The Dalmatian is one of the most popular dog breeds and known for its peculiar black (or brown) spots on its white coat. It is a very loyal dog, with a stable and calm character, as long as he can exercise enough to release the accumulated tension.
Whether you are thinking of adopting a puppy or an adult Dalmatian dog, in this breed file on our site we will explain everything you need to know about its character, the main characteristics of the breed, its education or some of the most important he alth problems. Everything you need to know is below.
Dalmatian Story
Despite being a well-known breed for a long time, the ancient history and origins of the Dalmatian are really unknown. The earliest images of Dalmatians are from Croatian paintings and frescoes dating from the 17th century This is the main reason why the International Cinological Federation (FCI) attributes the origin of the breed to the Croatian region of Dalmatia, but there are different hypotheses that suggest that this dog would have originated much earlier in other places.
Be that as it may, the Dalmatian spread throughout the world. Throughout its existence, it performed a multitude of functions. He was employed as a hunting dog, companion dog, guard dog, etc. However, his consecration as " coachman dog" of the English upper class occurred at the end of the 17th century. At that time the noble and we althy British made a pack of Dalmatians accompany their cars to show their power. Supposedly, this served a double function: to protect the horses from stray dogs and to provide a more aesthetic view of the car.
With the invention of the automobile, coach dogs disappeared and the popularity of the breed fell. However, Dalmatians also accompanied fire engines and that tradition remained. Today they are still part of the fire brigades in many parts of the world, although now they travel on the truck.
The popularity of the breed resurfaced in the 1960s thanks to the Disney movie " The 101 Dalmatians " and later had a new increase with the second version of it. Unfortunately, this ended up harming the breed, since the old coachman dog became a popular and requested dog, therefore, it began to be bred indiscriminately. The result was the overpopulation of the breed and many hereditary diseases due to high inbreeding. Today the Dalmatian is a very popular companion and family dog.
Dalmatian Characteristics
This is a beautiful, elegant breed distinguished by its particularly mottled white fur The head is proportionate and harmonious with the rest of the body, is wrinkle-free and prism-shaped. The naso-frontal depression (stop) is moderately defined. The nose should be the same color as the spots on the body. The eyes are oval and their color also corresponds to that of the spots. The ears are set high, triangular, with rounded edges, hanging and mottled.
The body is rectangular, its length being slightly greater than the height at the withers. The back is powerful and straight, while the loin is short and the croup somewhat sloping. The chest is deep and not very wide. The belly is moderately tucked up, but not sunken. The tail is long, saber-shaped and preferably mottled. The coat is short, shiny, hard and bushy. It is white speckled with black spots or brown spots.
Dalmatian Character
The Dalmatian is a friendly, self-confident and very active dog They generally love to swim, run and exercise by following trails and his own curiosity. They tend to get along well with other dogs and other animals. As a general rule, they are also friendly with strangers, although they are not as sociable as the Labrador Retriever or the Golden Retriever. Some, however, are reserved with strangers, but innate aggressiveness is a rare trait in the breed.
They are perfect for active families who exercise with their dogs and want a loyal and energetic companion by their side. However, inside the house the Dalmatian is a calm and serene dog, able to relax without any problem.
These dogs perfectly tolerate children who know how to respect and care for them as they deserve but they do not always react well to tail pulls or ears. For this same reason, it will be important to teach our children how to play with the Dalmatian dog in an appropriate way: always with respect and affection. The education of the dog will obviously be very important to achieve a more affable, relaxed and tolerant character. We will inform you about it later.
Dalmatian Care
Dalmatian coat care is really simple and straightforward: it will need to be brushed very occasionally to remove dead and wet hair when it's really dirty. However, if we want to keep its fur perfect and beautiful, don't hesitate to visit some tricks to make your dog's hair shine.
What we really need to pay attention to is the exercise needs that this dog requires. It is essential to be clear about this point if we want to adopt a Dalmatian dog since if it is not fulfilled, it can become something destructive within the home. Their energy needs are really high so we should assume a minimum of three medium-long walks each day and spend at least one hour of active exercise You can also help us release your accumulated stress by practicing intelligence games that, in addition to entertaining our dog, will stimulate him mentally to further develop his excellent abilities.
Finally we will comment that the Dalmatian, despite being a bit independent on some occasions, is a dog that loves to feel part of a social group and that deeply hates lonelinessSpending too much time alone can, like lack of exercise, lead to behavior problems like separation anxiety.
Dalmatian Education
The Dalmatian is ranked at number 39 on the Stanley Coren intelligence scale, however, and despite the fact that many trainers consider a stubborn dog, he has a natural predisposition to learn when positive reinforcement is used. It is a tireless and active dog so, in addition to exercising with it, training will be very useful to improve its well-being and mental he alth.
We will start with the education of the puppy that is around 3 months old. That is when we will start with the socialization of the puppy in his first walks by introducing him people, animals and the environmentin which he will live. This process is one of the most important in the education of the dog since it will have a direct impact on the habit of social and stable behaviors, away from the fear and aggressiveness that a lack of socialization can cause. Later and in this same period we will also teach the dog bite inhibition, how he should play with us or teach him to relieve himself in the street. We must not forget that in order for the puppy to be able to go outside, it must have all its vaccinations up to date.
Later we will begin to teach her basic obedience commands, a very important point for her safetyand to foster a good communication with us. At this point we will emphasize the importance of using positive reinforcement since punishments and fights are detrimental to learning and can lead to the appearance of unwanted behaviors.
Once the commands have been overcome and learned, we can begin advanced training, practicing fun tricks or advanced activities such as agility, an obstacle course that mixes exercise and compliance with commands. obedience. Agility is undoubtedly a suitable sport for this very active breed.
Devoting time to training your dog is very important, but so is reminding him of commands on a regular basis to prevent him from forgetting them. The average daily time for training is between 5 and 10 minutes.
Dalmatian He alth
The Dalmatian is a dog prone to many diseases due to the inbreeding to which this breed has been subjected for so many years. The most common diseases in the Dalmatian are:
- Allergic dermatitis
- Atopic dermatitis
- Yeast Infections
- Food allergies
- Hypothyroidism
- Demodicosis
- Skin tumors
- Kidney stones
- Urethral calculi
- Cardiomyopathies
- Deafness
Deafness has a very high incidence in the breed, affecting more than 10% of dogs of this breed. For its part, kidney and urethral stones are very common in the breed because the Dalmatian is the only mammal that cannot metabolize uric acid into allantoin. This directly affects the formation of stones in the urinary tract.
To maintain our dog's optimal he alth, it will be useful to visit the specialist every 6 months to make sure everything is going well and continue your vaccination schedule strictly. A good diet, exercise and good care will be the key to enjoying a happy, he althy and long-lived Dalmatian.
