What You Should Know About the Dalmatian

Where should I begin? How can I make it completely clear what this breed is really like—looking back over nearly thirty-five years? What I have always considered important, and what I always explain when someone is interested in the breed, is this.

It is most likely that the completely unique harlequin gene mutation that gives the Dalmatian its coloring—black or brown spots on a white background—came into being somewhere in the Mediterranean basin about 3,000 years ago. Finds pointing to the Dalmatian’s ancestors have been discovered in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. One thing is certain: the Dalmatian has always been the dog of the aristocracy. On the one hand, because this uniquely striking coloration could only be preserved if the dogs were kept isolated from other dogs. On the other hand, people living in poorer circumstances did not have the means to keep the breed going. If a Dalmatian “mates out,” so to speak, and is bred with other breeds, the offspring completely lose this distinctive coloration. So the harlequin gene is likely recessive in relation to other genes that determine such traits. The Dalmatian is a smart dog and learns easily. It can be taught everything we expect from it. It has little body odor; because in those places where it has no spots, its skin is albino—without pigment. Very little odor-producing material is released from these areas, which is why Dalmatians have their characteristically mild “smell.”

The essence of the Dalmatian

The essence of the breed lies in the Dalmatian’s general appearance and its use: it is a dog born for movement; this is supported by its physique and the balanced musculature of its body. During its development it has always had some kind of task—sometimes it had to work to assist humans (guarding, hunting, etc.), sometimes it was used as decoration by the 19th–20th century English aristocracy as a symbol of a lavish lifestyle (as a carriage dog)—but in every era its job was work based on movement. Or, in America, it became popular in the role of the “firehouse dog.”

That is why it would be very important for today’s breeders and fans of the breed to regard this fact and this trait as the Dalmatian’s most important breeding consideration. So, in order to maintain good movement ability, it would be desirable to use in breeding those individuals that have perfect anatomical structure—thereby creating the basic condition for movement.

For me, the Dalmatian has become part of my life; this fact determines my everyday life. My hobby is also my lifestyle.

Besides the option and routine of walking them on a leash and later letting them run free, my favorite activity is exercising them by bicycle. In terms of both quantity and speed, this way of exercising satisfies my dogs’ needs—no less than it satisfies my own.

In addition, the sight of a truly beautiful, well-proportioned Dalmatian moving freely in nature is a fantastic visual experience for me. Perhaps this is why I have been a devoted admirer of the Dalmatian breed for nearly thirty years now, and why all of my breeding activity is focused on achieving this goal.

Besides movement, the other most important and, for the Dalmatian breed, so specifically characteristic trait is its unique color, pigmentation, and spotting. The placement and number of spots on a given dog are almost impossible to regulate; Dalmatians cannot be bred for the number of spots or their placement. Therefore, in breeding and judging, dogs with denser or, conversely, sparser spotting must not be excluded or described as weaker in any way. After all, this is inherited completely at random. A desirable consideration may be an even distribution of spotting (evenly dense, or evenly sparse), but one should strive for spots of roughly similar size within a given dog. The considerations described about spotting and pigmentation apply equally to both the black-spotted and the brown-spotted (liver) varieties. Dogs whose spotting is unevenly distributed do not look proportionate from an optical point of view, because the parts where the pigmentation is stronger and darker look smaller, while the whiter (spotless) body parts appear larger—therefore an even distribution of spots is important.

The modern appearance of the Dalmatian is thanks to English breeders of the 1800s and to the tastes and whims of the aristocracy of that time. After all, Dalmatians were the so-called carriage escorts that defined their luxurious lifestyle. They tried to outdo others by having more spotted dogs around their coaches during visits. It was not uncommon for 15–20, or even more, spotted dogs to surround the coach while it was moving. The goal was to attract attention with the unusual sight of a coach surrounded by spotted dogs, and also to protect the coach. Most Dalmatians of that era had very good guarding and protective instincts, whereas today, of my four dogs, this can only really be said of one.

This produced enormous selection pressure in the breed’s development. In most cases these animals had to cover distances of 30–40 kilometers, and in many cases even more, running without stopping in one stretch. Any dog that could not handle it literally dropped out of the line and could no longer pass its genes on to its offspring. From the point of view of height, it was important that the dog fit under the coach axle while running, and that its tail not curl much higher than the upper line of the back while running; thus individuals with tails curling toward the middle of the back were selected out, because these traits—insufficiently suitable height and tail carriage—were simply a hazard while running. Those that could cover such distances under these conditions and under environmental and terrain conditions (running up and down) were all animals with very strong bone and good musculature.

