Dalmation

Origins

Croatia.

General Appearance

Mesocephalic. Head prismatic form with hanging ears. The body is rectangular, strong, muscled and distinctively spotted. The movement must be elegant. The sexual difference must be visible.

Size

Height at the withers Males 56 – 62 cms. Females 54 – 60 cms. Dogs with excellent type and balance should not be penalised if above the upper limit.

Coat

HAIR
Short, shiny, hard and dense all over the body.

COLOUR
The ground colour is pure white. Black spotted variety with black spots, liver spotted variety with brown spots. The spots should be symmetrically placed all over the body, clearly defined and without intermingling into the white ground colour. The size of the spots should preferably be even, with a size of 2 – 3 cm in diameter. In the brown variety the spots are a little smaller, around 2 cm. The spots on the head and on the legs should be proportional smaller than on the rest of the body. It is desirable the tail is spotted too, with spots also proportional smaller that those on the body. Splashes on the body are not desirable and should be penalised. The spots must not intermingle, i.e. forming large patches. Patches and coloured areas are not desirable. The spots on the ears should be especially noted.

Behaviour & Temperment

Pleasant temperament, friendly, not shy or hesitant, free from nervousness and aggression. Lively kind, loyal, independent and easy to train. The Dalmatian likes water and outdoor activities. It has a marked hound instinct.

Important Proportions

Length of the body height at the withers = 10 9. The height at the elbow joint 50% of the height at the withers. The height the hocks 20-25% of the height at the withers. Length of head around 40% of the height at the withers. Length of skull length of muzzle = 1 1.

Breed Movement

Rhythmic action, elegant and smooth movement. Stride and trot long with good reach and strong drive. Viewed from the front the legs are parallel.