Dalmatian
A 2-year-old Dalmatian female "stacked"
Alternative names
Carriage Dog Dalmatinac Dalmatiner Firehouse Dog Plum Pudding Dog Spotted Coach Dog
Country of origin
Croatia (Dalmatia)
Common nicknames
Dal, Dali
Classification and breed standards
FCI:	Group 6 Section 3 #153	Stds
AKC:	Non-sporting	Stds
ANKC:	Group 7 (Non-Sporting)	Stds
CKC:	Group 6 - Non-Sporting Dogs	Stds
KC (UK):	Utility	Stds
NZKC:	Non-sporting	Stds
UKC:	Companion Breeds	Stds

The Dalmatian is a breed of dog, noted for its white coat with either black or liver spots. Although other color variations do exist, any color 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. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2314x1774, 2803 KB) Zagrebs Temptress at TNG at 2 years. ... Map of Dalmatia, in present day Croatia highlighted Dalmatia (Croatian: Dalmacija, Italian: Dalmazia) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, in modern Croatia, spreading between the island of Rab in the northwest and the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska) in the southeast. ... Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) (English, World Canine Organization), is an international Kennel Club based in Thuin, Belgium. ... The American Kennel Club (or AKC) is the largest registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. ... The Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) is the peak body in Australia responsible for promoting excellence in breeding, showing, trialling, obedience, and other canine-related activities and the ownership of temperamentally and physically sound purebred dogs by responsible individuals across Australia. ... The Canadian Kennel Club (or C.K.C.) is the primary registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. ... The Kennel Club in the United Kingdom is a club aiming to improve the relationships between dogs and their owners. ... The New Zealand Kennel Club is an organisation responsible for dog pedigree registration services in New Zealand. ... The United Kennel Club (or UKC) is the second oldest all-breed registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States and the second largest in the world. ... This Chihuahua mix and Great Dane show the wide range of dog breed sizes. ... Map of Dalmatia, in present day Croatia highlighted Dalmatia (Croatian: Dalmacija, Italian: Dalmazia) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, in modern Croatia, spreading between the island of Rab in the northwest and the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska) in the southeast. ...

Appearance

A black-spotted Dalmatian

Black spotted dalmatian - 6 y. ... Black spotted dalmatian - 6 y. ...

Body

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 color as the spots. The ears are thin, tapering toward the tip, set fairly high and carried close to the head. This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Dogs have been selectively bred for thousands of years, sometimes by inbreeding dogs from the same ancestral lines, sometimes by mixing dogs from very different lines. ... A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle (from Latin musculus little mouse[1]) is contractile tissue of the body and is derived from the mesodermal layer of embryonic germ cells. ... // Endurance or aerobic exercise consists of performing low- to medium-intensity exercise for very long periods of time. ... The Pointer, often called the English Pointer, is a breed of dog developed as a gun dog. ... Toes on foot. ... Anatomy In anatomy, a nail is a horn-like piece at the end of an animal finger or toe. ... Bat ears come in different sizes and shapes The ear is the sense organ that detects sound. ...

Size

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.

Coat

The coat is short, dense, and fine. The ground color is white with round, well-defined spots of uniform color, either black or one of the brown shades. Lemon, orange, blue, tricolor, and brindle spots very rarely also occur, but they are a disqualifying fault for showing, as are any areas of solid color not the result of heavy spotting. A dogs fur usually consists of longer, stiffer, guard hairs—which can be straight, wiry, or wavy, and of various lengths, hiding a soft, short-haired undercoat. ...

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 color 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".

Coloring

The nose is black in black-spotted dogs, and brown in liver-spotted. The eyes may be black, brown or blue, and must both be of the same color for showing, with an intelligent expression. The term Animal intelligence is currently used in three distinct but overlapping ways: as a synonym for animal cognition, to pose the question “are animals intelligent?”, or to denote a discussion of relative levels of intelligence in different animal species. ...

Temperament

An 18-month old female Dalmatian, with spotting closely conforming to the CKC standard, which calls for ears "the more profusely [spotted] the better." Breed Standard.

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. Owners of Dalmatians must be prepared to devote many hours of each day to exercising this high energy breed. They must have opportunities to run about unleashed, or their pent-up energies will become a handling problem. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1840x1337, 1166 KB) TNGs Harlem Renaissance at 18 months. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1840x1337, 1166 KB) TNGs Harlem Renaissance at 18 months. ...

Their energetic and playful nature make them good companions for children and they have an instinctive fondness for humans, horses, and other Dalmatians. 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. 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 kindly natures. Originally bred to defend carriages and horses, these dogs can become territorial if not properly raised. They are extremely loyal to their owners, and can as a result become quite protective of their human families. Because of this protective instinct, some Dalmatians may develop aggression towards other dogs if not properly trained and socialized while young.

