Australian Breed Standard and Extension, Part II

By: Ozzispot Dalmatians

Hindquarters

 

ROUNDED, MUSCLES CLEAN WITH WELL DEVELOPED SECOND THIGH, GOOD TURN OF STIFLE AND HOCKS WELL DEFINED.

 

Correct hindquarters on a Dalmatian are also important as it is a dog who must be able to gait for many kilometres up and down hills. It is a "moderate" dog with a normal front angulation, and therefore requires a stifle which is moderately well bent. The Dalmatian should convey endurance and a fair turn of speed. If it had excessive angulation it would tire itself and without angulation, would not cover the ground. The hindquarters should be strong. The outline of well developed muscles should be clearly seen on the buttocks, legs and second thigh. The pelvic slope should be approximately 30 degrees. The thigh and second thigh should be long and the hock to the ground short. Muscles should be well developed in inner and outer thighs as well as the second thigh (calf muscle). The hock should be vertical to the ground when standing. Hocks should be well let down to give good endurance.

 

Tail

 

IN LENGTH REACHING APPROXIMATELY TO THE HOCKS. STRONG AT THE INSERTION GRADUALLY TAPERING TOWARDS THE END, IT SHOULD NOT BE INSERTED T00 LOW OR T00 HIGH, FREE FROM COARSENESS AND CARRIED WITH A SLIGHT UPWARD CURVE, NEVER CURLED. PREFERABLY SPOTTED.

 

It is a moderate tail set. The tail is an extension of the topline, flowing with the back line after taking into consideration the slightly arched loin. At rest the Dalmatian may carry the tail low, but on the move or when alert it is carried with a slight upward curve. A traditional sabre carriage.

 

Feet

 

ROUND, COMPACT, WITH WELL ARCHED TOES (CAT FEET) AND ROUND TOUGH ELASTIC PADS. NAILS BLACK OR WHITE IN THE BLACK SPOTTED VARIETY, IN THE LIVER SPOTTED, BROWN OR WHITE.

 

Good legs and "cat feet" are very important. Strong feet and thick tough pads are a must for an endurance dog. Feet should turn neither in nor out.

 

Gait / Movement

 

THE DALMATIAN SHOULD HAVE GREAT FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT. A SMOOTH, POWERFUL RHYTHMIC ACTION WITH A LONG STRIDE. VIEWED FROM BEHIND, THE LEGS SHOULD MOVE IN PARALLEL, THE HIND LEGS TRACKING THE FORE. A SHORT STRIDE AND PADDLING ACTION IS INCORRECT.

 

Movement tells us much about the Dalmatians structure, which is not always revealed when it is standing still, for it reflects its physical co-ordination, balance for the body and soundness. The dog seeming to exert a minimum of effort to cover the ground. When judging the Dalmatian in the ring, the length of stride should be in proportion to the dog, steady in rhythm of 1,2,3,4. Front legs should not paddle, nor should there be a straddling appearance. Hind legs should neither cross nor weave. Judges should be able to see each leg move with no interference from another leg. Drive and reach are most desirable. When a dog moves away from the judge in a straight line, the hind legs conceal the fore, the hind foot covering the spot the fore foot has just left, not overreaching.

 

Coat

 

THE COAT SHOULD BE SHORT, HARD AND DENSE, SLEEK AND GLOSSY IN APPEARANCE.

 

The coat should be of uniform texture with hair on the ears and head shorter and softer. It is a single coated dog.

 

Colour

 

THE GROUND COLOUR SHOULD BE PURE WHITE. BLACK SPOTTED DOGS HAVE DENSE BLACK SPOTS AND LIVER SPOTTED DOGS LIVER-BROWN SPOTS. THEY SHOULD NOT RUN TOGETHER BUT BE ROUND AND WELL DEFINED, THE SIZE OF A FIVE TO A TWENTY CENT COIN, AS WELL DISTRIBUTED AS POSSIBLE. SPOTS ON THE EXTREMITIES SHOULD BE SMALLER THAN THOSE ON THE BODY.

