ORIGIN AND PURPOSE

The Dalmatian is thought to be of Central European or Mediterranean origin and is known at least from the Middle Ages. Because of its affinity for horses and capacity to travel great distances at a steady pace it came to be used as a dog to run with and guard coaches and was known as a stable dog. Even later, the Dalmatian became popular as a dog to travel with and guard horse drawn fire fighting equipment especially in the United States of America.

GENERAL APPEARANCE

The Dalmatian should be a well balanced strong, muscular and active dog, free from coarseness and lumber: capable of great endurance and speed compatible to its purpose.

TEMPERAMENT

A lively, active dog of good demeanour.

SIZE

Overall balance is of prime importance and the height of dogs ideally is 22" - 24" (56 - 61 cm.), and bitches 21" - 23" (53 - 58 cm.).

COAT AND COLOUR

The coat should be short dense and fine, slightly glossy neither woolly nor silky. The colour and markings are most important. There are two acceptable colours: white with black spots and white with liver spots. The ground colour should be pure white. Black spots should be as deep and rich as possible. Liver spots should be of a colour closer to chocolate than to tan or yellow. The spots should not intermingle, but be as round and well defined as possible, the more distinct the better, in size they should be that of a dime to a half dollar (coin). The spots on the face, head, ears, legs, tail and extremities should be smaller than those on the body.

HEAD

Should be of a fair length exhibiting a moderate amount of stop, and not in one straight line from the nose to occiput bone.

SKULL - Flat, rather broad between the ears and moderately well defined at the temple. It should be entirely free from permanent wrinkle.

MUZZLE - Should be long and powerful, never "snipey" the lips clean, fitting the jaws moderately close.

NOSE - In the black spotted dogs, should always be black: in the liver spotted dogs always brown.

MOUTH - The teeth should meet in a scissor bite. The incisors of the lower jaw touch very lightly the bottom of the inner surface of the upper incisors.

EYES - Should be set moderately well apart, and medium in size, round bright and sparkling, with an intelligent expression, their colour greatly depends on the markings of the dog. In the black-spotted dogs, the eyes should be dark (black or brown); in the liver-spotted dogs they should be lighter (amber or brown). Blue or partly blue eyes are undesirable and should be penalized. The rim around the eyes in the black-spotted dogs should be black; brown in the liver-spotted dogs. No dog should have flesh-coloured eye rims.

EARS - Should be set an rather high, of moderate size, rather wide at the base and gradually tapering to a rounded point. They should be carried close to the head, be thin and fine in texture, and always spotted, the more profusely the better. Solid black or liver is undesirable.

NECK

The neck should be fairly long, nicely arched, light and tapering and entirely free from throatiness.

FOREQUARTER

SHOULDER - Should be well laid, not straight, and should be clean and muscular denoting speed. It should be laid flat against the body.

LEGS - The forelegs should be perfectly straight, strong and heavy in bone, elbows close to the body.

PASTERNS - Pasterns should be erect.

FEET - Forefeet should be compact, with well arched toes, and tough elastic pads. Nails in the black~ spotted dogs should be black or white, or a nail may be both black and white; in the liver-spotted dogs, brown or white, or a nail may be both brown and white.

BODY

TOPLINE - Should be level and may arch slightly over the loin.

CHEST - Should not be too wide, but very deep and capacious, ribs moderately well sprung, never rounded like barrel hoops (which would indicate want of speed).

LOIN - should be strong and muscular.

HINDQUARTERS

UPPER THIGH AND LOWER THIGH - Muscles should be clean, powerful and well defined.

HOCKS - Should be well let down.

STIFLE - Should be moderately well bent.

FEET - As for the forefeet.

TAIL

The tail should reach the hock, being strong at the base and gradually tapering towards the end, free from coarseness, it should not be set on too low down and should be carried with a slight upward curve but never curled. It should preferably be spotted.

GAIT

The Dalmatian should have great freedom of movement; a smooth, powerful, rhythmic stride and action with good reach and drive. Viewed from behind, the hind legs should track the fore with no indication of the body moving at an angle to the point of direction. A short stride and/or a paddling action are incorrect.

FAULTS

Partly flesh coloured nose.
Cowhocks.
Flat feet.
Incompletely coloured eyerims. Any eye colour other than black, brown or amber.

DISQUALIFICATIONS

Patches; a patch is defined as a solid sharply defined mass of black or liver that is appreciably larger then any other markings on the dog. Several spots that are so adjacent that they actually touch one another at their edges do not constitute a patch.

Tricolours

Any colour other than liver and white and black and white.

Undershot or more than 1/8" (0.3 cm) overshot bite.

(plus the Canadian Kennel Club's disqualifications for All Breeds -- "The judge shall disqualify a dog, if in his opinion it is blind in one or both eyes, is a castrated male or spayed female. A judge shall excuse a male dog which does not have two testicles located in the scrotum.)