Dalmatian

Size
Medium (11kg - 27kg)
Exercise
40 min/day
Training
Weekly
Size of home
House with garden
Time at home
Alone with support
Grooming
Low maintenance
Barking preference
Watchdog barking
Personality
Independent + affectionate

Breeder List

Breeder - Mrs Barbara Helland (Gentry)

thehellands1@bigpond.com
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Breeder - Mr Robert Harbin (Krystaway)

deborah@krystawaydalmatians.com
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History

The Dalmatian has a disputed heritage. Researchers cannot agree as to the origin, but they agree that through many centuries the breed has remained unchanged. Bands of gypsies, or Romanies, had Dalmatians so they were known in many places. The first definite location was Dalmatia, hence the name Dalmatian. The breed was also known by many nicknames, such as English Coach Dog, the Carriage Dog, Plum Pudding Dog, Fire House Dog and Spotted Dick.

This very versatile dog has been used as a sentinel on the borders of Dalmatia and Croatia, as a shepherd, catching rats, heroic performances with following fire trucks, fire house mascot, bird dog, trail hound and retriever. A retentive memory made the Dalmatian a great clowner in circuses, but most importantly was its status as the one and only coaching dog.

The Dalmatian made its first appearance in a dog show in Great Britain in 1860, but didn’t appear in American shows until the 1920’s.

Appearance

Spotted, pure white, short coat with clearly defined jet black spots, or in the liver variety, deep brown spots. One of the most easily recognised breeds.

The Dalmatian is medium sized, well balanced, elegant and athletic. Physically fit for road work with speed and endurance. The instinct for coaching is bred into the breed, as is his affinity with horses.

Average Weight: Males 25 kg, Females 23 kg

Temperament

The Dalmatian should be friendly and outgoing, neither nervous nor aggressive. Usually quiet but an ideal guard dog. Dalmatians are happy and full of life, but sometimes over enthusiastic and boisterous. They are keen to please, so therefore are easy to train, however, they can get bored if the training is not varied.

Health

The Dalmatian is a strong hardy dog with few health issues. Deafness is a problem and all puppies should be Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER) tested at about 7 weeks old. Most breeders will give puppy owners a copy of the BAER test results so they know if the puppy has bilateral hearing or unilateral hearing and not deaf. Deaf dogs can be trained and lead a healthy life, but they need a special home with committed owners.

Dalmatians have a propensity to urinary stones. Best preventatives for stone forming in Dalmatians are those of diet and probably of water intake. Some dogs can be helped with special dog food, otherwise they require medication or surgery.

Suitability

Dalmatians make great family dogs, as they are loyal and gentle, but mostly they love whoever feeds them. Dalmatians are a running dog so they need daily exercise. They may not always be keen to return to you if preoccupied with having fun in the park or on the beach. They are gentle with children but are boisterous, so be careful with very small children.

Words: Dianne Wright, on behalf of the Dalmatian Club of NSW

Image by Ffire Photography

In Conclusion

Now you know a little about the Dalmatian, you may think that this is the dog for you. Before you make a decision, please make contact with the breed club or your State controlling body for purebred dogs. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog shows where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the Dalmatian and its needs, and whether this breed would suit your lifestyle.

Official breed standard as recognized by Dogs NSW (Last Updated: 11 Apr 2013)

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A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

General Appearance

The Dalmatian should be a balanced, strong, muscular, active dog of good demeanour. Symmetrical in outline, free from coarseness and lumber, capable of great endurance with a fair amount of speed.

Characteristics

(See under General Appearance and Colour.)

Temperament

Of good demeanour.

Physical Standards

Head and Skull	The head should be of fair length, the skull flat, reasonably broad between the ears but refined, moderately well defined at the temples, i.e. exhibiting a moderate amount of stop; not in one straight line from nose to occiput bone. Entirely free from wrinkle. The muzzle should be long and powerful, never snipy, the lips clean. fitting the jaw moderately close. The nose in the black spotted variety should always be black, in the liver spotted variety always brown.
Eyes	The eyes, set moderately well apart, should be of medium size, round, bright and sparkling, with an intelligent expression, their colour, depending on the marking of the dog; dark in the black spotted, amber in the liver spotted. The rim round the eyes should be complete; black in the black spotted and liver brown in the liver spotted.
Ears	The ears should be set on rather high, of moderate size, rather wide at the base, gradually tapering to a rounded point. Fine in texture, carried close to head. The markings should be well broken up, preferably spotted.
Mouth	The teeth should meet. The upper slightly overlapping the lower (scissor bite).
Neck	The neck should be fairly long, nicely arched, light and tapering. Entirely free from throatiness.
Forequarters	The shoulders should be moderately oblique, clean and muscular. Elbows close to the body. The forelegs perfectly straight with strong round bone down to the feet, with a slight spring at the pastern joint.
Body	The chest should not be too wide but deep and capacious with plenty of lung and heart room. The ribs well sprung, well defined wither, powerful level back, loins strong, clean and muscular, and slightly arched.
Hindquarters	Rounded, muscles clean with well developed second thigh, good turn of stifle and hocks well defined.
Feet	Round, compact, with well arched toes (cat-feet) and round tough elastic pads. Nails black or white in the black spotted variety, in the liver spotted - brown or white.
Tail	In length reaching approximately to the hocks. Strong at the insertion gradually tapering towards the end, it should not be inserted too low or too high, be free from coarseness and carried with a slight upward curve, never curled. Preferably spotted.
Gait/Movement	The Dalmatian should have great freedom of movement. A smooth, powerful rhythmic action with a long stride. Viewed from behind, the legs should move in parallel, the hindlegs tracking the fore. A short stride and paddling action is incorrect.
Coat	The coat should be short, hard and dense, sleek and glossy in appearance.
Colour	The ground colour should be pure white. Black spotted dogs have dense black spots and liver spotted dogs liver-brown spots. They should not run together but be round and well defined, the size of a FIVE to a TWENTY CENT COIN, as well distributed as possible. Spots on the extremities should be smaller than those on the body.
Size	Overall balance of prime importance, but the ideal height to be aimed at is:Dogs 58-61 cms (23-24 ins.),Bitches 56-58 cms (22-23 ins.).

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.Blue eyes.Patches. Black and liver spots on the same dog (tricolours).Lemon spots. Bronzing and other faults of pigmentation.