The dalmatian breed and what you need to know about it!
Table of Contents
Size
Dalmations are medium-sized dogs, with the males growing to be about 23 inches tall and the females growing up to 22 inches tall.
Weight
Both male and female dalmatians weigh anything between forty-five to sixty pounds.
Color
Dalmations are primarily white, and they have spots. Their spots come in even more colors than black, brown, or tan. They come in blue, liver, brindle, and lemon as well. The most well-known Dalmatian is white with black holes; the lesser-known is a brown-spotted dalmatian.
Coat
Dalmations have short thick coats and only have a single layer coat. It is worth noting that only some Dalmatians have identical jackets. Each of them is unique in the number of spots they have, with the shape of some of their spots and with the placement of their spots. You will never find two identical dalmatians,
Dalmatian Breed Shedding
Despite their short coats, dalmatians tend to shed a copious amount because their hair shafts have a short lifespan, so they constantly grow new fur.
Dalmatian Temperament
Dalmations are on the more sensitive side of dog breeds. They are also high-energy and highly playful. Dalmations may not be the best fit if you have small children. The Dalmatians may not always be situationally aware when they are active and hence may accidentally injure young children. It would be wise to properly socialize your Dalmatian as some dalmatians have an aggressive streak regarding strangers and dogs they are unfamiliar with.
Proper socialization when they are young could eliminate aggression issues in the dalmatian breed. It is also worth mentioning that dalmatians have exceptional memories and can remember when they have been treated well or poorly for years after the fact. Some dalmatians can come across as high-strung, and others can be pretty shy and reserved, especially amongst strangers. Well and adequately socialized dalmatians are less likely to be aggressive and also less likely to be nervous.
Well-trained dalmatians can make fantastic watchdogs because of their alertness and intelligence. Dalmatians are not a breed that thrives when left on their own for too long, and they can become destructive or depressed if left unattended for too long. As mentioned earlier in the article, dalmatians have an insane amount of energy, and if they do not have a large yard to run in, they will need to go on multiple walks or long walks to rid themselves of some of their energy.
Dalmations are dogs that crave company, they are ideal for owners who enjoy spending a lot of time with their pets, and it may be beneficial to have another dog or another dalmatian for the dog to grow up with. If you’re ready for an adventurous dog who loves attention and loves you, then you will love having a dalmatian as your pet.
Dalmatian Health
When taking proper care of a dalmatian, you need to ensure that they have regular vet checkups so that any health issues that may pop up can be addressed. Two major health issues that dalmatians struggle with are deafness and stones in the urinary tract. They may also work with a couple of minor health issues like seizures, issues with their eyes, hyperthyroidism, and some allergies as well.
Dalmatian Lifespan
Dalmations have a lifespan of between twelve and fourteen years, and one of the oldest recorded dalmatians lived to 29 years and passed away seven months before they would have been thirty years old. It shows you what proper care of your animal can do to its lifespan.
Best Diet for a Dalmatian
The best dog food for dalmatians is a well-balanced one. Dalmatians need a diet that has low protein and purine content. To avoid heart and liver issues, they should have less than 20% protein in their diet. Your Dalmatian will thrive on a diet of poultry or white fish in combination with some potatoes, fruit, vegetables, and cheese.
Their diet should also consist of a decent amount of carbohydrates to help maintain their stamina and energy. Because of their predisposition to urinary stones, it is wise to keep a dalmatians diet low in acid but higher in pH levels. Dalmatians should avoid foods like maize gluten, beef, shellfish, pork, and eggs as they are pretty high in purine content and thus can harm the Dalmatian, possibly causing the formation of urinary stones.
Origin of the Dalmatian
Even though it is a mysterious origin, one thing we know for sure about its head is that it is not recent. Dalmatians have been around for a significant number of years and a great many generations.
Dalmatians have a rich history of being very adventurous in multiple areas of life. Of course, most people know them either from the Disney movie or as firehouse mascots, but there is so much more to dalmatians than that. Some dalmatians were circus performers, while others were hunters. Some dalmatians were trained to run alongside horse-drawn carriages to protect the horses and the passengers from other dogs and possible threats they could encounter on their journey. Still, other dalmatians worked as war sentinels.
These dalmatians worked as war sentinels on the border of Croatia and Dalmatia, from which they received their name. Today we mainly see dalmatians as pets, companionship for humans even though they still have the potential to do so much more with the proper training.
The specific lineage of dalmatians is not completely traceable, but it has been speculated that they are related to the pointer dog breed. Even more recently, there have been attempts to breed out some of the Dalmatian’s ‘bad genetics’ like the urinary stones by breeding them with pointers. Although this new breed of Dalmatian is not widely accepted as Dalmatian, some kennel associations have now allowed them to be registered.
Although the history of dalmatians is still being determined, it is suspected that they are from Europe as they are named after a region in Austria, Dalmatia, a coastal area of Austria situated in the South East of Europe. Very interestingly, though, there have been paintings found of Dalmatian well dogs with spots on which we can assume are dalmatians or one of their ancestors.
On the walls of tombs in Egypt, which adds to the unclarity of their origin. In these pictures, the dog is shown to be running alongside horse-drawn carriages, which gives one even more reason to believe it may be dalmatians, as this was one of their many purposes in Europe. Some dalmatians were bred solely for ‘coaching,’ running alongside horse-drawn carriages.
What You Need to Know About Dalmatians
Dalmatians are born without spots. If you have ever watched the trendy Disney movie about dalmatians, you might remember one of the puppies almost having an identity crisis due to his lack of spots. In contrast, all the other dalmatian puppies already had their spots. Some dalmatians take longer than others to receive their spots, and no dalmatian has had them from the beginning.