 

In both varieties the colour of the spots should be dense and have a sheen. The black should be a shiny jet black. There is no definite description laid down as far as the liver colour is concerned, but it should be a rich liver brown. The ideal is a colour which cannot be mistaken for black in average light at a reasonable distance (e.g. across a show ring.) Variations of liver colour on the one dog or greyish markings on a black spotted specimen are undesirable. Spots should not run together but be round and well defined. Balance of markings is a feature. Most dogs have groups of spots close together. A few spots that join are acceptable, provided they can be seen to be spots. They should not form a conglomeration of ugly proportions. Clear definition of spots is important. The edges should not blend into the ground colour so as to appear grey or have a dark halo. Spots in size FIVE to a TWENTY cent coin. Spots on the body are larger than those on the head, legs and tail. The ears should be spotted, but this is not essential just as spots on the tail are not essential. For some reason many liver dogs have smaller spots than blacks. Tick marks, or flecks are not spots and are undesirable. Tick marks are smaller than a one cent piece and are rather more like flecks appearing on the coat. Optical illusion can be created by uneven spotting regarding conformation and gaiting. Spotting is the one unique feature of the Dalmatian and is an essential part of the breed type, although confirmation should not be sacrificed to spotting alone. However the significance of good spotting must not be denigrated or this unique and identifying feature of the breed could be lost. Perfect markings have never been achieved and it is safe to say they never will be.

 

Size

 

0VERALL BALANCE OF PRIME IMPORTANCE, BUT THE IDEAL HEIGHT TO BE AIMED AT IS:

 

• DOGS 58.4-6l.0cm (23-24ins) BITCHES 56.0-58.4cm (22-23ins)

 

Balance is of prime importance and should not be sacrificed to size alone. Dogs slightly larger or smaller than the ideal standard should not be excluded from placings if they present a balanced picture. The belief that the dogs only ran under the axle is incorrect. The Dalmatian was equally at home alongside, in front of, or behind the coach. Remember, overall balance.

 

Faults

 

BLUE EYES, PATCHES, BLACK AND LIVER SPOTS ON THE SAME DOG (TRICOLOURS), LEMON SPOTS, BRONZING AND OTHER FAULTS OF PIGMENTATION.

 

Blue eyes, patches, tri-colours and lemon spots highly undesirable.

 

Patches, Dalmatian pups are born pure white, although shadows of spots may be seen on the skin at birth. A patch is clearly visible at birth and usually found on the ear or face. A patch is an area of solid colour, a rich deep black or liver, usually with a velvety texture. It is sharply defined with an absence of white hairs. To determine between a solidly marked ear and a patch, turn the ear over to see if there are any white hairs. The presence of white hair, no matter how small an amount, would indicate a solidly marked ear. Tri-colours, a black spotted tri-colour is a dog with black spots and tan/brown spots. A liver spotted tri-colour has liver brown spots and light orange or lemon spots. The tri-colour spots generally appear on the front of the neck, chest, inside legs or around the vent.

 

Lemon/orange spotting. Lemons have black nose and eyerim pigment, where oranges have brown nose and eyerim pigment. Black and liver spotting are the only acceptable colours. Dalmatians with Patches, Blue eyes, Tri-colours or having lemon or orange spotting, should not be exhibited. Bronzing can occur during a "coating out" period. On the black spotted variety it is seen as a bronze tinge around the edges of the spots and/or on the surface of spots. Livers are affected similarly, the spots tending to develop a halo of gingery colour. Bronzing must be assessed in relation to the rest of the dog and should be considered similar to a coated breed being out of coat or having dropped coat temporarily.

 

NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

 

Conclusions

 

JUDGING THE DALMATIAN.

 

A good Dalmatian must be of good breed type, balanced, sound in movement, well spotted and of good temperament. One of these things on its own is not enough.

 

Remember the Standard describes a dog free of exaggerations and abnormalities. Please judge the breed to leave it that way.