squarely at the feet of Italy. We in this country still suffer from the lack of a strong partnership with Italy. We had at one time a strong relationship with the AICC and through this relationship a great many American breeders learned a great deal about the Cane Corso. Unfortunately those ties have been broken by the evils of a political agenda. I hope one day this bond can be repaired; unfortunately that decision is no longer in my hands. I digress, let me get back to the point at hand, I believe to judge the American dogs you must come to America and see them for yourselves, as I have done with the Italian dogs, you might be surprised to learn that American dogs have been admitted into the ENCI studbook with family founder status. If you must judge American dogs based on pictures, please at least judge them from the better examples of the breed. I invite you to visit my website www.godivacanecorsos.com. I have no puppies to sell, my site is basically informational. (By the way, mine is not the only site there are many should you choose to look).
My bitch Diva has never failed to receive less then an Excellent rating under any FCI group 2 judge, or any ENCI certified Cane Corso judge (or any judge for that matter). The same is true of Angus. Jake and Dante are pets, not for breeding purposes. I suggest many of you who still have doubts talk to some of the ENCI judges or Italian breeders who have been here and ask them what they think of the Corsi they encountered. Conversely if I were to judge the Italian dogs based solely on pictures I might come up with similar conclusions (mistakenly of course) but having the benefit of visiting Italy I know the reality selection. I offer this, the dogs in Italy that would be considered poor examples of the breed, are very much consistent with the dogs in America that would be considered poor specimens. Conversely, what would be considered a good example in Italy is consistent with a good American dog.
Marcello Rocke De Santro while judging in Canada recently offered this to the entry “these four dogs would be among the top dogs in Italy, among the dogs he mentioned 2 where American bred.

On to some of your assertions that other breeds have influenced the American dogs, I cannot disagree with you more vehemently, my particular dogs have been DNA profiled as proof of lineage going back to the great grand sire. Perhaps you are so quick to jump to these conclusions because of the climate with Italian breeders regarding this practice. I have personally been to kennels in Italy and asked what the lineage is of a particular dog and was offered up 4 different pedigree’s to choose from. Also on my first visit to Italy while in the meridone I was told by two different breeders/passionate (both historical figures in the recovery of the breed) that a prominent breeder from the north coming down from the south to buy a dog that was half Neapolitan Mastiff and half Boxer. I wonder if that dog ever was enrolled in the LIR? Wasn’t it on this BB that I once read a post from a man who wrote “ah, gone are the days when Corini would come down to the meridone and we would pile bastards of all kinds into the back of his truck”. I am paraphrasing of course.
Gentlemen let us not forget ENCI Judge Antonio Di Lorenzo refusing to judge the breed at the National Exposure of Pisa defining them as "these bastards." I am simply pointing out that those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

You must understand that at that time of this letter (1996) the American passionate was in tremendous turmoil. Lee Hodges had never been to Italy, his knowledge of the breed was very limited. He stepped up and did the best he could under the circumstances, taking over for a removed President Mark Wilson. Michael Sotille was dead so there was only one person left with any real knowledge of the breed (Ed Hodas). Lee did what his constituency wanted him to do, break ties with the SACC because they believed (rightly so, but I do not wish to get into that subject here) that the standard is flawed. Lacking any real technical knowledge of the breed I imagine he came up with whatever he could to justify the decision at the time (this is purely speculation on my part, I was a board member at the time that the letter was drafted, but Lee never chose to share with me his reasoning) the passage about the apartments is ridiculous, especially when you consider the dogs in Italy are for the most part larger than the dogs in America.

It may seem that I am being harsh on the SACC, but history bears my argument out, how have they treated Italian and American alike- Poalo Breber, Flavio Bruno, Michael Sottile, Mark Wilson, Renzo Carosio and the recent debacle with the proposed exchange program.

Finally when next you choose to criticize the American Corsi, I suggest first you look squarely in the mirror.

Respectfully
Michael Ertaskiran