Dalmatian

History of origin

Although images of large, lean, elegant dogs with white hair covered with dark spots were found in images found in the tombs of the ancient Egyptians, on ancient Greek and Byzantine frescoes, Dalmatian dogs were officially described in the middle of the XNUMXth century as a species inhabiting Dalmatia – a coastal territory along Adriatic sea. It is generally accepted that the name of the dog breed, the Dalmatian, came from here. Now this coastal strip is divided between Croatia and Montenegro, but for many centuries it passed from one hand to another: it was part of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine kingdom, was under the control of the Venetian Republic. Therefore, the French naturalist de Buffon, describing the dogs of the Dalmatian breed in his Natural History, argued that these animals have long been known in the European Mediterranean states as a hound with which they hunt a hare and a bird.

But Dalmatians were used not only as hunters, they have another name – Carriage Dog. Large spotted dogs, which could run for a long time at a decent pace and were not afraid of horses, were used as dogs that accompanied the carriages – their duty was not only to make the departure of the nobles more magnificent, but also to clear the way in front of the carriage, dispersing the animals, and also to protect passengers. By the way, it was these qualities that turned Dalmatians into Fire Dogs – they received such a mission in the USA: at the beginning of the 1890th century, fire brigades rushed to the place of fire on horse-drawn carriages, and Dalmatians ran ahead, clearing the road in front of the horse-drawn carriage. And to this day, Dalmatians live in many fire departments in America – today they do not need to clear the road in front of fire trucks, but they remain symbols of this dangerous and noble profession. In the US, elegant spotted Dalmatians came from the UK, which can be called their second home. This Mediterranean breed won the hearts of English dog lovers – and in 1926 the first Dalmatian Club in the world was created here. British dog breeders began to work on the breed, leading its representatives to a single standard of character and conformation, which was subsequently adopted by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale in XNUMX.

Gradually, Dalmatians spread throughout the world, but they owe special bursts of interest in the breed to Walt Disney and his cartoon “101 Dalmatians”, which was created in 1961. And after the feature film “101 Dalmatians” by the same Disney studio in 1996, children all over the planet began to dream about these cheerful and energetic dogs in charming black peas.

Breed description

Dalmatian dogs are well balanced, muscular, hardy and active animals. The head of the Dalmatian is quite long with a flat skull, wide between the ears. The transition from the forehead to the nose (feet) is expressed moderately. The muzzle is long with the bridge of the nose parallel to the outer line of the skull. The nose of dogs with black spots is black, in dogs with brown spots it is brown. Lips, preferably pigmented, close fitting to the jaw. Strong jaws with a regular scissor bite. The eyes are round, medium in size, set wide apart. In dogs with black spots, the eye color is dark brown with black edging, in dogs with brown spots, light brown to amber with brown edging. The ears are set rather high, of medium size, wide at the base, tapering to rounded tips. The ears are pressed to the head and covered with spots. The neck is long and tapering towards the head. The back is level, strong with a slightly rounded loin. The chest is voluminous and deep, reaching to the elbows with long rounded ribs. Belly picked up. The tail is set neither high nor low, strong at the base, tapering towards the tip, reaching the hock in length, preferably spotted. The forelimbs are straight, the shoulders are muscular with a moderate slope, the elbows are pressed to the body. the hindquarters are muscular, straight and parallel when viewed from behind, the hock joint with a pronounced inclination. The paws are compact, rounded with well-knit toes. The coat is short, thick and harsh. The main coat color is white. The spots may be black or brown, the spots should be round, not confluent, well defined and preferably evenly distributed over the body.

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Character

– Dalmatians are able to coexist with a person 24 hours a day, without causing him any inconvenience – real ideal companions, – says Irina Kalugina, cynologist, owner of the Symphony of Stars Dalmatian kennel. – Of course, there are character traits inherent in Dalmatian dogs – they are devoted to people, they try to conform to the rules established in the family, they are not aggressive: aggression, however, like cowardice, are considered disqualifying vices and such dogs are not allowed for breeding.

Dalmatians get along well with other pets, get along great with children, are distinguished by kindness, cheerful disposition, they are affectionate and accommodating. But you need to understand that every Dalmatian breeder breeds his ideal dog with certain character traits. There are lines of very active Dalmatians who need to throw out irrepressible energy during long walks, and there are calm dogs who prefer to lie at the feet of their beloved owner. Therefore, before buying a puppy, you need to ask the breeder well to understand what kind of Dalmatian you will get. For example, I prefer very calm dogs, and in our kennel most puppies have just such a temperament, and the appearance of a baby with an active character is already a problem for me.

But the Dalmatian is the love of a lifetime, a dog that will completely take over your heart. As their owners say: “Better than one Dalmatian can only be two Dalmatians.”

Care and maintenance

Caring for a Dalmatian does not require much time and effort from their owners. Dalmatians feel good both in city apartments and in country houses, where they can run and play on their territory. If the dog lives in an apartment, then twice a day it needs to be walked for 40 minutes.

– Walking should not be just walking around the area on a leash, but constant interaction with a person: practicing commands, a fun game that trains certain skills, you need to load Dalmatians not only physically, but also load their brains, then they will return home tired and happy, – explains Irina Kalugina, cynologist, owner of the Symphony of Stars Dalmatian kennel.

After the walk, it is enough to wipe the paws and body of the Dalmatian with a damp sponge or napkin. Once a week, you need to inspect the dog’s ears, the dust accumulated in them can be removed with a cotton swab dipped in a zoogel, which is sold in pet stores. You also need to examine the eyes of the dog, removing dirt accumulated in the corners. But ears and eyes are not problem areas for dogs of this breed. The only negative in caring for Dalmatians is the coat, which in dogs sheds almost all year round.

