The most distinctly patterned breed of the dog world, the spotted Dalmatian has an unknown origin. While evidence, such as art, indicates that the Dalmatian is likely an ancient breed, the precise place and time if its creation is unknown. The name Dalmatian may come from the word Dalmatia, which is a western Yugoslavian region, but is it unlikely that the dog originated there. Another theory is that the Dalmatian is named after Jurji Dalmatin, a Serbian poet who received two Turkish dogs as a gift. Apparently Dalmatin bred these dogs, and the subsequent breed was named after him. Some claim that this breed hailed from Croatia, and it is also believed that the Dalmatian was used as a hound during the Middle Ages. There have been ancient Egyptian bas-reliefs and Hellenic friezes discovered that portray a similar dog. Some say that the Dalmatian’s ancestors could have been a small version of pointers or the spotted Great Dane. In the 1700s, the Bengal pointer, which had a similar look to the Dalmatian, existed in England making it another possible forbearer. Not only is the origin of this breed unclear, so is the dog’s original function...... Find out more about this dog breed.
Dalmatian Pictures
Dalmatian Breeders
Dalmatian Clubs
Dalmatian Info
Dalmatian Rescue
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