Mary Allen
Although the origin of the Dalmatian is not exactly clear, images resembling this breed of dog have already been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that spotted four-legged friends have been around for several thousand years.
Evidence of the origin of the Dalmatians can also be found in church chronicles of the 14th century. Today it is assumed with the relative probability that they originally came from the eastern Mediterranean region.
Thanks to the Disney film 101 Dalmatians at the latest, the breed finally became extremely popular and briefly became the “fashion dog”. But such currents lead not only to an honest interest in dogs – immense demand sometimes leads to breeding and impulsive spontaneous purchases, in which they do not pay attention to whether the requirements of these animals are being met.
Luckily, that phase has passed for the spotted four-legged friends and the hype has died down. However, they remained in demand. And no longer because of the cartoonishness, but because of the many positive qualities that make them pleasant companions and family dogs.
General
- FCI Group 6: Hounds, scent hounds, and related breeds.
- Section 3: Related Breeds
- Height: 56 to 61 cm (male); 54 to 59 centimeters (female)
- Colours: white with black or brown polka dots.
Activity
The Dalmatian is a scent hound, especially lively in the open air. He is very hardy and can also cover long distances at a high pace. Therefore, long walks and excursions are a must, but dog sports such as agility or obedience are also suitable. In addition to physical preparation, mental preparation is also important: short-haired four-legged friends are very smart and ready to learn commands or small tricks. Search games or selections are also popular activities.
Features of the Breed
For a Dalmatian, nothing compares to a harmonious family. He is very sensitive to negative emotions or rudeness. Therefore, he should not be educated in an authoritarian manner, but in any case continuously and with love.
The most important thing, however, is to keep a clear line so that the sometimes overconfident dogs don’t step on their people’s noses. Therefore, in case of underuse and incorrect training, behavioral problems can quickly arise. If this smart dog realizes that he can overdo it, he may not stop doing it so quickly.
Basically, Dalmatians have peaceful, gentle, and friendly temperaments. They are affectionate, need harmony, and courageously and fearlessly protect their family. In skillful hands, representatives of this breed are ideal family dogs and very faithful, cheerful companions.
Recommendations
Ideally, Dalmatians should be kept in a house with a garden and given plenty of exercise every day. In addition, they are well suited for dog sports, and they also need to be mentally rewarded with small tasks and tasks.
These dogs are only to a limited extent suitable for working people, as they are very affectionate and need intense contact with their family. So if you can’t take your dog with you and must leave it with strangers every day for a few hours, or at worst alone, you should consider another breed.
Otherwise, Dalmatians are great for families. It is only important that the owners have experience with dogs, as spotted four-legged friends absolutely require competent but loving training.