History

The origin of the Dalmatian.

Regardless of the dog breed being discussed, it is often challenging to provide precise information about the history and development of the breed. For many breeds, we only have limited knowledge of when and where they originated and their true ancestral roots.

The Dalmatian, with its beauty, is among those breeds recognized worldwide by all dog enthusiasts and children, even though its exact origin remains unknown. Regardless of many other questions, it is clear today that Dalmatians bear the right name, derived from the region in the present Republic of Croatia, the land of Dalmatia.

Dalmatians belong to FCI Group VI, and they should remain in this group. Many historical documents support this, especially recent biochemical and genetic research results.

As early as 1353, an unknown Dutch travel writer mentioned seeing dogs with white fur and black spots in Dalmatia.

Evidence of the widespread presence of Dalmatians outside Croatia can be found in symbols from the Serbian Orthodox monastery in Kosovo, Gračanica, built in 1315. An icon from the mid-16th century in this monastery depicts a spotted dog, a Dalmatian.

In the same century, in 1567, the Italian zoologist Ulisse Aldrovandi wrote “De quaropedibus Digitalis viviparis,” stating the existence of white hounds with small markings and black spots on their backs in Italy. He called these dogs “Canis sagax Vulco Brachus” and explained that they were brought to Italy from the (then) Italian provinces of Istria and Dalmatia over the Apennines.

The English author Edward Tops confirmed Aldrovandi’s statement in 1607 in his book “The Historie of Four footed Baestes,” suggesting that the spotted white and brown dogs found in Italy should be better referred to as Bracken.

The Flemish painter Pieter Boel (1622-1674) depicted a hunting dog with slain birds, specifically a Dalmatian with a black spot on its ears and tricolor markings.

One of the most significant original documents about the Dalmatian is the manuscript “De vita populi et de cultura armentorum et pecorum Diaco et eius anno Domini 1719 Districtus,” written by Bishop Petar Bakić. He writes about the “Canis Dalmaticus” originating from Croatia, Dalmatia, describing the dog as white with black spots and emphasizing its role as a hunting dog.

The work “The History of Quadrupeds” by the English zoologist Thomas Bewick in 1792 is noteworthy, stating that this is not a “Bengal Brach” but the Dalmatian or Coach Dog.