The Dalmatian is a sturdy, healthy breed with few of the problems that effect so many other breeds. They are handsome, intelligent, easy to care for and make excellent pets, companions and guard dogs. The Dal has a truly unique personality. With family and friends he is an energetic clown, always ready for fun. His sense of humor makes him an amusing companion, his loyalty and devotion make him a valued family member, and his innate sense of property makes him an excellent natural guard dog. The Dalmatian is not for everyone. Most Dals are one family dogs and have a reserved manner with strangers, though they are quick to recognize and accept family friends. Dals must be raised with firmness and discipline. Dogs are basically pack animals and need to know, from the beginning, where they fit in and what the rules are. Dals are quick to take advantage of a situation, and if allowed to do as they wish they quickly become stubborn and uncooperative. Raised with firmness, discipline, love and common sense they make superb companions, are eager to please and are a delight to own.

The Dalmatian is similar in type to the pointer and is related to the Sporting Breeds. He is medium sized, lean, muscular, active and strong. Many Dals show their sporting background in their love of the chase. Most are excellent varmint dogs, and some are outstanding water retrievers. Many have very good noses and can flush game birds, and some will point.

The Dalmatian is often called the Coachdog or Firedog. The breed was originally used around stables, as guard dogs. Some of them would run with the carriages to protect the horses from stray dogs, and when the carriage stopped for the night the Dals would stay with it and guard the carriage and horses. The first fire trucks were actually horse drawn wagons and Dals were present as stable dogs and mascots. When the motorized fire trucks came into being, the Dal was kept on as a mascot. Few fire stations have Dals anymore, but the image lives on and Dals are often used in parades riding atop the fire trucks, much to the delight of kids and adults.

Dals have seen service as seeing eye dogs, war dogs, hunting dogs, circus performers and models. Their striking appearance makes them popular in advertising. Dals are relatively popular in the dog show ring, some are outstanding obedience performers and some hunters swear by them. Most Dals simply serve as beloved family members, a job at which they excel.

All registered breeds have a standard by which the breed is judged. The Dalmatian standard allows a dog of 19 to 24 inches. Most male Dals are about 23 inches tall and weigh approximately 60 pounds. Females are a bit smaller and run about 22 inches and weigh 50 pounds. With the standard allowing such a variation in size, Dals may actually range from 35 to 70 pounds, providing the Dalmatian buyer with quite a choice.

  SPOTTING

The Dalmatian is born pure white. His skin is spotted at birth, and at about 10 days, the colored hair starts to come through. Dals may be either black spotted or liver (dark brown) spotted. Though less common, livers are rapidly becoming very popular, and many breeders are breeding specifically for liver pups. The number of spots is not nearly as important as the distribution of the spotting. The spots should be evenly placed and the pattern should be pleasing to the eye. Spots on the face and legs tend to be smaller, but in general the spots range from a dime to a fifty-cent piece in size.

  RIMS & NOSES

For the show ring, Dalmatians should have solid colored noses and solid eye rims (the mascara-like circles of color around the eyes). Nose and rim color should be the same color as the spots.

Black Dals may have black, brown or blue eyes. Livers should have brown, gold, or blue eyes. Blue eyes are quite common in Dals and the dog may have one or both eyes blue, or an eye may be a mixture of blue and brown.

  PATCHES

Dals sometimes come with "patches". These are large areas of color, bigger than the spots, with no white hairs mixed in. They are most commonly found on the head, appearing as a big spot over the eye, a solid colored ear or perhaps both. They sometimes appear on other parts of the dog, such as around the base of the tail. Patches are present at birth, appearing as an area of color on an otherwise white pup. They cannot be shown, and should not be bred, but make fine pets.

  DEAFNESS

Deafness is encountered in the breed, apparently being linked with the white coat color (as in the blue-eyed white cats that are often deaf). It is not uncommon for one or more pups in a litter to be deaf, and it is something that a responsible breeder carefully checks for. Pups normally start hearing at 15 to 16 days. A pup that does not hear by three weeks rarely will start hearing, though breeders generally keep the pups for a few more weeks just in case. Deaf pups should not be placed as pets. Dals do not tend to lose their hearing as they age, and a normally hearing pup will stay that way.

  EXERCISE

The Dal is an active breed and requires plenty of exercise, especially during adolescence. Either a fenced yard, or an owner willing and able to take the time to walk the dog is an absolute necessity for a healthy well-adjusted Dalmatian. The Dal who is confined too much, receives inadequate exercise, or insufficient attention, may become restless, noisy, frustrated and destructive. Dals are very people oriented and are happiest as members of the family. Adolescents Dals are particularly bouncy, and it sometimes requires patience waiting for a Dal to grow up. They stay puppies for a long time and are not really adults until 18 months or even older.

