Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

What Does A Dalmatian Look Like?

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The Dalmatian is a breed of balance and moderation.  You do not want a big head on a little dog or a small head on a big dog.  Similarly, you do not want an extremely elegant head on a male dog or a very “doggy” head on a female dog.  The females are generally more feminine versions of the males and this male/female difference should be quite apparent.  The head should have clean lines and the Dalmatian should have a clean mouth, not drooling or loose-lipped. The standard does a good job of describing eyes, ears, stop, muzzle, nose, lips and scissors bite; and it also notes appropriate size and angle relationships.

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With regard to eyes, the major faults of ectropion and entropion eyelids refer to lids that turn into (entropion) or out/row, (ectropion) the eye.  Trichiasis is a condition of one or more misdirected eyelashes, causing corneal or conjunctival irritation.  These conditions are extremely rare to find in the show ring, but the fact that they have been carried forward in our breed standard indicates that these conditions have caused trouble in the past.  Also, they are serious enough to be used as screening factors when making current breeding program selections.

The important thing to keep in mind is that the more you deviate from what the breed standard describes, the more you move away from symmetry, balance and intelligent expression.  Picture a Dalmatian with close-set, yellow eyes, no stop between the forehead and top of muzzle, and uneven planes between the top of the skull and his pointy-nosed muzzle when viewed from the side.  If, for example, a line drawn across the top of the skull was parallel to the ground and another line drawn across the top of the muzzle pointed more toward the ground, the dog would be “down-faced” and less intelligent looking than one with parallel planes.  Such a dog does not have the intelligent expression desired in a Dalmatian.  Not even perfect spotting could save the conformation standard shortcomings of a head like this.

The neck, top line, body segment calls for a smooth throat with no excess skin folds and a nicely arched, fairly long neck.  The word “arched” denotes a curved structure.  The top line should be smooth, without a dip or break between the withers and the back.  The chest, back, loin and croup descriptions are clear. Tail docking refers to removing any portion of the tail, whether it is done at birth or later for any reason, through surgery.  The front legs are to come straight down from the elbows to the pasterns, whether looking at the dog from the side or the front.  Cow-hocks occur when the points of the hocks are closer together than the heels of the pads in normal standing position.  The feet, coat and color and markings sections of the Dalmatian are reasonably clear.

Physical Traits Of A Standard Dalmatian

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The Dalmatian’s spotted coat makes him instantly recognizable.  He has a global reputation as a fun loving fashion statement.  But more than a movie star, the Dalmatian is a tireless dog who has the energy to jog for miles, as his carriage escorting ancestors did for years.

The information provided in this article is not intended for show dogs and does not deal with the conformation of champions and how to select one. The description given here provides basic information about the stature of a Dalmatian and qualities of a physical nature.  Since standards come and standards go, measuring your Dalmatian against some imaginary yardstick does little for you or your dog.  Just because your dog is not a show champion, it does not mean that he is any less of a family member.  And just because a dog is a champion does not mean that he is not a genetic time bomb waiting to go off.

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When breeders and those interested in showing Dalmatians are selecting dogs, they are looking for those qualities that match the breed “standard.”  This standard changes from time to time and from country to country.  Thus, the conformation and physical characteristics that pet owners should concentrate on are somewhat different and much more practical.

Dalmatians were originally bred to be medium-sized dogs.  However, as they were used for more and more guard work, they were bred to become much larger.  Most adult males are between 22 and 24 inches at the withers and female Dalmatians are about 1-2 inches smaller.  The normal weight range for the breed is between 40 and 70 pounds.

It is not unusual to see dogs considerably larger than the breed standard allows and some males may be 27 inches at the withers and 90 pounds.  Dalmatians in Britain tend to be larger than American varieties.  Larger dogs are not necessarily better dogs.  Dalmatians were never intended to be considered “giants” and the increased size might promote some medical problems which tend to be more common in larger dogs.  Evidence shows that the larger members of the breed might be more susceptible to orthopedic disorders such as elbow dysplasia and hip dysplasia.

There are two “approved” colors for Dalmatian: white with black spots and white with liver/brown spots.  The “spots” tend to be focal and less than 5 cm (2 inches).  Larger areas of color are referred to as patches and will disqualify a Dalmatian from the conformation show ring, though these patches have no health impact.

