Hit the spot

Dalmatian factlet by Laure-Anne Viselé
December 2010

A few facts about dalmatians

I feel like delving into Dalmatians today. Here come the spotty facts.

Fun dalmatian references

• LouDog! Remember the dog of the world’s greatest band, Sublime?

• The House of Spots is owned by a photographer and his dalmatians. Check out this GREAT blog.
• ‘101 Dalmatians‘ was Disney’s 17th feature movie. It was released in 1961.

How they look. Did you know that…

• The spots can be brown or black.
• They are born white, except the patchy ones (as opposed to the spotty ones) and the spots appear clearly around the 6th week.
• The spots continue to grow throughout their life.
• Blue-eyed dalmatians exist. They mainly have brown or black eyes, though.

Respectable size

• Weight: Between 35 to 70 pounds (16 to 32 kg)
• Height: Between 19 to 24 inches (48 to 61 cm)

Origin: where, and why?

Documented evidence of the breed since 1792, in “Dalmatia” (ancient Croatian state where present-day Dubrovnik is).

They were used as a:

• War dogs, guarding the Croatian border.
• Guard dogs, mainly spread in Great Britain.
• Fire-house dogs, or carriage dogs, in the US. It used to run close to the horse-drawn fire “truck” to protect the horses against farm and stray dogs.

Energy levels: boundless

They are tireless. A friend used to cycle with his dalmatian alongside the bike for hours, just to tire him out. Bad move: that will only increase your dog’s stamina.

Temper, temper…

They can be quite excitable, and they have the tendency to be snappy and yappy, so you’ll have to:

• Focus on good manners, and
• Be particularly wary with children.

White dog health

Like many white, short-haired dogs, they are prone to:

• skin irritation; and
• deafness

A big pile of hair

Their short, white hair sheds A LOT. So you’ll have to brush them off really often.

FCI breed registry (technical stuff)

(the FCI is THE global breed registry)

• Breed #153
• Group 6 (Scent hounds, leash hounds and related breeds)
• Section 3 (Related breeds)

Any comments?

• Did I forget something?
• Did I get something hopelessly wrong?
• Have you ever owned one, or know someone who does?
• What’s your  experience with dalmatians: good or bad?

Further reading

• Breeding gentle giants: Anatolian shepherds: Canis bonus interview with Anatolian shepherd breeder
• King Charles Spaniels vs. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels: Canis bonus article about Cavalier and King Charles Spaniels