Dalmatian Dog Breed | All Dog Breeds

Source

Dalmatians are the beautiful medium sized dogs with white coat and black or brown spots on them. Dalmatians are popular for their looks and coat colours. They can become perfect companions if they are well socialised from the beginning and had been trained well.

History and Origin

Dalmatian dog breeds also known as mascot dogs were originally used as carriage dogs in the England for higher classes. Dalmatian dogs are very active and were even used to run with horses to clear horse drawn fire trucks, thus they are also known as fireman dogs. As they were always with horses they have special affection towards the horses and get well along with them. In ancient times they were also bred as war dogs, guard dogs, and for coaching.

The origin of this breed is not clear. It is said they were bred by Romanian Nomads and some others say that they originated from the Dalmatia. Some others also say that they are from Egypt as there were pictures of Dalmatians on Egypt tombs. In older days this dog breed was used for various purposes such as hunting, retrieving and they were good as companion dogs and have served as firehouse dogs and circus performers.

About Dalmatian

This breed got famous from the Disney movie 101 Dalmatians and has made a special place in everyone’s heart. This is a unique breed with black spots on white body. They come in two colours, namely ‘black and white’ and ‘brown and white’ which is also known as liver. However one amazing fact about this breed is that when they are born they do not have any spot on their body. They are spotlessly white and the black or dark brown spots become visible when they turn around 10-15 days, and every Dalmatian has unique spot on their body and different from others. They even have these spots in their mouth. These spots can vary from a few to total coverage.

Dalmatians are from the non sporting dogs group. However they are incredibly energetic and muscular dogs and need lot of exercise and they also love running. An active dog that is in good condition and is healthy can run almost up to 50km a day.  

Interesting Facts and stories

The first Dalmatian dog was registered by AKC in 1988 and are ranked 56^th in the popularity list. Dalmatians had become incredibly popular after the Disney cartoon Movie Dalmatian 101 in the year 1996. It had resulted in high demand for the breed. People had loved this cartoon character so much that they wanted this dog as their companion and pet. As a result many breeders had started to breed them in large quantity.

People were adopting these dogs without actually thinking about the consequences the tine and efforts that are required to take care of a Dalmatian. Later when they were not able to handle the dogs they had complains about them which had resulted in taking them to the animal shelters.

As a Family Companion

They also need to be socialised from a young age. Dalmatian is a dog breed which requires your lot of time. Unlike any other dog this breed will need you to spend time with them. Dalmatians are also good watch dogs and will be alert all the time. They are always active and intelligent and hence can be trained easily and due to their energy level they need to be trained every day. They can be trained to do almost everything. If they are not trained and socialised properly they can become stubborn and aggressive.

Dalmatians are medium sized dogs and can be good companion dogs. They are extremely affectionate and friendly with family, kids and people they know, however due to their high energy level they need to be supervised closely. They love to be with their family and are attention seekers and will do whatever their family does to get their attention.  These dogs can also be friendly with other dogs and animals. Dalmatians are active and playful and so may not be able to adjust to small house and apartment living. They will need lot of space to run around and play as they are energetic dogs.

The average height of a male Dalmatian can range between 22 to 24 inches and of a female it can be between 19-22 inches. The average weight of a male Dalmatian can be 17-32 kg and of a female it can be between 15-24 kg. The average lifespan of a Dalmatian dog can be between 12 to 16 years. Due to their short coat they are sensitive to hot and cold weathers. They can live perfectly in a moderate temperature. 

Grooming

These dogs have short coat and is dirt resistant. They also shed moderately and thus do not need regular grooming; however brushing once or twice in a month can be enough. They are easy to groom.

Training

Dalmatians are smart, intelligent and social type of breed. They learn easily and follow the instructions given correctly. Hence it is important to train them at a early stage, if not they might turn stubborn and may not listen to your instructions as they grow mature. They also love to learn new things and adapt easily.

Health

Around 10-12% Dalmatians are born deaf or half deaf. Since they cannot hear they can get easily scared and hence need to be socialised and taken care in a good manner. This breed can also have diseases like hip dysplasia, skin allergies, eye infections etc. They also have high quantity of uric acid in their body which often lead to bladder stones. Hence it is important to give them a proper diet and clean water, if not they can develop health issues.

They also need to be vaccinated from time to time and given deworming medicines to avoid any health problems.

Buy a Dalmatian?

The price of a Dalmatian dog can range from $800 to $1200. Sometimes it can be even more as per their size and quality of the breeds.

 Fun Facts

Humans had first domesticated dogs 15,000 years ago in Europe.