Fun Animals Wiki, Videos, Pictures, Stories: Dalmatians

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Dalmatians: A History

Everyone has probably seen the movie 101 Dalmatians. These dogs are portrayed as very loving and active, just as they are in real life.

Known for their white base and black or brown spots and markings, Dalmatians are beautiful, medium sided dogs that can practically live anywhere. They originated from Croatia and were used as carriage dogs in the 18th to 19th century. These dogs are also known as spotted coach dogs and firehouse dogs, with deep connections to firefighters.

As puppies, these dogs are born with a white coat, developing their distinctive black spots and patterns a few weeks after birth. No two Dalmatians share the same dots and spots, with each dog’s coat pattern unique from one another. These muscular dogs are strong and make great home and family dogs. They usually have good temperaments and they get along with younger children very well. Dalmatians are very smart dogs and can easily be trained to perform a wide range of tasks.

Many people wonder why Dalmatians are also called firehouse dogs. This is because Dalmatians were originally coach dogs, which means that they commonly go around with the coach driver and the horse. Coach drivers would usually stay with their horses after a day of driving to watch over them, but if they had a Dalmatian, the dog would guard the horse and coach while the driver sleeps inside the house. Dalmatians and horses get along very well and work together wonderfully.

The old fire stations had horses to pull the water pumper to get water, and it was common to see a fireman owning a Dalmatian as a companion and a guard for the horse. Modern fire stations do not need horses anymore, but the Dalmatian is still around. Many firefighters also train these dogs for search and rescue purposes. They are known to be fearless and loyal, running bravely into a burning building to save anyone left inside.

Dalmatians Video

Dalmatians

When it comes to dogs, Dalmatians are among the most popular of domestic breeds, made more famous through Disney’s endearing 101 Dalmatians classic.

Defined by black/brownish-spots over white coats, the Dalmatian breed is known to hail from a region in Croatia, with the breed taking its name after the area it originates from which is Dalmatia.

As featured in the 101 Dalmatians Disney Classic, Dalmatians are incredibly popular as a dog breed, with Dalmatian owners often entering them in different kennel clubs, kennel competitions and dog shows.

Their popularity has even branded them as mainstay dog breed types regularly entered and encountered in such organized events, standing in line with other popular breeds like German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers.

Originally, Dalmatians were kept as working dogs, given that they are built with superior strength and stamina levels, with robust constitutions. Their “working dogs” tasks then went as far as pulling carts, which says a lot about how strong dogs Dalmatians are.

Today, Dalmatians are often kept as domestic pets (not as working dogs), classified as a mid-sized dog breed with adult Dalmatians typically weighing somewhere between 35 to 70 pounds. Their coats, with spots and all, are generally dense, short and fine, but certain Dalmatians with long-coats are known to be.

One unique thing about Dalmatians is that as pups, they are born without their spots. Typically, they’re born plain white, and after a week, indicators of spots on their coats would start appearing. It won’t be until a month after they’re born when spots become defined, but there are cases of more Dalmatian spots coming up after a month.

This Dalmatian pup-and-spot fact has even become pivotal as plot elements in a number of Dalmatian-driven stories, including a number of spin-offs from 101 Dalmatians.

Dalmatians Pictures