The Paisley Breed Of Dalmatian

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The Paisley Dalmatian is owned by Dave and Sue MacMillan who are located at St. Paul, Minnesota.  When Paisley Peterbilt completed his championship in March of 1985, he became the 50th conformation champion owned or bred at Paisley.  And during that same month, Paisley’s QindaBritt became the 30th obedience Dalmatian to have earned a C.D. degree.

Although she was actually their fourth Dalmatian and third champion, champion Melody Up-Up and Away, more familiarly known as “Pooka,” is credited with being the true foundation of the Paisley breeding program, probably because she is to be found in the background of all but one champion carrying the Paisley name.  All of the younger dogs are line-bred on this remarkable dog, some of them having as many as five crossed to her in their pedigrees.

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Dog Training Tips To Get Your Dog To Obey!

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any dog to stop barking at strangers or from begging you to let him back inside –

Plus a TON more step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are already using, check out –

The Hands Off Dog Training Method

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Pooka was a liver colored Dalmatian and a multi-Group winner.  Her show credits include having been a Top Ten Dalmatian, and she was Best of Opposite Sex at the Dalmatian Club of America Specialty in 1974.  But despite these accomplishments, it was in the whelping box that her most notable successes were achieved, such as becoming the dam of 15 champions, second in this number only to her half sister, Champion Melody Sweet, C.D. who exceeded
her number by only one, making a total of 16 champions.  Adding to her success as a producer is the fact that Pooka’s offspring seem to be following in her pawmarks in this regard, and a number of them are providing foundation for other highly successful Dalmatian kennels.

Paisley is basically a combination of Melody and Watseka lines with the addition of some Long Last and Coachman.  Each of these lines has its strong points, and Sue is finding that the combination is giving them the look that they prefer.  At the time their breeding program was started, Sue and Dave felt that there was no line that really possessed the combination of characteristics that they wanted in their Dalmatians, and they saw no point in line-breeding just for the sake of doing so.

Thus they started out by doing judicious outcrosses attempting to pick up the features they felt they needed to add. Although initially they received considerable criticism for pursuing this course rather than the more conservative line-breeding, these outcrosses laid the groundwork by bringing in those qualities they had felt they wanted to improve upon, and thus incorporating them into the developing Paisley Dalmatian lines

The Melody Breed of the Dalmatian

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The Melody Dalmatian has been in existence since 1964, during which time their owners, Jack and Beth White, have produced several Best in Show dogs, five Top Ten Dogs, one Dalmatian Club of America National Specialty Best in Specialty Show winner, two National Specialty Best of Opposite Sex winners, and too many Specialty winners to count.  They won Best in Futurity the first year it was held in Chicago, and also still hold the title of All-Time Top Producing Bitch of the breed: Champion Melody Sweet, C.D., who is responsible for 16 champions, including two multiple Group winners.  The Whites have also bred two other Top Producing bitches, Champion Melody Up-Up and Away, who is the dam of 15 champions; and her sister, Champion Melody Crimson and Clover, C.D. with eight, including two Group winners.

Melody Dalmatians are house-raised on the Whites’ Rim Rock Ranch, just outside of Fort Collins, Colorado.  The Whites raise the dogs on the ranch in the Foothills, where they grow up with Appaloosa race horses, cattle, and even a few coyotes.  They show on a limited basis, mostly within Colorado, yet are usually well represented at the National Specialty.  Among their Dalmatians are two International, Mexican, and American Champions, including Champion Melody Ring of Fire of BB, C.D., who won the Mexican National Specialty and also a Group 1st at the International Shows at the ripe old age of ten years.  His daughter, Champion Melody Penny Lane, secured her foreign titles when seven and-a-half years old.

The Whites like to get in some obedience work with the dogs, too, although the pressures of other interests have unfortunately kept their obedience titles to a minimum.  They do hope to become more active in the obedience rings soon. A fact in which the Whites take special pleasure is that their home-breds have won both the Dalmatian Club of America Specialty and the Canadian National Specialty.  The latter win was gained by Melody Moonlight Gambler who won Best of Breed from the classes and was also High Scoring Dog in Trial at the same show.

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Needless to say, they were quite proud of him and of his owners.  This was in 1984.  It is very impressive to look at pedigrees and note the consistency with which the Melody influence has been felt in the breed.  This kennel has certainly made a major contribution to the Dalmatian world, and deserves tremendous credit for the success attained with their dogs and the descendants of these dogs.

