Dalmatian

The Dalmatian is a breed of dog, noted for its white coat with either black or liver spots. Although other colour variations do exist, any colour markings other than black or liver are a disqualification in purebred Dalmatians. The famous spotted coat is unique to the Dalmatian breed; no other purebred dog breed sports the flashy spotted markings. The breed takes its name from the Croatian province of Dalmatia, where it is believed to have originated.

Appearance

This popular breed of dog is a well-muscled, midsized dog with superior endurance. Known for its elegance, the Dalmatian has a body type similar to the Pointer, to which it may be related. The feet are round and compact with well-arched toes. The nails are either white and/or the same colour as the spots. The ears are thin, tapering toward the tip, set fairly high and carried close to the head.

The ideal Dalmatian should stand between 19 and 24 inches at the withers and weight from 45 to 70 pounds fully grown. Breed standards for showing may call for more specific sizes; the UK standard, for instance, calls for a height between 22 and 24 inches. Males are generally slightly larger than females.

The coat is short, dense, and fine. The ground colour is white with round, well-defined spots of uniform colour, either black or one of the brown shades. Lemon, orange, blue, tricolour, and brindle spots very rarely also occur, but they are a disqualifying fault for showing, as are any areas of solid colour not the result of heavy spotting.

Puppies are born with completely white fur, though the beginning of spots can sometimes be seen under the skin of a newborn pup. Any areas of colour at birth are a "patch", and patches are a disqualifying fault in the breed standard. Common areas of a patch are one or both ears, head and neck, and rear. Large patches often result from mating with a non-Dalmatian. Spots will become evident after a week or so, and develop rapidly during the first few weeks. Spots will continue to develop both in number and size throughout the dogs' life, though at a slower pace as the dog gets older. Spots should be well-defined, round, and evenly distributed over the body. Spot size may vary from the size of a dime, to the size of a dollar coin, but the more distinct the spots are, the better. An allowable exception is that spots on the muzzle may be very small, and are called "speckles".

The most common colours for Dalmatians are black spotted or liver spotted on a white background. Other spotting colours, though not permitable for showing, and rare, are blue (a blue-grayish colour), orange or lemon (dark to pale yellow), brindle, mosaic, tri-coloured (may appear on any other coloured spots), and two-toned.

Patches often occur in the breed and are a disqualification in the show ring. Patches are present at birth, and consist of a solid colour. Patches can appear anywhere on the body, but are most common on the head and ears. Patches are not to be confused with heavily spotted areas on a dog, however.

The eyes may be brown or blue, or any combination of the colour, with an intelligent expression.

Temperament

As a result of their history as coach dogs, the breed is very active and needs plenty of exercise. They are very fast runners, with a great deal of stamina and self-reliance. Given freedom to roam, they will take multi-day trips on their own across the countryside. In today's urban environment, they will not likely survive such excursions and must be contained. Their energetic and playful nature make them good companions for children and they have an instinctive fondness for humans and horses. These qualities make them somewhat "unbreakable", and forgiving of rough handling by children. However, it is imperative that they be socialized with children while still puppies, and also that children be taught the correct way to play with a Dalmatian. These are powerful dogs that are easily capable of injuring a child in the process of innocent play.

They have very sensitive natures and never forget ill-treatment, and cannot be trained by using rough methods. However, their rambunctious and playful personalities necessitate constant supervision around very small children, whom they may accidentally knock over and hurt. Dalmatians are extremely people oriented dogs, and will get very lonely if left by themselves, and should be trained to accept their owners' absence if they must be left alone as otherwise they will pine severely. A better option is to provide companions. These dogs crave human companionship and do poorly if left alone in a backyard or basement. Dalmatians are famed for their intelligence, independence, and survival instincts. In general they have good memories and are usally kind natured (individual specimens may vary). Originally bred to defend carriages and horses, these dogs can become territorial if not properly raised.

While Dalmatians are a fantastic breed, a large number of Dalmatians land up in shelters and rescue homes, often being stated as being difficult and un-trainable. A Dalmatian being un-trainable is not true; it is more a problem with the owner's inexperience with dog psychology, dog training, and/or lack of information about the breed than the dog itself (this statement usually holds true in most cases, irrespective of the breed of dog).

Dalmatians have extremely sensitive personalities and will not forget ill-treatment and ill-treatment can and certainly will break a dog's spirit and a Dalmatian's - certainly so.

While a Dalmatian with a clear rank idea, *proper and correct* obedience training, would make an excellent companion for anyone or any sized family, Dalmatians are NOT a breed for a first-time and completely inexperienced owner, especially one whose expectations of the dog and its behaviour are high, especially in terms of obedience or those who have little time and patience to train them.

While a desire to please their owners can be a taught behaviour, they do not have a natural desire to completely please their owners in comparison to some other breeds, e.g. shepherd dogs. Generally speaking (and specimens may vary) Dalmatians are rambunctious, playful breed and usually seem to have a mind of their own, which makes them more challenging to train and requires more knowledge of dog training. Generally speaking (i.e. individual specimens may vary), their attention spans are limited. More so in the hands of an inexperienced owner who does not create the correct rank order. Combinations of rewards (treats, play and praise, in that order) are your best bets and will go a long way in getting their attention and for training purposes [please note the difference between rewards and bribes].

Gentle consistent corrections are often sufficient to correct unacceptable behaviour. Common complaints heard are that while the owner has been able to get the Dalmatian to respond while on leash or while in familiar areas, it does not obey equally well off the leash or in unfamiliar areas. This problem is not breed specific, however, again a trainer inexperience issue.