Dalmatians

There’s way more to the Dalmatian than its sporty spots—even though they’re really cool. With their svelte physique and sleek coat, they are a stylish addition to any family. With their background as a long distance trotter, as well as a guardian of its horses, this dog breed makes an ideal exercise companion. Most people just like living with them, however. They’re very affectionate, but don’t mind snuggling as long as they’ve had a good run that day. They’re fun friends for children, and great companions for adults. They can even urge an elderly person to go for a walk around the block! They can be overly exuberant, so must be trained lest they inadvertently knock or pull over small children or an older person. And that wagging tail can feel like a whip! The Dal is a very energetic and playful breed, great for families who like to include their dog in outdoor activities, and for outdoorsy people who want to take their dog jogging or hiking.

Per breed standard, the Dalmatian is a dog with a sleek, muscular, streamlined but sturdy physique somewhat resembling that of a pointing breed. The legs and tail are long. They’re built for trotting efficiency, and their movement at a trot is long-striding and effortless. The head is fairly broad, with round eyes and drop ears. They stand about 19 to 23 inches at the withers, and weigh from about 45 to 70 pounds. The coat is short and sleek. Its distinguishing characteristic is the spots. The spots should be black or liver (but not both), round, well-defined and preferably separated. Patches of color, which can be distinguished by their sharply defined smooth edges, are a showring disqualification. Interestingly, spots do not appear until a couple weeks after birth, while patches are present at birth. Thus ideally, a very young Dalmatian puppy will have an all white coat. Dalmatians with liver spots also usually have brown noses and paw pads, and can have lighter eye color. Liver-spotted dogs are a result of having two copies of the recessive “b” allele that produce diluted black pigment (brown) instead of black.

Dalmatians were bred to guard against the unwanted advances of strange dogs, and some Dals still take that mission to heart. But once introduced, most get along very well with other dogs. And Dalmatians that live with other dogs tend to be quite amiable and easy-going toward them. The Dalmatian makes a fun-loving companion for active people of all ages, including children. They are generally affectionate, demonstrative and playful enough to satisfy any child, but on the other hand some can be overly energetic and boisterous unless exercised and trained sufficiently. Especially when young, they may inadvertently knock over a toddler, hit a baby in the face with a wagging tail, or pull down a youngster walking them on lead. Generally with training and increased age (of both the dog and child!) such accidents become infrequent. Dals are fairly biddable but they are energetic and somewhat independent. They tend to be easily distracted. They don’t always come when called, either from their independence or just because something caught their interest along the way.

Their original job required a combination of obedience—sticking close to the carriage—and independence—deciding when a stray dog needed to be chased off—and present-day Dals tend to retain that combination. What you may see as stubbornness and independence is just your Dal acting like he was bred to act. That said, many Dalmatians have achieved very high levels of success, including Obedience Championships, in formal obedience competition. Road Trial Competitions also require advanced obedience abilities. They can be outstanding in agility and nose work as well.

The Dal’s early history is somewhat of a mystery. We’re not even sure it came from Dalmatia. But we do know they gained fame as a coach dog. The true origin of the Dalmatian is confusing. DNA studies don't really align it with any major families, and suggest it is most closely related to the Pointer. In 1325 a dog called the Canis Dalmaticus was described as a hunting and guard dog from Dalmatia with short white hair and round black spots. In addition, paintings resembling Dalmatians date to the early 1600s in Croatia. By the late 1700s several sources described the breed, all agreeing it originated in Dalmatia. A problem with that theory is that Dalmatians were not present in Dalmatia until 1930, when a pair was introduced there from Britain! The breed’s modern history began in England. Coaches became increasingly popular beginning in the sixteenth century, culminating in the “Golden Age of Coaching” in the nineteenth century. Unfortunately stray dogs would chase and harass the horses, so coachmen employed dogs to guard the horses against them. The dogs would run alongside, in front of or beneath the carriage and chase away threatening dogs. When the carriage stopped they would stay with it and guard it while waiting. Interestingly, modern genetic studies suggest that the tendency to run either beside or beneath the coach is an inherited trait. The dogs became a matter of pride, adding to the ensemble just as a well turned out team of horses did. The first mention of a “Dalmatian or Coach Dog” can be found in 1790. By the nineteenth century these dogs were regularly referred to as the English Coach Dog or Carriage Dog (and also, “Plum Pudding Dog” and “Spotted Dick.”) Fire departments also employed these dogs alongside their horse-drawn fire engines to help calm the horses. Even after horses were no longer employed, the dogs remained as firehouse mascots. By the way, it’s a myth that Dalmatians were bred to be deaf so the sirens from fire engines wouldn’t bother them. Dalmatians do have a higher rate of deafness than other breeds, but that’s not why! The AKC recognized the Dalmatian in 1888. When the AKC divided their breeds into Sporting and Non-Sporting groups, the Dalmatian was assigned to the Non-Sporting group, as it was not used for hunting. They have stayed there ever since. The Dal’s modern history is rife with ups and downs. They became popular in the 1920s, and were distributed throughout the world around that time. But its greatest surge in numbers was due to the 1961 Disney movie One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and its 1996 remake, 101 Dalmatians, both of which resulted in a buying spree and subsequent increase in Dals relinquished to shelters. A 2000 sequel, 102 Dalmatians, included an appeal to viewers to not buy a Dalmatian, and numbers rose less drastically after that. Overall, popularity has steadily declined since then. The Anheuser-Busch beer company introduced their first Dalmatian mascot in 1950.