Why Should You Get A Dalmatian?

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The Dalmatian makes wonderful family companions. This is a type of dog that will fit  nicely to whatever your way of life.  His medium size  is suitable for apartment living, while at the same time a true sporting dog at heart, therefore a great addition to your country or suburban home.  In addition, the Dalmatian is an excellent guarddog who is very sensible and alert but not a hysterical barker.  He is therefore a dog whose bark is to be respected and investigated!  If your Dalmatian sounds a “danger alarm,” you can be sure that there is a good reason for it, such as the approach of a stranger.  He is initially cautious of strangers and not automatically everyone’s friend.  Often referred to as courteous dogs, he greets visitors to your home with quiet dignity but at the same time with reserve.

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Dog Training Tips To Get Your Dog To Obey!

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any dog to stop barking at strangers or from begging you to let him back inside –

Plus a TON more step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are already using, check out –

The Hands Off Dog Training Method

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Classifying Dalmatians as Non-Sporting Dogs is inaccurate.  He is actually an excellent bird dog, has strong scent hound tendencies, and an efficient retriever.  Being the one and only true coach dog, the Dalmatian is a hardy dog who is capable of many miles in “road work”  and in early days were often used for herding duties.  In addition to being a wonderful companion, a Dalmatian is an elegant dog with his clean lines and spotted markings that gives him a smart and charming appearance.  If you and your family loves spending time doing things with your dog, this is an excellent breed to have.  He is very intelligent, a fast learner, and very anxious to please his owners. The Dalmatian is fond of children and enjoys playing with them.  With early training and socialization, this breed gets along well with other animals.  If you are interested in showing your dog, the Dalmatian is a suitable choice of breed.  He enjoys being in the dog show limelight and is seldom difficult to teach show routine.  His short coat is easy to care for and requires low maintenance grooming.

There is one special concern to watch out for before you purchase a Dalmatian puppy: this breed has a tendency towards deafness.  This is a concern to which reliable breeders are making every effort to correct within their breeding programs, and something that one should be aware of in selecting the new family member.  Therefore, it is especially important that you purchase your Dalmatian from a reputable Dalmatian breeder.   When you shop for your dog, be alert for signs of deafness.  Test for keenness of hearing by talking to the puppy, snapping your fingers, chirping at him from behind or off to the side to make sure that you are being heard and reacted to properly.  It is not difficult to ascertain the Dalmatian puppy’s hearing is normal, but be alert and watchful as you make your selection.

Dalmatian History

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During the past century, there has always been a strong bond existent between British dog fanciers and the Dalmatian.  It is said that these dogs have been known there for the past 200 years, and there has even been exploration of a theory that they are actually partially descended from the early English hunting hounds, the Talbot in particular, so similar are they to these dogs in type, character, and hunting ability.

Quite possibly a century or two ago there was some Talbot blood infused into the European dogs who, by their striking appearance, caught the eyes of travelers from Great Britain, then gained their admiration by their intelligence, along with their strong guard dog tendencies, and thus were brought back to Britain with the tourists.  There seems no disputing the fact that the Dalmatian has his roots in very ancient times, and that the evolutions in the breed have been numerous.

When, in 1860, Great Britain held its second dog show there were only five breeds represented.  These included Dalmatians, and so far as history records, this was the breed’s initial appearance in dog show competition.  Were it not for a gentleman named Fred Kemp, who was President of the British Dalmatian Club and a third generation owner of this breed with which he himself was involved for more than half a century, Dalmatians might not have survived World War I.

Mr. Kemp is credited with having kept alive dogs in his kennel through the difficult and in many cases devastating period between 1914 and the Armistice in 1918, providing breeding stock at the end of this period.  It is exciting to contemplate what happened to Dalmatians in England at the close of World War I.  They fairly leaped ahead in popularity, the two Dalmatians registered with the Kennel Club in 1918 having increased to 125 by 1925 and to 889 by 1932.  When the world famous dog show resumed, following World War I, there were two Dalmatians entered.  In 1934, no fewer than 199 Dalmatian entries filled the classes for the breed, of which 15 were provided.

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Click Here Now – -and watch Chet’s Free Dog Training Video.

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