Dalmatian Dog Breed Facts and Information

Dalmatians were named after the Dalmatia area on the Adriatic coast of the European country Croatia. For many centuries Dalmatians were used as war dogs, hunters, retrievers, and sentinels. Dalmatians were even pets for the sake of fashion statements in the seventeen and eighteen hundreds by the wealthy residing in Great Britain, which is actually where the modern Dalmatian breed was formed.

A few years later Dalmatian dogs made their way over to the United States, and they quickly began to grow in popularity. Even today, Dalmatians are still well renowned for being known as the symbol dog for fire stations. This spotted breed took on their fire station duties because they were needed to lead the horses that pulled the fire wagons throughout the eighteen hundreds. Eventually Dalmatian dogs were no longer necessary for their firehouse duties and became primarily pets and show dogs.

Not only are Dalmatians symbols for America as being the staple fireman dog, but they're also known for their star roles in the movie 101 Dalmatians . This Dalmatian themed film went on to once again boost the Dalmatian’s popularity as a house pet after this dog breed had steadily fallen in their numbers over the years. 101 Dalmatians did so well in fact that it even went on to produce multiple sequels and alternative versions.

The Dalmatian Appearance

When people think of the Dalmatian dog breed, the first thing that obviously comes to mind has to be their undeniably striking black and white spotted coats. Although rare, surprisingly enough Dalmatians also come in liver spotted coats that are brown too. The Dalmatian dog's hair is short and sleek, making this dog breed require very little grooming.

Dalmatians have large deep chests that lead up to considerably thin waists. This Non-Sporting dog breed has regular sized triangular ears, medium sized square snouts, beautiful wide set eyes, and noses that match the color of their spots of either black or brown. The Dalmatian dog breed's legs are long and lean; their tales are lengthy and somewhat curved.

The Dalmatian Temperament

Dalmatians are generally very playful and fun loving pets that usually do well in family environments. There have been some cases where male Dalmatians have had noticeable aggression issues on occasion, so it's advised to go with a female Dalmatian for families who have smaller children. These spotted pooches also have a long track record of not necessarily being the brightest bulbs in the bunch. In fact, it's thought by many that Dalmatians are the least intelligent of all dog breeds , so if you're looking for a canine companion dog that can perform more difficult tricks and tasks, I wouldn't go with a Dalmatian by any means. Even with the few cons of the Dalmatian dogs  there are still plenty of pro's to these pups, making them more times than not excellent family dogs .