The DALMATIAN
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BIS Am. Can. Ch. Merry go Round XKE~ one of my favorite dals
The History of The Dalmatian (I wrote this for my website)
The history of the Dalmatian is ancient and very jumbled. Different sources will send you through a new story each time. In writing this piece, I have used as many versions as I could get my hands on. I am most keen to beleive those individuals who have done the most research, including travels to personally talk with locals and historians of the regions key to the development of the breed.
There is evidence of pointer shaped, spotted dogs throughout Europe before and especially during the middle ages. They have a strong tie to the gypsies, who were quick to grab the flashy animals as an addition to their street performances. Since the gypsies were nomadic, the dal was quickly dispersed throughout eastern and western Europe. When the keeping of dogs regained popularity they were used as sight hounds, scent hounds, bird dogs, and guard dogs for the carriages and horses from roadmen and thieves. Whatever they were used for, they have always had an affinity with horses. Type varied greatly throughout this time, and there is usually no mention of color. They were known first as the “Bengal Harrier” and were said to have come out of India from cross between a tiger and a dog. At that time, (16th and 17th centuries) spotted dogs used for hunting were quite common. Wether the dal originated from setters and spaniels of roan or belton marking is not yet verified, however, evidence points toward it. The first use of the name Dalmatian is in a 1700s translation of the French book Natural History. Liver, black, and tricolor were all prominent.
Although many people still try to connect the breed to the Dalmatian coast of Yugoslavia, there is no information whatever of spotted dogs of any kind being indigenous to the region. One 17th century traveler to the region wrote of the mastiff and molloser dogs used for pulling carts, guarding, and sport, but he did not mention any spotted dogs. One would think if there were any spotted dogs such as a Dalmatian prototype, he would have commented on such an eccentric dog. It is unknown how it gained its name, perhaps by chance or by mistake. A man in Serbia, although originally from Dalmatia, who was known as Jurij Dalmatin imported some dogs and bred them, although no mention of color or spots is mentioned.
Dalmatians were used as a symbol of the Roman Catholic church for years, so there is proof that the breed was already established in Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries.
In its early years as a recognized and bred breed of dog it much resembled a pointer, although acted more like a flusher. In the 1700s, English gentlemen coming back from their tours of Europe that were so common around the time discoverd and brought them home. Most people tried to train them as pointers, and most dogs did poorly. It became fashionable to have one or usually two of these flashy dogs running underneath your coach just after the first axel. They made excelent guard dogs of the coach and luggage carried in it. In those days it was tradition to crop the entire leather of the ears. England is the birthplace of the current type of the Dalmatian as we know them today.
Dals have been in the United States as long as the time of General and President George Washington, who kept them himself. They were also kept by the fire departments as mascotts and to run out in front of the horses and act as a modern day siren might, clearing the way, and also to calm and ease the horses during all the chaos.
As automobiles were created, they went on to become circus performers, and companions, but their connections to the fire department remained.
Copyright 2006
Temperament
Since historically the breed was used as a guard dog, they should technically be slightly reserved around new people, but quickly warm up to them when introduced by the owner as a welcome person. There is a big difference between being reserved and shyness, shyness is a major fault. This is becuase of a 20th century study of inherited coaching ability carried out using a large kennel that trained dogs for coaching. It was found that those indeviduals not suited for coaching were also majorly hand shy.
Nowadays, many breeders are interperating the phrase, "Shyness is a major fault" to mean the dog should always be outgoing and welcome to any new people. IN my oppinion, a dal should be a good guard dog, not becomming overly exhuberant with a new person without first being introduced by a trusted human.
Grooming/Shedding
Do dals shed a lot? You bet! All year round. Even after daily brushing and sometimes even vaccuming their fur they will still shed a considerable amount so if you don't like hair, the dal is NOT for you. Each hair has a small barb on the end that seems to make sure it gets stuck in everything. Vaccuming a hairy surface won't always remove all the hair. If you have a labrador, expect a dal to shed more.
Dalmatians have a fine, smooth coat. Daily grooming with a flea comb followed by a good rub down with a damp cloth should help ease the shedding. Dals do not need to be clipped, some are even shown unclipped. For show, if they have a bit of hair sticking out that is noticable in their profile it is usually trimmed off, and whiskers are shaved for show. Dew claws are almost always removed because dals have been known to repedily get them caught on things and rip them open. They will need their nails clipped regularly to keep them nice and short, promoting nice round and compact 'catlike' feet essential to good movement.
Excersize/ Homelife
Dals were bred to run 12-25 miles a day, therefore, they are capible of great endurance. My dal could run a few miles at a quick pace in the summer and come back barley panting. If you do not plan on running, biking, or riding a few miles a day then a dal is not for you. My neighbors have a John Deere AMT that they excersize their vizslas with at their farm in WI and I think that would be a great way for a dal to get excerize also. Many dals still train for and compete in Road Dog trials where a dog runs at hock to a horse for 12 or 25 miles over a day.
Dals need to be inside dogs. If they are not a part of the family and being mentally stimulated they will easily become ditructive. They are very smart, but may not always want to please you. The also don't tollerate the cold well and may need a jacket in the winter.
Health
Dalmatians are generally a healthy breed. Most good breeders will x-ray for hip dysplasia and get a rating, although it is rarely a problem in dals.
Deafness is a major problem, because before about 1987, there was no scientific way to test for deafness, so Dalmatians with hearing in only one ear (unilateral hearing) were often bred, carrying deafness to their offspring. Now, we have Brain stem Auditory Evoked Response testing, or BAER. Puppies are usually tested at 5-8 weeks old.
The other major problem is bladder or urinary stones. Dals are the only breed that can not process purines which leads to high uridic acid levels, which leads to the formation of stones. Foods such as liver, beef, and anchovies are high in purines and should be moderately feed to dals.
Since I know little about health, if you want more info, go to the Dal Club of America's website
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