Breed Profile: The Dalmatian

The Dalmatian is uniquely coloured with its slick white coat decorated with well-defined round spots of black or liver brown. They make devoted family pets but need lots of love and devotion.

The name of this breed is taken from Dalmatia, a province of Austria and part of the former Yugoslavia; however, there is no certainty as to how the spotted dog first appeared in Europe, Asia and Africa. It is said that the dog was often seen in bands of gypsies, but it was in England where it first became well established as a dog of the British aristocracy, running alongside their horse-drawn carriages.

By the 18th century the breed was recognised as a