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| "This dog originated in Dalmatia Europe. |
Our second dog show contestant is a Dalmatian, the firehouse favorite. His owner Dan is in fact, the son of a fireman. He was officially named . . . Fire-Laddie, but Dan just calls him Spotty.
THE DALMATIAN (COACH DOG)
Origin - Probably indigenous to Dalmatia, a province of Austria, but records of the 16th century describe such a dog as belonging to Spain. The latest authentic trace is Denmark, where it is used for drawing carts. It very much resembles the pointer in form.
Uses - It is used simply to follow the coach or equestrian.
General Appearance - General appearance the Dalmatian should represent a strong, muscular and active dog free from coarseness and lumber, capable of great endurance combined with speed.
Head - Fair length, skull flat, rather broad between the ears, and moderately well defined at the temples, one straight line from the nose to the occiput bone, as required in a bull terrier. It should be entirely free from wrinkle.
Muzzle - Long and powerful, the lips clean, fitting the jaws moderately
Eyes - Set moderately well apart, and of medium size, round, bright and sparkling, with an intelligent expression. In the black spotted variety, the eyes should be dark (black or dark brown); in the liver spotted variety they should be light (yellow or light brown). The rim round the eyes in the black spotted variety should be black, in the liver spirited variety never flesh-colored in either.
Ears - Set on rather high, of moderate size, rather wide at the base, and gradually tapering to a rounded point. They should be carried close to the head, be thin and fine in texture, and always spotted, the more profusely the better.
Uses - It is used simply to follow the coach or equestrian.
General Appearance - General appearance the Dalmatian should represent a strong, muscular and active dog free from coarseness and lumber, capable of great endurance combined with speed.
Head - Fair length, skull flat, rather broad between the ears, and moderately well defined at the temples, one straight line from the nose to the occiput bone, as required in a bull terrier. It should be entirely free from wrinkle.
Muzzle - Long and powerful, the lips clean, fitting the jaws moderately
Eyes - Set moderately well apart, and of medium size, round, bright and sparkling, with an intelligent expression. In the black spotted variety, the eyes should be dark (black or dark brown); in the liver spotted variety they should be light (yellow or light brown). The rim round the eyes in the black spotted variety should be black, in the liver spirited variety never flesh-colored in either.
Ears - Set on rather high, of moderate size, rather wide at the base, and gradually tapering to a rounded point. They should be carried close to the head, be thin and fine in texture, and always spotted, the more profusely the better.
Nose - In the black spotted variety should always be black ; in the liver spotted variety always brown.
Neck and Shoulders - The neck fairly long, nicely arched, light and tapering, and entirely free from throatiness. The shoulders should be moderately oblique, clean and muscular, denoting speed.
Body - The chest not too wide, but very deep and capacious, ribs moderately well sprung, never rounded like barrel hoops (which would indicate want of speed), the back powerful, loin strong, muscular and slightly arched.
Legs and Feet - These are of great importance. The fore-legs should be perfectly straight, strong and heavy in bone, elbows close to the body, fore-feet round, compact, with well arched toes (cat -footed) and round, tough, elastic pads. In the hind legs the muscles should be clean, though well-defined, the hocks well let down.
Tail - Not too long, but strong at the insertion, and gradually tapering towards the end, and free from coarseness. It should not be inserted too low down, but carried with a slight curve upwards, and never curled. It should be spotted, the more profusely the better.
Coat - Short, hard, dense and fine, sleek and glossy in appearance, but neither woolly nor silky.
Color and Markings - These are most important points. The ground color in both varieties should be pure white, very decided and not intermixed. The color of the spots, in the black spotted varieties should be black, the deeper and richer the black the better ; in the liver spotted variety they should be brown. The spots should not intermingle, but be as round and as well defined as possible, the more distinct the better. The spots on head, face, ears, legs, tail and extremities to be smaller than those on the body.
Size - Male Dogs, 55 lbs., Female Dogs, 50 lbs.
Body - The chest not too wide, but very deep and capacious, ribs moderately well sprung, never rounded like barrel hoops (which would indicate want of speed), the back powerful, loin strong, muscular and slightly arched.
Legs and Feet - These are of great importance. The fore-legs should be perfectly straight, strong and heavy in bone, elbows close to the body, fore-feet round, compact, with well arched toes (cat -footed) and round, tough, elastic pads. In the hind legs the muscles should be clean, though well-defined, the hocks well let down.
Tail - Not too long, but strong at the insertion, and gradually tapering towards the end, and free from coarseness. It should not be inserted too low down, but carried with a slight curve upwards, and never curled. It should be spotted, the more profusely the better.
Coat - Short, hard, dense and fine, sleek and glossy in appearance, but neither woolly nor silky.
Color and Markings - These are most important points. The ground color in both varieties should be pure white, very decided and not intermixed. The color of the spots, in the black spotted varieties should be black, the deeper and richer the black the better ; in the liver spotted variety they should be brown. The spots should not intermingle, but be as round and as well defined as possible, the more distinct the better. The spots on head, face, ears, legs, tail and extremities to be smaller than those on the body.
Size - Male Dogs, 55 lbs., Female Dogs, 50 lbs.
COMMENTS.
Like other breeds, Dalmatians display a propensity towards certain
health problems specific to their breed, such as deafness, allergies,
and urinary stones. Reputable breeders have their puppies BAER
(Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) tested to ensure the status of the
hearing on their pups. The Dalmatian Club of America lists the average
lifespan of a Dalmatian at between 11 and 13 years, although some can
live as long as 15 to 16 years. Breed health surveys in the US and the UK show an average lifespan of 9.9 and 11.55 years, respectively. In their late teens, both males and females may suffer bone spurs and arthritic conditions. Autoimmune thyroiditis may be a relatively common condition for the breed, affecting 11.6% of dogs. Read more. . .
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