Since the movie about the 101 Dalmatians, this spectacular spotted dog has gained popularity. However, the story of the Dalmatian goes beyond the movie. It is also known as “carriage dog” or “fire station dog”. Before the “horseless carriage,” horses were used to pull fire trucks and the dog became a common sight in fire stations in the United States. The dog was used as a protector of the carriage, trained to run under the wheels and protect the horses by keeping other farm dogs at bay. The Dalmatian is a complete guardian and protective dog and has also been used as a hunter.

The Dalmatian is an easy-care breed, a simple cleaning of the coat will keep it clean. His white coat with many spots is spectacular in appearance. The puppies are born all white and little by little as they grow the spots appear. The coat has short, stiff hairs that shed throughout the year, so rubbing vigorously with a towel several times a week will help loosen the hairs and prevent them from falling on furniture. The breed standard describes the coat very specifically: “white should show on the ears” and “there should be only black spots or only liver spots”, not a combination of the two. In the United States, blue eyes are acceptable, but European and English standards call for black or brown eyes.

Generally healthy, but the breed has a hereditary deafness trait. The Dalmatian is also a breed that is known to have some skin problems associated with allergies. There is little hip dysplasia in the breed, but as with all larger dogs, an X-ray is necessary to rule this out.

The temperament of this dog is stable but protective. You do not do well with children unless you are exposed to them early on. He’s smart and requires work to do to be at his best, so obedience training is a great option if you have one of these dogs in an urban setting. Lots of exercise is the key. Runners are excellent owners for Dalmatians as they are very well adapted to running alongside their owner and protecting them from stray dogs! It is the stable dog of choice in horse establishments.

Since the movie, the Dalmatian has become a generally popular dog, which is not always in the best interest of any breed. It has been over-produced by breeders who have bred these dogs for the attractiveness of the dollar rather than the quality of the breed. This often causes many of these puppies to appear in pet stores. People buy on impulse, having no idea that what they are really getting is a protective dog, which needs a lot of exercise and with all the usual training and training that is always necessary for a family pet. As is often the case when this happens, a number of Dalmatians have ended up in shelters. Fortunately, the National Club has an active “rescue” group that can be located by visiting the pages of the AKC website.