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Introduction
No one knows for sure what the Dalmatian, a very popular dog breed, was originally bred for.
Some scientists think Dalmatians existed as early as the seventeenth century (1606-1661) in Holland and Italy. Traces of the Dalmatian breed have been found in Egyptian bas-reliefs and Hellenic friezes, so it certainly is an ancient breed. In 1700, a dog known as the Bengal pointer, similar to the Dalmatian, existed in England. In the Middle Ages it was used as a hound. The breed became popular as a carriage dog in the 1800's. They trotted beside (and even among) the horses and then guarded the carriages and horses while the master was occupied elsewhere. It followed its master with exceptional reliability and hardiness, whether its master was on foot, on horseback, or in a carriage.
The Dalmatian does not have a solid history, but they do have a lot of speculation and controversy about their origin. .
Today’s Dalmatian is a medium-sized, smooth-coated breed of working and sporting heritage, suitable as a family pet or performance animal. Popularized by Walt Disney’s “101 Dalmatians” and “102 Dalmatians”, the breed has gained more popularity in the last several year. However, sadly, many people are unaware of the breed’s true characteristics and end up giving their prized pet away for adoption after mistakenly adopting it.
Dalmatians are intelligent, devoted dogs that need a lot of patience and training. They are moderately territorial though not blatantly aggressive, and pleasant to live with. Today, this beautiful breed is primarily a companion dog.
The Beauty of Dalmatians
The Dalmatian’s most unique feature, his spots, are either black or chocolate brown, which is normally referred to as "liver". They are clean dogs by nature and have little, If any, "doggy odor". They are a s a symmetrical, muscular medium-sized dog with superior endurance.
A picture of elegance, the Dalmatian has the lean, clean lines of the pointer, and stands tall with its hard, dense coat of pure white with black or liver colored spots randomly splashed over it. The spots can be black, brown, lemon, dark blue, tri-colored, solid white, or sable. They have round feet with arched toes and nails that match their spots! Their noses come in a variety of shades, too, such as black, brown, bluish gray or a dark gray that looks like black.
They eyes have eyes full of expression with hues of dark brown, amber, or blue. Their eyes are framed by soft, narrow ears.
Interestingly, Dalmatian puppies are born completely white and the spots develop later. The more defined and well distributed their markings develop, the more valued the dog is, show-wise. Of course, people-wise, Dalmatians are valued more for their personality and their demeanor.
The Character of Dalmatians
Dalmatians are high-strung dogs that tend to have a lot of pent up energy. Along with this energy comes playfulness and loyalty. They can be timid around strangers if not socialized early in life, and they also tend to be willful.
Dalmatians do well with consistent training, but they are also highly sensitive dogs with long memories. They actually can remember punishment and bad treatment for years; this may lead to their ultimate fear of abandonment. Dalmatians hate to be left alone for more than a few hours, and sometimes they will tear up sofa cushions, shoes, and other valuables if they feel they have been mistreated. Along with this long memory comes a very intelligent, highly intuitive dog. They can be trained for defense and are good watchdogs.
Training your Dalmatian can and will be very hard work because they can have a lot of energy. A Dalmatian owner should be prepared to be patient and to love their dog no matter what traits they exhibit.
The Dalmatian’s Companions
Dalmatians get along decently with other pets but they tend to be aggressive with strange dogs; especially same-sex dogs.
Despite its depiction in movies, the Dalmatian may be a little too wild for younger children and its dominating size may be too reckless with toddlers. They may bite a child if they feel threatened or harassed.
The Dalmatian’s Ideal Environment
The Dalmatian is a very energetic, sometimes skittish breed that needs daily romps to prevent destructiveness. They love to run! Dalmatians need human companionship and often will get depressed if they feel abandoned. If sent into the yard alone, they may feel as if they are being punished. They also tend to get bored easily and need to be walked briskly several times a day to remedy this. Because of their short, light coat, they are sensitive to the cold and should not be left outside in it for long periods of time.
Grooming the Dalmatian
Dalmatians shed profusely twice a year. Frequent brushing is needed to aid the heavy shedding and keep loose hair to a minimum. Dalmatians are clean and dainty dogs at times; they are odorless and careful to avoid dirt on walks. Only bathe this dog when it is absolutely necessary.
The Dalmatian’s Health
Dalmatians live an average life of 10 to 12 years. The most common affliction among this breed is deafness, which effects about 10-12% of puppies. This is normally checked by the breeder at the age of 6 weeks; tempting as it may be be to adopt a deaf puppy, there is a lot of work involved. The hearing test that is administered is call a BAER (brainstem auditory evoked response) test. It measures the hearing response of each ear on each puppy. The tester then provides a printout of each puppy's test, which is then given to you at the time of purchase. Do not adopt a completely deaf dog even if it is given to you, as you will be letting yourself in for a lot of work and probable heartbreak. Any puppies proven deaf are normally euthanized. Deaf dogs are very difficult to raise and often become aggressive and snappish from fear.
Urinary stones are also inherited traits of this dog breed. A low protein diet helps to prevent urinary tract problems and should be supervised by a veterinarian.
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