Dalmatians
A Bit About The Breed:History:
The dalmatian is an elegant & useful companion that has served mankind for longer then most purebred dogs. Despite being a very popular breed, little is known about its origin & no dog historians have been able to come up with a precise answer. The most reliable of sources suggests they originated in the eastern Mediterranean from where they spread to India & over Europe. Some suggest they did this while travelling with gypsies, who believed they were magical & thought by touching their spots they would bring them good luck.
The Dalmatian only became recognized in the form we know today during the coaching era in Great Britian & other European countries, where it hunted & guarded for hundreds of years. The dalmatian gaited with horses for many miles & the horse is something they have a natural affinity with. They were reported to have been seen running beside the chariots of the ancient Egyptians & the warriors of Babylon while models of spotted dogs have been recovered from Ancient Greek archeaological excavations. It is also believed that the dalmatian got its name from Dalmatia on the Mediterranean coast, but this has never been proven.
Dalmatians were bred in Australia as far back as 1899. They are known to be Black or Liver spotted on white, with a short coat. They are strong, muscular & active dogs, elegantly balanced & capable of great endurance with a fair amount of speed. Requiring at least an hours walk or run a day. They are good natured & even tempered with happy dispositions that are easily trained to obedience & confirmation showing. Among their many endearing characteristics is the dalmatians strong sense of presence & 'belonging' to the family group.
General:
Dalmatians are faithful & affectionate, easily trained & exceptionally intelligent. They not only look Aristocratic, but behave like gentlemen. The dalmatian is a very versatile breed, which has been used as a hunting dog, war dog during both world wars, carriage dog & is still used as a guide dog, & firedog in the USA. He is a gentleman by nature, forthcoming & anxious to please.
Most dalmatians are alert, extremely energetic & people orientated. They require long daily walks or runs to keep fit & healthy, as well as socialization & training as a must. They have a short, easy to groom coat, however they shed a lot & all year round. A pair of dark trousers and tops will turn grey shortly after meeting a dalmatian, the same applying to light clothing. A weekly brush will help limit the amount of hair shed, but there will still be hair found around the place.
Dalmatians love to please & they are very food orientated, doing anything for food. They are not fussy eaters, with all our dalmatians eating fruit, vegies, rice, pasta, anything they can get their paws on.
Diet & Nutrition:
Nutrition is one of the most important aspects of raising a healthy dalmatian. Perhaps in no other breed is the selection of diet so critical. All Dalmatians are susceptible to forming, life-threatening urinary tract ‘stones’ and these can often be effectively managed with the right diet. Susceptibility to forming these ‘stones’ is present in almost all Dalmatians but not all will necessarily form them in their lifetime. For the Dalmatian the critical aspect of the diet is not the amount of protein in it, but the type. Purines are a form of protein known to promote urinary stones in Dalmatians and our goal is therefore, to provide our Dalmatians with a low- purine diet. You can read more about these under our Health Tests page.
The Dalmatian Smile:
They are fun loving natural clowns & often smile. When a dalmatian smiles or "smarls", they curl their lips & bare their teeth. It looks very much like a snarl but it is usually a sign of affection. A dally may also smile to show submission or when they think they may be in trouble. Their theory being no one could be angry at a smiling dog, & it usually works!
However, for the unknowing, a "smarl" can be a bit unnerving.
Check out our Links page for more information...