Dalmatian

Black spotted Dalmatian

The Dalmatian is a breed of dog, noted for its white coat with either black or liver spots. Although other colour variations do exist, any colour markings other than black or liver are a disqualification in purebred Dalmatians. The famous spotted coat is unique to the Dalmatian breed; no other purebred dog breed sports the flashy spotted markings. It takes its name from the Croatian province of Dalmatia, where the breed is believed to have originated.

The breed experienced a massive surge in popularity as a result of the 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, and especially the Disney films based on the book. After the 1996 live action film 101 Dalmatians was released, the Dalmatian breed suffered greatly at the hands of irresponsible breeders and owners. Many irreputable breeders and puppy mills cashed in on the breed's enormous surge of popularity, and began breeding high numbers of Dalmatians without first ensuring the health, quality, and temperment of the dogs being bred. Many well meaning people purchased Dalmatians without first being aware the responsibilities that come with owning such a high energy dog breed. 2] For example, Dalmatians, having been bred to run with horses, require plenty of exercise that not all owners could provide.3] many Dalmatians were abandoned by their owners, and the breed unfortunately developed an unfair reputation of being 'difficult', 'stupid', or 'high strung'. As happens with all dog breeds, there are some Dalmatians that do fit this description, however if properly raised, and given the exercise, training, and attention they need, the Dalmatian rarely developes any of these negative character traits.

One of the most famous Dalmatians was Sublime frontman Brad Nowell's pet dog Louie, or "Lou dog". He was a sort of mascot for the band and was also mentioned in the lyrics of several Sublime songs.