  SHEDDING

Shedding is a year around thing with a Dalmatian. The hair is short and stiff and tends to stick to fabric. A person who is aggravated by the sight of a few dog hairs should not own a Dal. If the dog is brushed on a regular basis, and kept off the good furniture it helps a great deal. Some corn oil, or a commercial coat supplement added to the diet does help some, but the dog will shed out seasonally no matter what. The shedding is offset by the ease in keeping a Dal's coat looking clean and handsome. Dals rarely require bathing, as they do not have a doggy odor. Even when a Dal gets muddy he does not require a bath - as his coat dries, the dirt tends to fall right off the slick hair. A rubber curry brush is more efficient for grooming a Dal than a bristle brush. Because they shed, Dals are not suitable for people allergic to dogs.

  SOCIALIZING

Dals do require quite a lot of socializing as pups. Just as we send our children to nursery school, we should see to the social life of our dogs. Pups which never go to strange places and never meet new people or other dogs may grow up to be timid adults. Pups should be taken visiting, for walks in the park, for rides in the car, and should be allowed to play with friendly pups of a similar age. Dogs who are never allowed to play with other dogs are often overly aggressive toward them.

  OBEDIENCE TRAINING

ALL DALMATIANS SHOULD ATTEND AN OBEDIENCE CLASS DURING THEIR PUPPYHOOD! The class not only teaches you to manage your dog, but also gives the dog some valuable socialization. He learns to pay attention to his owner no matter what the distraction, gets used to being around other dogs, and gets used to being handled by strangers. The earlier you start classes the better. He should start a least by 6 months, but if there is a  "kindergarten" puppy class available for pups as young as 10 weeks, so much the better.

Dals are a healthy breed and rarely have problems of any type. However, due to a characteristic unique to Dals, they have a type of uric acid metabolism different from all other breeds of dogs. This will occasionally lead to a dog becoming a stone former. An affected dog will have trouble urination. This is most common in middle aged males, but can occur in Dals of all ages and both sexes. Preventative maintenance includes never feeding a Dal a high protein diet or giving him protein supplements, and always making sure the dog has plenty of water (to avoid concentrated urine). If you notice that your dog has a problem, take him to the vet immediately. Another possible problem is allergies. Some Dals are allergic to various types of pollens, grasses, fabric softeners or food additives. This generally causes scratching or a discolored coat. This is most common in adolescent dogs and MOST Dals outgrow this condition.

  HEALTH CARE

routine health care for a Dal should include brushing, ear cleaning and nail clipping. While brushing your dog watch for any lumps, bumps, or bruises, and for any type of skin trouble. Also watch for fleas and ticks as they are much easier to treat if caught early. Ears can be wiped out with a bit of baby oil on a piece of cotton or a paper towel. Do no use alcohol as many Dals have sensitive ears. If you notice a buildup of wax, if the ear has an unnatural odor, if the dog paws at them and shakes his head, or if they look red and inflamed, take him to the vet. Dal nails seem to grow rapidly, especially on dogs who get their exercise on grass. Have your vet demonstrate the proper procedure for nail clipping and make a habit of doing his nails once a week. Long nails are very uncomfortable.

  NEUTERING

We suggest that any pup purchased strictly as a pet be neutered. This will prevent lots of aggravation, eliminate the possibility of "accidental litters" of half Dalmatian mongrels, and may result in a quieter, more contented pet. Neutering slows down the dog's metabolism slightly, he will simply need less food to stay in good condition. If he or she gets too fat, it's your fault for overfeeding.

  WARNING

When feeding a Dal always keep in mind that almost all Dals are chow hounds. Get used to the idea that most Dals do NOT know when to stop eating and it is going to be your job to decide how much food he is going to need to look right and stay healthy. A fat sloppy Dal is an abomination. The Dal should have his ribs covered, but never be allowed to get heavy. As a breed, Dals tend to utilize their food well, and many adults stay in perfect condition on just a couple of cups of dry food a day. Do not believe your Dal when he says he is still hungry. If he is in good flesh and is healthy and active, he is getting enough.

  FEEDING

We recommend that Dals receive dry food as their main diet. Canned and soft moist food products are a waste of money and have very high contents of water and sugar respectively. Dry food is relatively inexpensive, convenient and palatable. DO NOT be miss led and buy one of the extra-cheap brands. It may take twice as much of a cheap product to nourish your dog, and you actually will be losing money in the long run. In addition, cheap foods may actually result I malnutrition, so NO generic or store brands!