Dalmatian

The Dalmatian, also known as Dalmatiner, Plum Pudding Dog, Carriage Dog, Spotted Coach Dog, or informally, Fire Engine Dog/Firehouse Dog, is a well-known type of breed known for it's black and white spotted fur.

Appearance
Dalmatians are medium-sized and are muscular if well-cared for. Its head is long and wide and on it sits a black, dark grey, bluish, or brown nose. Their mid-sized eyes can be brown, blue, amber, or a combination of the 3. The ears are similar to a Labrador Retriever's, as well as their build. Their coat is soft, and short. They are very famous for their black or liver spotted white fur. The spots may also be lemon, dark blue, tri-colored, brindled, solid white or sable. Puppies are born spotless, and develop their spots later. Dalmatians will be 19-24 inches in height and may weigh 35-70 lbs.

Behavior
Dalmatians are hard-working, and make good companions. Dalmatians have a very vast amount of energy and require extensive exercise. They require dog toys to prevent boredom. They are very playful and joyous which make them great companions. They have been known to dig enormous holes when left out in the yard all day. Dalmatians make great family dogs, as they favor children. They are known to be very bright and can be trained easily. Dalmatians are known to be very obedient as well. Their fur is very easy to groom. They have no stink and they stay mostly clean. Deafness occurs very commonly in dalmatiners, as 10-12% of them are born deaf.

History
No one knows for sure where dalmatians originated, as spotted pooches have been seen in the history of Africa, Asia, and portions of Europe. Attempts to recognize dalmatians as a Croatian breed were rejected until 1993, where science did find their Croatian roots. Dalmatians were popular in the 1800s as carriage dogs, where they trotted along side carriages and protected the horses and carriage when the owner was away. Dalmatians later became popular for being firemen helpers, circus performers, war sentinel, hunter, draft dog, bird dog, retriever, shepherd, guard dog, and a trail hound.

In popular media

 * The movie 101 Dalmatians is about dalmatians.