“If you don’t want to vacuum or sweep your apartment every day, then it’s enough to walk through your dog’s fur with a silicone glove once every two days – it will remove dead hairs and also massage the Dalmatian’s body,” explains Irina Kalugina, cynologist, owner of the Symphony Dalmatian kennel of Stars. – You also need to keep an eye on the claws on the paws – each dog grinds them down in its own way: someone quickly, and someone they grow strongly. On average, once every two weeks, you need to trim your nails with a professional nail cutter.

Each owner determines the nutrition system for his Dalmatian independently – someone chooses natural food, someone – industrial, but the diet must be balanced and of high quality.

– For proper nutrition of Dalmatians, it is not so important what kind of food is natural or industrial, the main indicator is the quality of the ingredients, – says Irina Kalugina, cynologist, owner of the Symphony of Stars Dalmatian kennel. – If it is natural beef, poultry or fish, then these must be very good products from trusted manufacturers. If this is an industrial feed, then it must be premium-class with a good composition, without the addition of corn, without gluten. What matters is not the amount of protein content, but its quality. This is necessary for the proper development and long life of Dalmatians. Dalmatian dogs are not prone to weight gain, but it is better to control the portion weight and not overfeed the animal – their metabolism is very similar to that of humans.

Education and training

“Each future owner must understand that by taking a Dalmatian breed dog into the house, he gets a child, moreover, a teenager during puberty with the appropriate psyche and temperament,” explains Irina Kalugina, cynologist, owner of the Symphony of Stars Dalmatian kennel. – Dalmatians cannot be trained, they need to be brought up, as if you were raising a child.

The socialization of Dalmatians ends when the puppies stop drinking mother’s milk, and then their new life in the big world begins. Little Dalmatians adapt very well to a new place, to new people, they perceive everything unknown with great interest, they are attracted to the new world, and changes do not cause any stress. But on one condition – if the dog has a stable nervous system. The psyche is the responsibility of the Dalmatian breeder, therefore it is necessary to purchase a puppy only in proven kennels with a good reputation, because the whole future life of the dog will depend on the stability of the psyche, and with it the life of the family in which it fell.

At different times, the Dalmatian breed dogs performed different functions – they were hunting dogs, security guards, accompanied the carriages and horse-drawn carriages of firefighters, clearing the way for them, so the Dalmatian can be taught anything.

– If you want not only to create a well-mannered and obedient dog with which it is comfortable to live and walk anywhere, easy to interact, but you want your Dalmatian to pass the OKD – General Training Course, then you need to remember that the Dalmatian responds only to that person who works with him,” says Irina Kalugina, cynologist, owner of the Symphony of Stars Dalmatian kennel. “Therefore, it would be a mistake to give your dog to a trainer, it is better to sign up for an OKD course and train and educate a Dalmatian yourself several times a week. This will bring joy and pleasure to both you and your dog. There are Dalmatians serving in the American special forces, Dalmatians working in the search teams of the Ministry of Emergencies, and teach a Dalmatian to be a bum – he will lie on the couch with you.

Health and disease

Dalmatians are a breed that is distinguished by good health, with proper feeding and care, dogs are able to live a long time without causing trouble to the owner. But there are a few genetic abnormalities that future Dalmatian owners need to be aware of in advance. First of all, this is congenital deafness in both or one ear, which Dalmatians can suffer from, although it is not as common in the dog population as, for example, in the American or British.

“Now all Dalmatian breeders have access to BAER tests that determine the quality of hearing of puppies when they are 45 days old,” says Irina Kalugina, cynologist, owner of the Symphony of Stars Dalmatian kennel. – Now Dalmatian breeders can apply to the National Breed Club and an operator with the necessary equipment will come to them, who will conduct the test right in the nursery. Moreover, it does not matter in what outback the nursery is located – the breeder pays only for the test itself, and the National Club pays for the road. And, if the breeder does not provide potential buyers with BAER tests of puppies, referring to their high cost or remote place of residence, run away from such kennels – they do not take responsibility for dogs, do not value their health, it is dangerous to purchase puppies in such places.

In addition to hearing, Dalmatians have another genetic problem – a tendency to urolithiasis (UCD). Unlike other dogs, Dalmatians do not break down uric acid and accumulate in the body, which leads to the formation of stones. Suffer from ICD, mainly males. To avoid ICD, it is necessary to follow the rules for feeding Dalmatians, excluding foods high in purines from their diet: beef liver, beef offal, brains, oily sea fish – mackerel, herring, sardines, as well as yeast. From industrial feeds, it is better to choose those that contribute to the prevention of urolithiasis. And, in order to be calm for your Dalmatian, you can check the acidity of urine using litmus papers and, having discovered its increase, immediately contact a veterinarian for advice.

“Dalmatians are not prone to allergies, but if the puppy’s parents were allergic, then most likely he will also have allergies,” explains Irina Kalugina, cynologist, owner of the Symphony of Stars Dalmatian kennel. – Sometimes allergies can occur after a wasp sting or other insects, so before walking it is necessary to treat the dog’s coat from ticks, fleas and other parasites. It is also necessary to follow the vaccination schedule and anthelmintic prophylaxis. And next to you a cheerful and healthy Dalmatian will live for a long time.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about keeping a Dalmatian with zoo engineer, veterinarian Anastasia Kalinina.