Dalmatian

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Dalmatian
A 2-year-old Dalmatian female "stacked"
Alternative names
Carriage Dog Dalmatiner Dalmatinac 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.

Contents 1 Appearance 1.1 Body 1.2 Size 1.3 Coat 1.4 Coloring 2 Temperament 3 Training 3.1 Other Important Issues 4 Origin and history 4.1 Association with firemen 5 Health 5.1 Deafness 5.1.1 Training deaf dogs 5.2 Kidney and bladder stones 5.3 Crosses to English Pointers 6 Popularity 7 Trivia 8 Celebrity Dalmatians 9 References 10 External links 10.1 Dalmatian Clubs, Associations, and Societies 10.2 Dalmatian rescue organizations 10.3 Other links

[edit] Appearance

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

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".

NOTE: Please see also point three in section 'Other Issues'.

[edit] Coloring

The most common colors for Dalmatians are black spotted or liver spotted on a white background. Other spotting colors, though not permitable for showing, and rare, are blue (a blue-grayish color), orange or lemon (dark to pale yellow), brindle, mosaic, tri-colored (may appear on any other colored 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 color. 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 color, with an intelligent expression.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Training

[Please read this carefully before you opt to bring a Dalmatian home. Also read the section titled 'Popularity' later in this document.]

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.

[edit] Other Important Issues

Apart from the above in the section 'Training', you must remember these points below [i.e. before you decide to get a Dalmatian home]:

1. Dalmatians are genetically (yes, every individual has its traits, and I am saying this as a general statement) engineered food thieves. Food is one of their greatest incentives and also their weakness. Food and treats can be used as rewards while training. However, this also means that they have the tendency to gobble things without thinking, i.e. foods in plastic bags are good with or without the bag, i.e. if they cannot get the plastic off completely. Please, ensure your dogs’ health and safety in this regard.

2. Refer point 1.

3. Shedding: There is statement that is well understood by people with Dalmatians, often stated as a joke or a response to complaints about dog hair - "My Dalmatian sheds just twice a year - starts on January 1st and ends on December 31st." For people wanting serious information on this, it is suggested to visit a house with Dalmatian(s). The trick is to get out of the place with less than 20 strands of hair after being there for 40 seconds. Dalmatians do shed - vigourously, throughout the year. This is another of the facts that have led to Dalmatians being rejected at shelters and rescue homes. Dalmatians need a 'daily brushing' of about ten minutes to ensure minimal shedding in other places of the house that you would not want them to shed.

[edit] Origin and history

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. 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.

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.

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.

[edit] 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.^[2] 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.^[3]

[edit] Health

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 dysplasia (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.

[edit] Deafness

An exception to Dalmatians' generally good health is a genetic disposition towards deafness. Deafness was not recognized by early breeders, so the breed was thought to be stupid. Rather, the breed was so smart that it could overcome its deafness.^{[citation needed]} Even after recognizing the problem as a genetic fault, breeders did not understand the dog's nature, and deafness in Dalmatians continues to be a frequent problem.

Researchers now know that this deafness is caused by the absence of mature melanocytes in the inner ear.^{[citation needed]} This may affect one or both ears and the condition is also common in other breeds that share a genetic propensity for light pigmentation, including, but not limited to: bull terriers, Poodles, boxers, border collies and Great Danes. There is an accurate test called the BAER test, which can determine if the defect is present. Puppies can be tested beginning at five weeks of age. BAER testing is the only way of detecting unilateral deafness, and reputable breeders test their dogs prior to breeding.

Only dogs with bilateral hearing should be allowed to breed, although those with unilateral hearing, and even dogs with bilateral deafness, make fine pets. Research shows that Dalmatians with large patches of color present at birth have a lower rate of deafness, and breeding for this trait, which is currently prohibited in the breed standard, might reduce the frequency of deafness in the breed.^[4] This is not always true since there have been instances where patched Dalmatians have been found to have faulty hearing.

Research concludes 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.^{[citation needed]} Blue-eyed Dalmatians are not necessarily deaf. However, many kennel clubs consider blue eyes to be a fault or even a disqualification, and some discourage the use of blue-eyed Dalmatians in breeding programs.^[5]

[edit] Training deaf dogs

There has been success in using signed commands rather than verbal ones to train deaf dogs.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] 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.

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 to prescription diets.

[edit] Crosses 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 Dals 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 Dals. This breeding produced puppies of closer resemblance to the pure Dal. By the fifth generation in 1981 they resembled pure Dals so much that Dr. Schaible convinced the AKC to allow two of the hybrids to be registered along with pure-bred Dals. 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 to any of the dog's offspring.

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 hybrid's ban from registration should be lifted. The results of this ballot have not been published as of August 27 2006.

[edit] Popularity

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 inexperienced 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.

Many well-meaning enthusiasts purchased Dalmatians--often for their children--without educating themselves on the breed and 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. Many owners find themselves unable to cope with the breeds or the specimen's characteristics and cannot provide their dogs with adequate care and ^[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'.

[edit] Trivia

• When mated, Dalmatians average about 8 pups per litter. At the beginning the pups are white but as time passes the black spots start to emerge.
• Dalmatians are known as "watchdogs of the Lord."^[9]

[edit] Celebrity Dalmatians

Celebrity Owner[10]	Occupation	Dog
Ingrid Bergman	Actress	Dalmatian
Dick Clark	TV Personality	Lucille is a six-year-old Dalmatian. A gift from recording star Gloria Estefan. [11]
Gloria Estefan	Entertainer	Dalmatian named Ricky Ricardo Estefan
Michael J. Fox	Actor	Dalmatian named Bosco
Benjamin Franklin	Politician	Dalmatian
Melissa Joan Hart	Actress	Dalmatian named Pele
Rock Hudson	Actor	Dalmatian
Bradley Nowell	Musician	Dalmatian named Lou Dog, mentioned in several of Sublime's songs.
Pablo Picasso	Artist	Dalmatian
George Washington	President/Politician	Dalmatian
Brian Wilson	Beach Boys Ensemble Member	Dalmatian

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Dalmatian

[edit] Dalmatian Clubs, Associations, and Societies

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

[edit] 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)

[edit] Other links

• Dalmatian Color Variations
• Dalmatian-Pointer Backcross Project
• An article about Dalmatian backcrosses
• All About Dalmatians (Trivia)
• General Dalmatian Information