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What Kind of Dog Is Pike from Midnight Mass?

Lindsey Lawson

By Lindsey Lawson

Pike

Midnight Mass is a Netflix miniseries that falls under the genres of horror, drama, and supernatural. It was released on September 24, 2021, and consists of seven episodes. The show only ran for one season but took viewers through the thrilling, disturbing events taking place on Crocket Island.

One of the most notable characters among animal lovers was Pike, the beloved companion of Joe Collie. Pike was a stunning black brindle Cane Corso that suffered an unfortunate fate, like many other residents of the community. In this article, we’ll learn a bit more about Pike and the jaw-dropping Cane Corso breed.

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Midnight Mass (Spoilers)

Crocket Island is an impoverished, isolated island community that gets turned around by the unexpected arrival of the mysterious, yet charismatic and charming young priest Father Paul Hill. Shortly after his arrival on the island, Father Paul wins over the trust and breathes hope into the community that has been ravaged with despair.

Arriving around the same time as this new priest is Riley Flynn, a young local man that was just released from prison after serving a four-year sentence for a drunk driving incident that took the life of a young girl. The majority of Crocket Island is Catholic, except for Riley, who is a newfound atheist, and Sheriff Hassan and his sons, who are Muslim.

Miraculous events begin to occur on the island, restoring the community’s religious faith and aspirations of a brighter future. All may have seemed well at first, but it turns out that these miracles come at a very steep, bone-chilling price.

Cane Corso
Photo Credit: Liliya Kulianionak, Shutterstock

Pike’s Role in Midnight Mass

Pike is the faithful canine companion of Joe Collie, a fisherman and the town drunk. Joe isn’t well-received by the community and holds a lot of self-hatred, too. His alcoholism has left destruction in its wake, most notably the paralysis of the mayor’s daughter Leeza.

Pike is Joe’s only friend and accompanies him wherever he goes. Unfortunately, Pike was poisoned at the town’s Crock Pot Luck Easter Festival and passed away. Joe was left heartbroken and angry, as he knew Bev Keane was responsible.

Bev has a lot of social influence over the community and had a special distaste for Joe and Pike, who would bark at her whenever she was close by. Joe was already an outcast and couldn’t convince his fellow townspeople of Bev’s guilt.

Joe didn’t make it through the series either, as he ended up falling victim to Father Paul’s evil, sadistic ways midway through.

The Cane Corso

Height: 27.5 inches
Weight: 88 – 110 lbs
Lifespan: 9 – 12 years
Temperament: Intelligent, willful, loyal, fearless
Breed Group: Working

History

The Cane Corso is an Italian Mastiff that is dated back to Ancient Rome. The breed has exploded in popularity within the past decade because of its looks, loyalty, and protective nature. Their name translates from Latin origin to “bodyguard dog.”

This breed comes from a subcategory of working breeds known as the molossus dogs, which were bred by the Greeks for their size and guard dog capabilities. When the Greek islands were taken over by the Roman Empire, the molossus dogs were brought to Italy and bred with native Italian breeds, resulting in the two most popular, closely related breeds of today: the Neopolitan Mastiff and the Cane Corso.

The Cane Corso became popular among the farms and pastures of the Italian countryside, acting as guardians to property and livestock. The constant conflict surrounding the Italian peninsula and the island of Sicily ultimately caused the breed to plummet in numbers and by the mid-20th century, the Cane Corso was nearly extinct.

During the 1970s, efforts were put into the preservation of the breed and the Cane Corso was successfully revived. They didn’t arrive in the United States until 1988 and did not receive formal recognition from the American Kennel Club until 2010.

Appearance

The Cane Corso is a very large, muscular dog that stands 23.5 to 27.5 inches at the shoulder. They have very dominant features and an appearance that exudes strength. The traditional Mastiff appearance gives them broad chests and massive, wide heads. Males can weigh more than 100 pounds while females are a bit smaller, ranging from 88 to 100 pounds.

Cane Corsos have a short, double-layered coat that sheds throughout the year. The breed comes in a variety of colors and either black or gray masking. Cane Corsos often have their ears cropped and their tails docked, but these practices are highly controversial.

Cane Corso Colors

  • Black
  • Blue
  • Fawn
  • Gray
  • Gray Brindle
  • Red
  • Black Brindle
  • Chestnut Brindle
Cane Corso
Photo Credit Pxhere

Temperament

The Cane Corso is a lovable powerhouse that is very loyal and affectionate with its family. While they are typically very friendly and gentle, they aren’t always friendly with strangers or unfamiliar dogs. They are extremely protective of their loved ones and have a very willful attitude.

Unlike some other Mastiffs, the Cane Corso isn’t your typical couch potato. They are very intelligent and thrive on having a job to do. That doesn’t mean they don’t have lounge lizard tendencies, they just need to get their daily exercise in.

They are typically eager to please and will go out of their way to seek attention. Most Cane Corso owners describe them as goofy, loving, and protective. They do require early socialization and obedience training starting from puppyhood to ensure they are well-behaved and well-mannered dogs.

Health

This breed is generally healthy if they come from reputable breeders that do proper health testing. Their average lifespan ranges from 9 to 12 years. As with any purebred large-breed dog, they are predisposed to certain genetic health conditions. This includes hip and elbow dysplasia, id iopathic epilepsy,  and eyelid abnormalities.

It’s best to feed the Cane Corso a high-quality, well-balanced diet that is appropriate for their size, age, and activity level. They are also predisposed to obesity, which should be avoided at all costs to prevent associated health conditions and extra stress on their bones and joints.

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Final Thoughts

Pike is a stunning black brindle Cane Corso from the Netflix miniseries Midnight Mass, which follows the horrifying story of the community of Crocket Island that is turned upside down after the arrival of Father Paul. Pike was Joe Collie’s faithful best friend that died of poisoning early on in the series.

Pike is a great example of how protective, but loving and loyal the Cane Corso is. They are a truly magnificent breed that may require a strong hand but can make very loving and protective lifelong companions.

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Featured Photo Credit: Characters by  Intrepid Pictures.  All rights reserved to the copyright owners.

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