From here comes the modern Dalmatian’s “hobby” of eating! The Dalmatian is not a picky breed; whatever it thinks contains some nutrients, it eats immediately. What happened when they got from one castle to another? They were herded into the stables alongside horses and other domestic animals, and whatever they found there (mouse, rat, horse manure, feed, etc.) they ate—so that they could cover the tremendous energy requirement needed to travel such long distances. Needless to say, in those days there were no dog foods—let alone premium foods, where there are so many options that one can hardly choose. The Dalmatians that remained in breeding were those that could tolerate this kind of strain. This is the source of the Dalmatian’s enormous need for exercise and its toughness, which is also the essence of the breed. It is typically not a sickly breed; apart from mandatory vaccinations or occasional mechanical injuries, it is not common to have to turn to a veterinarian. So it can safely be stated that the Dalmatian is not a sickly breed.

What does the Dalmatian like?

To run—definitely—any amount, any distance, tireless. To eat—definitely—anything, anytime; we could even say the Dalmatian’s hobby is eating. It likes to be close to its owner, often requires physical contact; it comes over and asks for petting, or, returning this, is capable of “cleaning” by licking. My bitches do this with each other as well. The parts of their bodies they cannot reach themselves, they clean for each other. They like to clean each other’s head, eyes, mouth, and ears. The Dalmatian is an exceptionally clean dog. Because it only has a topcoat, dirt, mud, or any other contamination falls off it easily and quickly. It is easy to clean and keep clean; its coat does not require much grooming. It sheds constantly; its hair falls out continuously. No matter how much you brush, it still comes out. In certain periods, in the spring season, it sheds somewhat more heavily. Although my dogs live indoors with us all the time, we have gotten used to the constant shedding and the need to regularly clean up their hair—it is not a problem. With their kindness, their attachment, and their immeasurable love, they make you forget everything. I mentioned that they have no undercoat, so they get cold in winter and, in summer, they are too warm in extreme heat. They love spending time indoors in an air-conditioned living room.

I already mentioned that it is a very greedy dog; it eats everything it finds. It can consume any amount of food we put in front of it, therefore, as a result of overfeeding, a Dalmatian can easily become overweight. One must find the balance between feeding an adult dog and exercising it. Nowadays, feeding is one of the most delicate parts of dog ownership, because there can be huge differences between different dog foods. Foods containing gluten can cause allergies, which show up as increased shedding. Other things can also cause allergic symptoms, for example foods containing chicken, etc. Hypoallergenic foods have worked for us, basically lamb-and-rice based. The allergen-triggering potential of hypoallergenic foods is so low that their use does not cause any allergic reaction or sensitivity. They regularly get fruit; they love apples, cherries, oranges—whatever I am eating. They sit down next to me in a row and wait for the bites. I cannot emphasize enough that this opinion is based entirely on my own experience; of course, elsewhere others may have different opinions.

They require running on a daily basis. I accompany them by bicycle, or on a forced march on foot; we have our usual distance, which is about 9 kilometers from our house to the turning point, measured by GPS. In the inhabited area they run along the left side of the bicycle for two streets, while I sit on the bicycle holding the handlebar with my right hand, and with my left hand I hold the four dogs on leashes. I cover 10 kilometers by bicycle; they run freely around me as they please, which means they cover a multiple of this distance. They like to sniff around and track scents; of the four dogs, two are real vole hunters. They sniff out the voles’ nests and systematically dig them out; they pull up clumps of grass with their teeth, and whichever vole they manage to catch, they eat with great relish. I have a Dalmatian that loves retrieving and can bring back an endless number of thrown sticks. They like to swim in the lakes found very close to where we live; playing in the water is no problem; they follow me everywhere. Their being pack dogs means they feel good together; the Dalmatian feels safe next to its owner.

A Dalmatian kept alone—forced to spend its whole day alone—can do wonders to entertain itself. To the owner’s not small surprise, by the time they get home, it can cause a lot of damage, either in the garden or in the apartment, so I cannot stress enough how important it is to “tire out” the dog daily. If we do this, then in that case it will only sleep until its owner comes home again.

Who is this breed really for?

Based on what has been said, I recommend the Dalmatian to a person who:

• Likes to walk
• Likes to cycle
• Follows a sufficiently sporty lifestyle
• Can take one to one and a half hours out of their daily routine to deal with their dog
• Is capable of being thoughtfully consistent—because a Dalmatian puppy is very cute and we are willing to forgive it everything when it is only a few months old, but then time passes quickly and the puppy grows up, and it can look at its owner in confusion: why can’t I do what I could when I first came here?
• Trains consistently
• Can keep the dog indoors with them. Dalmatians that are excluded from the home and kept in kennels do not feel well; they become nervous and restless.
• Is over 8 years old. This may seem strange written this way, but it is not a breed for small children, because it is an energetic sporting dog.
• Wants a sporting dog
• Wants to receive lots of love from their dog
• Wants to take their dog to a dog school
• May be looking for a constant companion—in the Dalmatian, they can find a true partner.