Origin and history

A liver-spotted Dalmatian female. In liver Dalmatians, the nose must always be brown.

The breed was named in the 18th century after Dalmatia, a province of Croatia (then a part of the Venetian Republic). In 1955, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale set the origin of the dogs to Croatia (then a state within Yugoslavia). However, no historical evidence of this breed being present in the Balkans dates before the early 20th century, when they where brought there by England. Because of these inconsistencies, various claims exist about the breed's origin. Similar dogs are known from archaeological findings and historical sources in ancient Egypt, Greece or Rome, but it is not exactly known if they are related to the modern Dalmatian. According to some scholars, ^{[attribution needed]} the name could stem from a 14th century painting in Florence by Andrea Bonaiuti, in which a group of dogs similar to the modern Dalmatians are shown next to a group of friars donning a stoat fur called "Dalmatica". These dogs were found frequently in the company of Roma people, and are known to have been popular in the Vatican in the 16th century. Some people believe the dogs came from Rajistan with the Roma in the 11th century and were originally harriers in the desert. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1602 KB) Picture taken by Bethann McLaren, 05 November 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1602 KB) Picture taken by Bethann McLaren, 05 November 2006. ... Map of Dalmatia, in present day Croatia highlighted Dalmatia (Croatian: Dalmacija, Italian: Dalmazia) is a region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, in modern Croatia, spreading between the island of Rab in the northwest and the Gulf of Kotor (Boka Kotorska) in the southeast. ... The Republic of Venice was a city-state in Venetia in Northeastern Italy, based around the city of Venice. ... Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) (English, World Canine Organization), is an international Kennel Club based in Thuin, Belgium. ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in Latin, Југославија in Cyrillic, English: Land of the South Slavs) describes four political entities that existed one at a time on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century. ... Andrea da Firenze (Andreas da Florentia) (died 1415) was an Italian composer and organist of the late medieval era. ... Binomial name Mustela erminea Linnaeus, 1758 The stoat (Mustela erminea), also known as the short-tailed weasel or the wild otter, is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. ... Tzigane redirects here; for the composition by Maurice Ravel, see Tzigane (Ravel). ... Rājasthān (DevanāgarÄ«: राजस्थान, IPA: )   is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. ...

The breed's origins are as a generalized working dog. They were used for so many tasks – herding sheep, hunting rodents or in a pack, and working as a retriever and as a bird dog – that they were never specialized into one particular area. This working dog is a border collie mix. ... A retriever is a type of gundog that retrieves game for a hunter. ... A bird dog is a gun dog used to hunt or retrieve birds. ...

The Dalmatian's reputation as a carriage dog developed in Victorian England where it was employed as a fashionable accessory running alongside horse-drawn carriages (therefore also known as Spotted Coach-dog). Carriage dogs were useful for clearing the way in front of the carriage, possibly for helping to control the horses when at a full run (such as for horse-drawn fire engines), and undoubtedly because they were attractive and eye-catching. A well trained carriage dog would be trained to run through the wheel spokes of a moving carriage, requiring a great deal of speed and dexterity. Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ...

Association with firemen

Particularly in the United States, the use of Dalmatians as carriage dogs was transferred to horse-drawn fire engines, although it is unclear why this link was not made in other countries. Today the Dalmatian serves as a fire house mascot, but back in the days of horse-drawn fire carts, they provided a valuable service. Dalmatians and horses are very compatible, so the dogs were easily trained to run in front of the engines to help clear a path and quickly guide the horses and firefighters to the fires and sometimes used as rescue dogs to locate victims in burning structures. Dalmatians are also known to make good watchdogs and it is believed that Dalmatians may have been useful to fire brigades as guard dogs to protect a firehouse and its equipment. Fire engines used to be drawn by fast and powerful horses, a tempting target for thieves. So, Dalmatians were kept in the firehouse as deterrence to theft. The horses have long since gone, but the Dalmatians, by tradition, have stayed. As a result, in the U.S., Dalmatians are commonly known as firehouse dogs. Dalmatians are still chosen by many firefighters as pets, in honor of their heroism in the past.^[1] Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... A fire station is a building or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus i. ...

The Dalmatian is also associated, particularly in the United States, with Budweiser beer and the Busch Gardens theme parks, since the Anheuser-Busch company's iconic beer wagon, drawn by a team of magnificent Clydesdale horses, is always accompanied by a Dalmatian carriage dog. The giga-brewer maintains several teams at various locations, which tour extensively. According to Anheuser-Busch's website, Dalmatians were historically used by brewers to guard the wagon while the driver was making deliveries.^[2] Anheuser-Busch NYSE: BUD Anheuser-Busch, based in St. ... Clydesdale draft horse at the Maryland State Fair The Clydesdale is a breed of draft horse derived from the very hard-working farm horses of Clydesdale (now Lanarkshire), Scotland and named for that region. ...

