DALMATIAN

This dog was selected and bred in the Ancient Dalmatia, now a territory in Croatia. During its origins it was called a “relay dog”: for its great resistance, it walked ahead or behind its master’s carriages to protect them during journeys. The Disney movie, 101 Dalmatians, made it a fashionable dog, which had already been the pet of some firemen corporations in the United States, after the publishing of Dodie Smith’s site in 1956.

PHYSICAL TRAITS of the DALMATIAN
Elegant, with delicate lines and well defined muscles, it has a 60 cm height to the cross, in the case of males, and the females are 3 cm shorter. The head is wide; the skull is flat, straight and black nose in the spot’s color. The eyes are round and separated, amber in dogs with liver red spots and dark in the black spotted dogs; the ears are high implanted, wide at the base, narrowing toward the tip, which is round. It has short and dense hair, pure white with spots, black or liver red, uneven and smaller on the legs.

It relates well to other domestic animals, especially to horses, towards who it feels a defined preference.

TEMPERAMENT AND ADAPTATION of the DALMATIAN
It is docile, beautiful and a good partner, it likes children, mostly those who are old enough to play with it. It doesn’t like being alone and have a great memory. It is very active, for which it is not recommended for elderly or lazy owners. It adapts well to any home although it prefers open spaces. The males tend to fight other dogs, but that is something that can be avoided through good training.

EXERCISE AND CARE required for a DALMATIAN
It should be brushed daily and bathed frequently to ease the removal of dead hair that, especially during seasonal change, falls abundantly. This way it will be kept clean and shiny. Exercise is essential to avoid this dog’s tendency to overweight, so if it lives in a flat, it should take outdoor walks during one daily hour.

The Dalmatian skin spots appear during its first year, since when they are born they are completely white.