Apart from its enormous popularity from the film adaptation of the play “101 Dalmatians”, there are many curiosities about this breed that we will address in this post.
This athletic can is very affectionate and intelligent, but if you decide to be your partner you must be prepared to keep up with him. Do you accept the challenge?
Index of contents
- 1 Dalmatian breed technical sheet
- 2 Characteristics of the Dalmatian dog breed
- 3 Dalmatian dog personality
- 4 What care does a Dalmatian breed dog need?
- 5 Tips for Dalmatian Training
- 6 Diseases that can affect Dalmatian dogs
- 7 A bit of history about the Dalmatian breed
Dalmatian breed technical sheet
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Height between 50 and 61 cm in males and between 45 and 55 cm in females |
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Weight of between 18 and 32 kg for males and between 16 and 24 kg for females |
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Short, smooth and soft hair. Generally speckled between black and white |
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Active, intelligent, loving and loyal character |
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Good health although they are prone to deafness |
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Estimated life expectancy between 10 and 13 years |
Characteristics of the Dalmatian dog breed
This breed corresponds to a medium-sized canid, 50-61 cm tall and 15-32 kg in weight in male specimens and 16-24 kg in the case of females.
Their average life expectancy revolves around 12-15 years.
Among its most outstanding physical attributes are:
- Its head is not excessively wide in the area of the skull and maintains a harmonious proportion with the rest of the body.
- Its medium-sized ears are drooping and taper to the tip.
- His eyes are almond-shaped, brown or blue, not too far apart and with a black outline.
This breed has a certain predisposition to heterochromia (one brown eye and the other blue), due to the recessive gene that also causes deafness. 10-15% of Dalmatians are deaf from birth Therefore, it is recommended that if you have one, you go to periodic reviews to determine its scope.
- Its truffle tends to be the same shade as its fur.
- His hair is short, dense, shiny and strong. Its hue is white with black or liver mottled, a feature that physically resembles the pointer.
- The tail is insertion not too high nor low.
As you can see, in general terms it is a beautiful, striking dog with an athletic bearing.
Dalmatian dog personality
As for their personality, you should know that they are extremely faithful and loving. They feel very attached to their owner and they hate loneliness. So much so, that if you leave it unattended for a long time it can reach dementia.
Due to their historical past, they feel very close to horses, but also they are good friends with other dogs and children. Its playful character will delight your children.
They are very intelligent and their education will not be a difficult task for you. However, it should be noted that his training as a puppy is more than necessary to prevent future erratic and disobedient behavior.
Something that will not forgive you is that you do not take it out on the street. If it is to the field, much better. Its athletic appearance is not a coincidence and the Dalmatian demands, at least 1 hour a day of exercise. You can space it in 3 outings a day, but you must comply with them. Otherwise, it could cause stress, anxiety or lead to destructive behaviors.
What care does a Dalmatian breed dog need?
It is not an excessively demanding breed. In addition to the mentioned physical activity, you should brush it daily or every 2 days, since it tends to lose a lot of hair. In this way, you will keep its beautiful coat shiny.
Bathe it only when it is really dirty and use a hair loss shampoo.
Their diet must be specific to this breed. Opt for a feed free of purines, chemical preservatives and additives. It is convenient for you to reduce the contribution of salt and fats, moderate that of proteins and give a greater role to complex carbohydrates. Do not neglect your hydration either.
Veterinary visits, according to their schedule, and timely deworming also deserve a special mention. In this way, you will stay active and healthy.
Tips for Dalmatian Training
This breed is distinguished by its innate intelligence and curiosity. However, his education from an early age is very necessary to prevent him from being rude or even aggressive towards unknown humans and other dogs as an adult.
Its restless nature implies that your sessions should be brief, of no more than 5 minutes, since, otherwise, it will get bored and will not pay attention to you. Your attitude is also essential for the correct use of training. If you are happy to be with him, your pet will appreciate it and will be more predi
sposed and participatory.
It is not about you running as the leader in a dominant position. The friend-friend pairing, even if you are firm, will be much more productive with this breed and will allow them to make their own decisions, feeling happy with their full self-esteem.
The technique of positive reinforcement is indicated with Dalmatians who tend to be obfuscated if they are scolded or scolded. Help yourself with your ball or your favorite treats to reinforce their involvement.
Thanks to his intelligence and your timely instructions, we are sure that he will quickly learn everything you want to teach him.
Diseases that can affect Dalmatian dogs
In addition to deafness, urinary tract infections are predominant in this breed. Something that you can contain if you go to the vet regularly.
Given the delicacy of your skin, dermatitis, allergies and other skin conditions are common. However, they seldom become serious.
Other recurring conditions among Dalmatians are:
- Hip and knee dysplasias.
- Gastric torsion. To avoid or mitigate it try not to give food and drink before or after exercising. It is preferable that you rest after eating.
- Kidney stones.
- Progressive retinal atrophy.
- Epilepsy.
- Immunoglobulin deficiencies, such as von willebrand disease that prevents the blood clotting standard.
- Hyperuricemia They are one of the few mammals that excrete excess nitrogen as uric acid, which increases their proportion in the blood.
Finally, it should be noted that this breed ranks 39 in the Stanley Core classification that assesses canine intelligence. In addition, he has collaborated in some fire teams, which shows his enormous resistance and work capacity.
A bit of history about the Dalmatian breed
Its origin is estimated to be in Ancient Egypt. However, there are no official documents that corroborate this. In fact, the only thing on record is that its name refers to Dalmatia (Croatia), the region of the Adriatic coast from which it could come and from which it spread to all of Europe.
Their first images date from the 17th century, when they were used as guide dogs in the carriages of the English aristocracy. The company of these elegant and athletic-looking dogs was considered to confer status.
Previously, their great resistance justified their use as guard dogs.
The Disney movie “101 Dalmatians”, released in 1961 and based on Dodie Smith’s novel of the same name in 1956, caused a fever that brought with it increased inbreeding and, consequently, hereditary diseases.
Do you know that puppies are totally white? Its distinctive black spots begin to emerge from the first year of life, at which point its ears will begin to blacken.
In short, a dazzling breed, don’t you think?