Dalmatians - Breeders

Dalmatians - Breeders - History

Picture courtesy of Zagreb Dalmatas

There are a few speculations concerning the breed's name. Many dog fanciers admit that it were British breeders who popularized its present day name. A huge relief found in Dalmatia, and depicting a similar dog, probably gave the impetus to the breed's name. Still, it can be that Dalmatian ancestors were firstly used in Dalmatia to guard their border from Turkish armies. The fact that these dogs were widely spread in Dalmatia is prompted by evidence that a huge kennel breeding about 500 Dalmatians was situated in this region.

Probably, the oldest material evidence of the Dalmatian's long history dates back to 4000-2000 years BC. Famous Greeks and Romans describe dogs similar in appearance to the Dalmatian. Aristotle, for instance, claimed that spotted dogs had originated from crossing the Tiger with dogs.

The famous Indian legend prompted a theory that Dalmatians come from India. This legend states that the White Bengal Tiger was the forefather of white dogs with black spots.

The history of Dalmatians is closely connected with the Church. In the 14th century Dalmatians were depicted on frescos found in Florencia.

European artists continued the tradition of painting Dalmatians. Scenes with Dalmatians at work, in particular, during hunting sessions and traveling tours, were very popular with them. It is interesting to note that those dogs had cropped ears for the most part. This fact makes one think that owners regarded long, hound-like ears to be a minus for a dog that had to fight wild animals along the way.

Even later, in the 19th century, cropped ears and tri-color (white, black, tan) were mentioned in the official Dalmatian standard. After the first breed standard was accepted in 1850 in England, specialists created more related documents, namely in 1926 and 1961. They were meant for further perfection of Dalmatians.