Health

The CKC standard calls for black spots that are "as deep and rich as possible."^[3]

Dalmatians are a very old breed, often thought to be the very first type of dog for which man made deliberate attempts to selectively breed for specific characteristics. These characteristics were at first appearance, then other attributes such as stamina, endurance, and health. The result is a very prolific and long-lived breed of striking appearance, generally free from ailments common to other dogs such as hip displacia (almost unknown in purebred dalmatians). Most of their health problems result from the onset of old age; the average Dalmatian lives between 11 and 13 years, although some can live as long as 15 to 16 years. In their late teens, both males and females may suffer bone spurs and arthritic conditions. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (500x866, 86 KB) Zagrebs Temptress at TNG, pictured at 6 months. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (500x866, 86 KB) Zagrebs Temptress at TNG, pictured at 6 months. ...

Deafness

The exception to their good health is a genetic disposition towards deafness. Deafness was not recognised by early breeders, and the breed was thought to be stupid. Rather, the breed was so smart that it could overcome its deafness. Even after recognizing the problem as a genetic fault, man did not understand its nature, and deafness in dalmatians continued to be a frequent problem.

Today, however, we know that this deafness is caused the absence of mature melanocytes (pigment cells) in the inner ear. This may affect one or both ears. This is also common in other breeds that share a genetic propensity for light pigmentation, including, but not limited to: Terriers, Poodles, and Great Danes. There is an accurate test (the BAER test) which can determine if the defect is present. Animals can be tested from 5 weeks of age. Only those with bilateral hearing (hearing in both ears) should be allowed to breed, although those with unilateral (hearing in one ear only) make fine pets. Research shows that Dalmatians with large 'patches' of color have a lower rate of deafness, and breeding for this trait (currently prohibited in the breed standard) might reduce the frequency of deafness in the breed.^[4] However this is by no means certain because there have been instances where patched dalmatians have been found to have faulty hearing. Melanocytes are cells located in the bottom layer of the skins epidermis. ...

There has been success in using signed commands rather than vocal one to train deaf dogs. BAER testing is the only way of detecting unilateral deafness, and reputable breeders test their dogs prior to breeding. Research suggests that blue-eyed Dalmatians have a greater incidence of deafness than brown-eyed Dalmatians, although an absolute link between the two characteristics has yet to be conclusively proven; blue-eyed Dalmatians are not necessarily deaf. However, many Kennel Clubs consider blue eyes to be a fault or even a disqualification, and at the very least discourage the use of blue-eyed Dalmatians in breeding programs.^[5]

Kidney and bladder stones

Dalmatians, like humans, the great apes, some New World monkeys, and guinea pigs, can suffer from hyperuricemia. The latter lack an enzyme called uricase, which breaks down uric acid. However, in Dalmatians, the deficit seems to be in liver transport. Uric acid can build up in joints and cause gout or bladder stones. These conditions are most likely to occur in middle-aged males. Males over 10 are prone to kidney stones and should have calcium intake reduced or take preventive medication. Trinomial name Homo sapiens sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Humans, or human beings, are bipedal primates belonging to the mammalian species Homo sapiens (Latin: wise man or knowing man) under the family Hominidae (the great apes). ... Families Hylobatidae Hominidae Apes are the members of the Hominoidea superfamily of primates, which includes humans. ... Binomial name Cavia porcellus (Linnaeus, 1758) Guinea pigs (also called cavies) are rodents belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia, originally indigenous to the Andes. ... Hyperuricemia is the presence of high levels of uric acid in the blood. ... The enzyme urate oxidase, or UO, (Aspergillus flavus enzyme PDB 1R4U, EC 1. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Bladder stones in animals are a common occurrence, especially in domestic animals such as dogs and cats. ...

Owners should be careful to limit the intake of purine by not feeding these dogs organ meats, animal by-products, or other high-purine ingredients in order to reduce the likelihood of stones. Healthy diets range from premium, all natural pet food brands (such as Flint River Ranch and Wellness Pet Food) to prescription diets (such as those from Hill's and Waltham). Purine is a heterocyclic aromatic organic compound, consisting of a pyrimidine ring fused to an imidazole ring. ... Meat by-products are ground, rendered, and cleaned slaughtered meat carcass parts such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, bones, heads, and intestines (and a small amount of feathers in the case of chicken meat). ... Flint River Ranch (FRR) is a brand name of premium cat and dog foods. ... Wellness is a brand name of holistic dog and cat foods, manufactured and marketed by Old Mother Hubbard company. ...

Backcrosses to English Pointers

Hyperuricemia in Dalmatians (as in all breeds) is inherited. However, unlike other breeds of dog the "normal" gene for uricase is not present in the breed's gene pool at all. Therefore, there is no possibility of eliminating hyperuricemia among pure-bred Dalmatians. The only possible solution to this problem must then be crossing Dalmatians with other breeds in order to reintroduce the "normal" uricase gene.

