ANKC BREED STANDARD for the Dalmatian

General Appearance
The Dalmatian should be a balanced, strong, muscular, active dog of good demeanour. Symmetrical in outline, free from coarseness and lumber, capable of great endurance with a fair amount of speed.

Characteristics
(See under General Appearance and Colour.)

Temperament
Of good demeanour.

Head and Skull
The head should be of fair length, the skull flat, reasonably broad between the ears but refined, moderately well defined at the temples, i.e. exhibiting a moderate amount of stop, not in one straight line from nose to occiput bone. Entirely free from wrinkle. The muzzle should be long and powerful, never snipy; the lips clean, fitting the jaw moderately close. The nose in the black spotted variety should always be black, in the liver spotted variety always brown.

Eyes
The eyes, set moderately well apart, should be of medium size, round, bright and sparkling, with an intelligent expression, their colour, depending on the marking of the dog; dark in the black spotted, amber in the liver spotted. The rim round the eyes should be complete; black in the black spotted and liver brown in the liver spotted.

Ears
The ears should be set on rather high, of moderate size, rather wide at he base, gradually tapering to a rounded point. Fine in texture, carried close to head. The markings should be well broken up, preferably spotted.

Mouth
The teeth should meet. The upper slightly overlapping the lower (scissor bite).

Neck
The neck should be fairly long, nicely arched, light and tapering. Entirely free from throatiness.

Forequarters
The shoulders should be moderately oblique, clean and muscular. Elbows close to the body. The forelegs perfectly straight with strong round bone down to the feet, with a slight spring at the pastern joint.

Body
The chest should not be too wide but deep and capacious with plenty of lung and heart room. The ribs well sprung, well defined wither, powerful level back, loins strong, clean and muscular, and slightly arched.

Hindquarters
Rounded, muscles clean with well developed second thigh, good turn of stifle and hocks well defined.

Tail
In length reaching approximately to the hocks. Strong at the insertion gradually tapering towards the end, it should not be inserted too low or too high, be free from coarseness and carried with a slight upward curve, never curled. Preferably spotted.

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.

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.

Coat
The coat should be short, hard and dense, sleek and glossy in appearance.

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.

Size
Overall balance of prime importance, but the ideal height to be aimed at is: Dogs – 58.4-61 cm (23-24 ins) or Bitches – 56-58.4 cm (22-23 ins).

Faults
Blue eyes. Patches. Black and liver spots on the same dog (tricolours). Lemon spots. Bronzing and other faults of pigmentation.

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