Dalmatian

From Pet Encyclopedia

Dalmatian

Dalmatian

Origin of Breed

Croatia

Breed Nick Names

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Origin and History 3 Appearance 4 Temperament 5 Health 6 External Links 7 References

[edit] Introduction

So what is today's Dalmatian really like? Physically, the dog is usually of medium size, around 22-24 inches to the shoulder. He or she has a short haired coat with a black or liver spotted flashy appearance. Dalmatians for pet homes, and for those who choose to show them, are usually lively energetic dogs, who like people and often love children, but require kind but firm discipline. They need daily long exercise and contact with people and are not suitable for people who cannot provide them with either. Nor are they for the house-proud as they will often shed their coats year round - usually white hairs when you're wearing black or dark colours, and black/brown hairs when you're wearing light colours! Dralon or velvet upholstery is not quite the right furnishing fabric for this breed, who sometimes believe they are lap dogs!

They love to smile by turning up the upper lip looks simular to a snarl.

[edit] Origin and History

The Dalmatian's origin is unknown, there are some theories which place him in Asia, Europe and Africa. The breed certainly has ancient roots and there are engravings from ancient Egypt which show a Dalmatian-type dog running with Egyptian chariots. Dalmatians were also a favourite with Romanies in Europe and first written references calling this spotted dog a Dalmatian occur in the late 18th Century which found the breed in the Dalmatia region of Yugoslavia.

[edit] Appearance

General Appearance A distinctively spotted dog, balanced, strong, muscular and active. Symmetrical in outline, free from coarseness and lumber.

Characteristics A carriage dog of good demeanour, capable of great endurance and a fair turn of speed.

Head and Skull Of fair length, skull flat, reasonably broad between ears, moderately well defined in front of ears. Moderate amount of stop. Entirely free from wrinkle. Muzzle long, powerful, never snipy; lips clean, fitting jaw moderately closely. Nose in black spotted variety always black, in liver spotted variety always brown.

Eyes Set moderately well apart, medium size, round, bright and sparkling, with intelligent expression. Colour, dark in black spotted, amber in liver spotted. Eye rims preferably completely black in black spotted, and liver brown in liver spotted.

Ears Set on rather high, moderate size, rather wide at base, gradually tapering to rounded point. Fine in texture, carried close to head. Marking well broken up, preferably spotted.

Mouth Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck Fairly long, nicely arched, light and tapering. Entirely free from throatiness.

Forequarters Shoulders moderately oblique, clean and muscular. Elbows close to body. Forelegs perfectly straight with strong round bone down to feet, with slight spring at pastern joint.

Body Chest not too wide but deep and capacious with plenty of lung and heart room. Ribs well sprung, well defined withers, powerful level back, loin strong, clean, muscular and slightly arched.

Hindquarters Rounded, muscles clean with well developed second thigh, good turn of stifle, hocks well defined.

Feet Round, compact, with well arched toes, cat-like, round, tough, elastic pads. Nails black or white in black spotted variety, in liver spotted, brown or white.

Tail Length reaching approximately to hock. Strong at insertion gradually tapering towards end, never inserted too low or too high, free from coarseness and carried with a slight upward curve, never curled. Preferably spotted.

Gait/Movement Great freedom of movement. Smooth, powerful, rhythmic action with long stride. Viewed from fore and aft, the legs should appear straight with a degree of convergence towards the centre line at the trot. The feet should move along straight lines with the rear feet tracking the fore. A short stride and paddling action is incorrect

Coat Short, hard, dense; sleek and glossy in appearance.

Colour Ground colour pure white. Black spotted, dense black spots, and liver spotted, liver brown spots; not running together but round and well defined. In size one-penny to fifty-pence piece. Spots as well distributed as possible. Spots on extremities smaller than those on body. Patches, tricolours and spotting colour other than black or liver unacceptable. Bronzing on spots undesirable in adults.

Size Overall balance of prime importance. Ideal height: 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.

Note Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

[edit] Temperament

Temperament Outgoing and friendly, not shy or hesitant, free from nervousness and aggression.

[edit] Health

We are lucky in the breed to have very few serious congenital problems. The main health issues, which any Dalmatian owner/breeder should be aware of are deafness, urinary stones and epilepsy. Some dogs also exhibit allergy symptoms.

Not all health problems are hereditary but when considering breeding, any health issues in the dogs line should be checked.

[edit] External Links

British Dalmatian Club

[edit] References