The familiar dapper black & white spotted dog of Disney fame, the Dalmatian is a symmetrical, muscular medium-sized dog with superior endurance. A picture of elegance, the Dalmatian has the lean, clean lines of the pointer, to which it may be related. It has a short, hard, dense coat of pure white with black or liver colored spots randomly splashed over it. The spots can be black, brown (liver), lemon, dark blue, tri colored, brindled, solid white (highly discouraged in show dogs), or sable. The feet are round with well-arched toes and the nails are either white or the same color as the spots. The nose can be black, brown (liver), or blue or a dark gray that looks like black. The eyes are dark brown, amber, or blue, with an intelligent expression. The ears are soft, narrowing toward the point, carried with a slight upward curve. The more defined and well distributed the marking, the more valued the dog. Puppies are born completely white and the spots develop later.
There is total disagreement about the origin of this breed. Traces of it are found in Egyptian bas-reliefs and Hellenic friezes, so it certainly is an ancient breed. In 1700 a dog known as the Bengal pointer, similar to the Dalmatian, existed in England, calling into question the Dalmatians Yugoslavian origin. Some claim the Dalmatian is a Croatian breed. Efforts to have it recognized as an indigenous Croatian breed had been aggravated by this state of affairs, at least up until 1993, when the FCI did finally recognize the Croatian roots of the Dalmatian dog, although they continue to deny Croatia standard patronage rights over the breed. In the middle Ages it was used as a hound. The breed became popular as a carriage dog in the 1800's. They trotted beside (and even among) the horses and then guarded the carriages and horses while the master was occupied elsewhere. It followed its master with exceptional reliability and hardiness, whether its master was on foot, on horseback, or in a carriage. The versatile Dalmatian has seen many uses, before and since, as a mascot for firemen, war sentinel, circus performer, vermin hunter, hound, shepherd and guard dog. Today, this beautiful breed is primarily a companion dog.