The Dalmatian! Lovable, quirky looking medium sized white dogs with spots everywhere! Even in their mouths. They are born all white, however, and the spots develop as they mature.
George Washington was the first breeder for Dalmatians that we know of in the United States. We don’t know much about their origins beyond 1700s other than that they were a Hungarian breed. Spotted dogs have been seen in carvings in Egyptian tombs as well as ancient Greek and Asian art. The origin is really a mystery. They were originally bred for coaching (running along sides coaches to keep people out of the way). They were used for the same purpose by firemen in the early 20th century and remain the firemen’s mascot.
When the dogs are bred right and trained they can make wonderful pets. Unfortunately poor breeding practices led to aggression issues during a popularity spike due to the release of the Disney Movie “101 Dalmatians”. These are very active dogs and should not be purchased as a normal house pet. They need to run. They do wonderful in dog sports and agility. They are very diverse dogs and can be trained to do almost anything. They can be trained very wall as long as they are exercised and all of their needs are met.
Not all Dalmatians have black spots – some have brown spots (liver). They are a non sporting group which is the group the miscellaneous dogs fall into. They are willful dogs and need consistency and leadership or they will takeover.
They can be prone to deafness and need to be tested at 6 weeks old. They cannot eat beef or liver due to purine intolerance. They must be fed a special diet or they can develop bladder stones.
Scientists have discovered that the red blood cells of the Dalmatian are not round like other dogs but oval, similar to a camel.
The ideal pet owner for the Dalmatian would be an active family that can take the dog for long runs and walks. They do best with a back yard and don’t do well in apartments.