The Dalmatian....
The Dalmatian is a
medium-sized, smooth-coated breed of working and sporting heritage,
suitable as a family pet or performance animal. He is an intelligent
dog, devoted to his owner(s), moderately territorial though not
blatantly aggressive, and pleasant to live with. His most unique
feature, his spots, are either black or chocolate brown, which is
properly termed 'liver'. He is clean by nature and has little, if any,
"doggy odor". His short coat does shed almost year-round;
regular brushing with a curry comb outdoors helps to minimize
shedding.
Dalmatians are a hardy breed
and their day-to-day upkeep does not involve a lot of fussing. They do
best in a house-hold situation and indeed will do poorly if left outside
on a chain or are otherwise ignored. They are a people-oriented breed,
and they bask in the love and attention of their owners. They thrive in
almost any type of residence, but if your idea of owning a dog consists
of leaving the dog outside all the time and patting it once a day when
you feed it, do not buy a Dalmatian!
A brief
history....
No breed has a more
interesting background or a more disputed heritage than that dog from
long ago, the Dalmatian. His beginning is buried so deep in the past
that researchers cannot agree as to his origin. As to the great age of
the breed and the fact that it has come through many centuries unchanged,
investigators are in complete agreement. Models, engravings, paintings,
and writings of antiquity have been used as fair evidence (but not
certainty) to claim that the spotted dog first appeared in Europe, Asia and
Africa. Perhaps some of the divergences in opinion as to the original
home of the Dalmatian can be accounted for by the fact that the dog has
frequently been found in the bands of Romanies, and that like his gypsy
masters, he has been well known but not located definitely in any one
place.
Authoritative writers place him first in
Dalmatia, a province of Austria. Though he has been accredited with a dozen nationalities and has
had as many native names - the English have nicknamed him English
Coach Dog, Carriage Dog, Plum Pudding Dog, Fire House Dog and Spotted Dick - it is from his first
proved home that he takes his correct name, the Dalmatian. We find
references to him as Dalmatian in the middle eighteenth century. There
is no question whatsoever that his lineage is as ancient as other
breeds.
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