The Dalmatian

The Dalmatian is a dog that is quite unique, they have pure white coats that are covered with black spots, you can find liver coated Dalmatians as well but in my opinion these are not as pretty looking as the black spotted ones. There is no other pure breed of dog in the world that has this type of coat or coloring. I guess you could say that they are one of a kind.

Nobody really knows where the Dalmatian comes from, there was a popular belief for a while that the Dalmatian came from Dalmatia…this lost favor when people started to take a closer look at paintings that had been discovered in Egyptian tombs, similar paintings depicting a spotted dog resembling the Dalmatian have been found in Italy, there was even a famous poet named Jurij Dalmatin who mentions the breed in his work. All this combined has led to the belief that the Dalmatian’s origins are in Europe and Africa. Wherever the breed comes from it is for sure that it is a most ancient breed that has been around for a long, long time.

The Dalmatian has been used for many things over the years, in Dalmatia and Croatia he was used to protect the borders; he has also been used as a hunting dog because of the excellent hunting instinct that he still possesses today. Many times the Dalmatian was used in the circus; he was very popular in the circus because of the flashy coloring. One of the most important jobs that the Dalmatian has been used for is way back when he was a coach and carriage dog. They would run alongside the horses and protect the coach from stray dogs and such that might be encountered on the road. It is said that even to this day the Dalmatian will naturally fall into perfect line with a horse. Given the type of body that the Dalmatian has this kind of work was perfect for him.

The Dalmatian is known in the United States as the firehouse dog, way back a natural transition was made from protecting the carriages to protecting the fire engines. The Dalmatian was used to quickly clear a path through the crowds and lead the fire engine to the place that was in flames. They were also used to protect the horses and expensive fire-fighting equipment back at the station; they were perfect for this task because they are excellent watch dogs, without getting nasty and aggressive about it. Even today you can still many times find Dalmatians hanging out with firemen, not because they can be of much use to them any more, but more in honor of the heroic part they played in the past.

The Dalmatian should stand 18 to 24 inches at the withers and they can weigh up to 70 pounds. The Dalmatian has a beautiful streamlined body that just looks like it was built for speed and endurance, they are also well-muscled, and some people might say that the Dalmatian’s body resembles that of the Pointer.

One thing that all Dalmatian owners must be aware of, is the fact that Dalmatians have double coats and they shed those double coats year round, you will have white doggie hair all over everything; it gets into furniture and clothing and maybe even into your food, don’t ask me how. If you are prepared to take that task on, then you are ready for anything that the Dalmatian has ready to throw at you.

The spots of a Dalmatian need to be well defined and are preferably set apart from each other; this can be hard to find sometimes but do the footwork and find a good looking puppy because not all Dalmatians are beautiful. Sometimes you might come across a livered colored Dalmatian or a Dalmatian with blue eyes, although these are sometimes accepted by breed clubs, they are frowned upon; it is much more preferred that the original black and white be registered. Must keep with the breed standard you know.

The Dalmatian is a very active dog that needs lots of exercise, and if you let them they will run off and have an adventure on their own for a couple of days, so you will need to keep an eye on the dog. Training needs to be fun with these animals because they will never forget a harsh word or a rough hand. If you are willing to have a dog that is sensitive and playful, a little stubborn and with so much energy that you won’t know what to do with, then the Dalmatian is right for you.