This has led to the foundation of the "Dalmatian-Pointer Backcross Project", which aims to reintroduce the normal uricase gene into Dalmatians by crossing them with English Pointers, to whom they are normally thought to be related and who have the normal uricase gene. This project was started in 1973 by Dr Robert Schaible. The f1 hybrids did not resemble Dalmatians very closely. The f1s were then crossed back to pure-bred Dalmatians. This breeding produced puppies of closer resemblance to the pure Dalmatian. By the fifth generation in 1981 they resembled pure Dalmatians so much that Dr Schaible convinced the AKC to allow two of the hybrids to be registered along with pure-bred Dalmatians. The Dalmatian Club of America's (DCA) board of directors supported this decision, however it quickly became highly controversial among the club members. A vote by DCA members opposed the registration of the hybrids, causing the AKC to ban registration of any of the dog's offspring. An English Pointer, often called simply a Pointer, is a breed of dog developed as a gun dog. ... // In biology, hybrid has two meanings. ...

At the annual general meeting of the DCA in May of 2006 the backcross issue was discussed again by club members. In June of the same year DCA members were presented with an opportunity to vote on whether the hybrids' ban from registration should be lifted. The results of this ballot have not been published as of August 27, 2006. August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Popularity

Dalmatian in woods.

The Dalmatian breed experienced a massive surge in popularity as a result of the 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians written by British author Dodie Smith, and later due to the two Walt Disney films based on the book. The Disney animated classic^[6] released in 1961, later spawned a 1996 live-action remake One Hundred and One Dalmatians . In the years following the release of the second movie, the Dalmatian breed suffered greatly at the hands of irresponsible breeders and owners. Many irreputable breeders and puppy mills cashed in on the breed's rising popularity, and began breeding high numbers of Dalmatians without first ensuring the health, quality, and temperament of the dogs being bred. Image File history File links Description: Dalmatiner Source: photo taken by Heinz Höfling Date: Mai. ... Image File history File links Description: Dalmatiner Source: photo taken by Heinz Höfling Date: Mai. ... A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... The Hundred and One Dalmatians, or the Great Dog Robbery is a 1956 novel by Dodie Smith. ... Dorothy Gladys Dodie Smith (May 3, 1896 - November 24, 1990) was an English novelist and playwright. ... Walt Disney Pictures logo (2006-present) Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio, with off-shoot studios in Japan and other sites in the United States. ... One Hundred and One Dalmatians (often abbreviated as 101 Dalmatians) is the seventeenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ...

Many well-meaning enthusiasts purchased Dalmatians--often for their children--without educating themselves on the responsibilities that come with owning such a high-energy dog breed. ^[7] Since Dalmatians were originally bred to run with horses, they require frequent exercise to keep them out of mischief. When many owners found they could not provide their dogs with adequate care, ^[8] Dalmatians were abandoned in large numbers by their original owners and left with animal shelters. As a result, Dalmatian rescue organizations sprung up around the country to care for the unwanted dogs and find them new homes. Dalmatians subsequently developed an unfair reputation of being 'difficult', 'stupid', or 'high strung'.

Trivia

A "smiling" dalmatian.

• Dalmatian is the only dog breed written with a capital letter in all languages.
• When mated, Dalmatians average about 8 pups per litter.
• Dalmatians are known as "watchdogs of the Lord."^[9]

Image File history File links Smiling_dalmatian. ... Image File history File links Smiling_dalmatian. ...

Celebrity Dalmatians

References

External links

Dalmatian

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 414 KB) Beschreibung Dalmatian dog. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 414 KB) Beschreibung Dalmatian dog. ...

Dalmatian Clubs, Associations, and Societies

• Dalmatian Club of America
• British Dalmatian Club
• Dalmatian Club of Canada
• The Dalmatian Club of NSW inc.

Dalmatian rescue organizations

• Adopt A Spot Dalmatian Rescue (VA)
• Dalmatian Rescue of Colorado
• Dalmatian Rescue of North Texas
• Dalmatian Rescue of South Florida
• Dalmatian Rescue of Tennessee
• Dalmatian Rescue of the Triad (NC)
• Dal-Savers Dalmatian Rescue (WI & IL)
• RockySpot Dalmatian Rescue (OK)
• Second Chances Dalmatian Rescue (OH)
• Willing Hearts Dalmatian Rescue (PA)

Other links

• AKC Non-Sporting Group
• AKC Dalmatian Breed Standard
• AKC Dalmatian Photos
• Dalmatian Color Variations
• Dalmatian-Pointer Backcross Project
• The Healthy Dalmatian Dog Food Diet
• An article about Dalmatian backcrosses
• All About Dalmatians (Trivia)

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Dalmatiner