The Dalmatian originated in Croatia (around the area of Dalmatia) and was bred to protect their master’s territory which commonly would have been a horse-drawn carriage. They were also used as hunting or retrieving dogs and were commonly known as the firefighter’s aid. This comes from their original breed purpose which was to lead and make sure nothing was in the way of the trail the fire fighters would take on their way to a fire!

This breed has a very unique coat that has become famous to the general public of today. Their white with black spotted fur and lean, athletic body is needed in their line of work. The Dalmatian has a slender face with a long muzzle and large floppy ears. Their legs are muscular and strong, giving them speed and fortitude while working. These dogs have a long, narrow tail and medium sized boney paws.

The Dalmatian is well known for their tightly bonded relationships with their masters. This breed became very popular when the cartoon movie “101 Dalmatians” premiered but this gave the public false knowledge of their behavior and personality. The Dalmatian is a great pet but can be an anxious breed and should be around adults or older children that will treat the dog with respect and give them their space when it’s needed.

Breed Group

Non-Sporting

Size

Males: 22-24 inches high

Females: 20-22 inches high

Weight

Males: around 55 lbs
Females: around 55 lbs

Color(s)

The Dalmatian has a one of a kind coat colouring which is the spotted black with a solid white body colouring. The under layer of colouring must always be white but the spots may be black, liver, lemon, blue, brindle or orange. Only the black and liver are permitted for show rings. Puppies are white when they’re born but will “grow” their spots as they age.

Coat

This breed has a very short yet smooth coat that will need minimal grooming to upkeep. Weekly brushing and monthly bathing is all this dog needs to keep their prim appearance.

Life Expectancy

About 10-12 years.

Personality

The Dalmatian is an energetic and devoted breed that is extremely loyal to their owners. They make great pets for people that have the time to spend with them as well as give them the amount of exercise they need.

This breed will need to be socialized thoroughly as puppies especially around children and dogs to ensure they will be comfortable around these as adults. Dalmatians are affectionate and cuddly towards their owners but will be weary of people they’ve never met.

These dogs are very intelligent but will need repetitive and gentle training. They have the ability to compete in obedience trials because they grasp training concepts quickly and they have a fantastic memory. Dalmatians today are used primarily as companions but have the skills to be a hunter, retriever and guard dog as well!

Care

The Dalmatian will need to be brushed once per week and bathed every 1-2 months. They are clean dogs that won’t need too much grooming. This breed will be prone to urinary ailments, such as bladder stones, or urinary infections. Deafness is not uncommon among these dogs as well as skin problems, so the family vet might suggest a special diet for them to prevent some of the urinary or skin ailments.

Training

The Dalmatian will need an owner who is calm and patient when it comes to training. These dogs are clever but will be stubborn at times and using harsh methods will definitely not promote their learning. They are sensitive and should be trained using short sessions and also making obedience fun for them to encourage the actual learning process.

Activity

The Dalmatian will need at least 1-2 hours of exercise per day. They are very energetic and need to run or be taken on a very long walk to tire them out. Off-leash park visits are suggested so they can play with other dogs or run after a ball to burn off their energy. The Dalmatian will do well in a household as they need a lot of room to live in. A back yard will be needed so they have extra outdoor room to roam around in.

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier originated in Scotland and was bred hunt down rodents, rabbits, weasels, badger, skunks and otters. These dogs are a mixture of the Skye Terrier and the Scotch Terrier which gives them their unique elongated body shape.

This breed is friendly, loving and make good family pets. They interact well with children and are highly devoted to their owners but are not a needy breed.

The Dandie Dinmont will enjoy their own space but will also cherish the time spent with their owners as they are affectionate and thrive on the attention they get. Although this breed is a great companion, they will need to be socialized with smaller animals such as cats when they’re puppies to ensure they will be stable around them as adults.

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a unique looking dog that has a body longer than they are tall. They have large floppy ears and a short muzzle. The body of this breed is compact and muscular, giving them the agility and strength to hunt down animals that are almost the same size as them! The Dandie Dinmont will come in 2 colourings of fur that will be a darker version when they’re born and lighten as they age.

Breed Group

Terrier

Size

Males: 8-11 inches high
Females: 8-11 inches high

Weight

Males: 18-24 lbs
Females: 18-24 lbs

Color(s)

As adults this breed will come in a light red called mustard or a silver and black colouring called salt and pepper. As puppies the salt and pepper variety will be black with tan markings and will fade to the black with silver markings. The puppies with mustard colouring will be a dark brownish red and will fade to light reddish as adults.

Coat

The Dandie Dinmont has a double layered coat that is short and has a soft texture to the touch. The top coat is a bit more coarse and weathery while the undercoat is fluffy and plush. They have large silky tufts of fur on their chest, underbelly and head. These dogs have distinctive fur on their face that resembles a mustache, and the fur on their head makes them look as if they’re having a bad hair day!

Life Expectancy

About 12-15 years.

Personality

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier is a wonderful pet that is defensive of their families and territory. They are a caring and adventurous breed that will find fun things to do while their owners are not present. These little dogs, despite their size pack a lot of punch! They have been used as guard dogs because their fearless attitude and deep bark will often ward off strangers if the dog itself is not seen!

This breed would do better in a home with no other animals as they can become very jealous around dogs and other family pets. Although they enjoy their independent time, the Dandie Dinmont will still need a large amount of attention from their owners and are not be a breed to be left at home alone too often. These energetic dogs will be more aloof around people they’ve never met but after a few meetings will warm up quickly.

Care

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier will need a minimal amount of grooming to keep their coat looking great. Brushing about 2-3 times per week and bathing every 2 months will be perfect for this breed. Their coat will needed to be plucked once a year just to remove the dead fur. This breed is prone to epilepsy, hypothyroidism and intervertebral disc disease. The Dandie Dinmont Terrier might also inherit a couple of eye diseases such as luxating lens, and glaucoma.

Training

The Dandie Dinmont Terrier will need a very firm hand when training as they are stubborn dogs. Sessions should be kept short and made fun because this will encourage them to want to learn. Although repetition and daily practice will be needed, basic obedience is not high on their list of “to do” so owners will need to be patient and stay consistent. They are very intelligent little dogs and will learn quickly but are not highly motivated to do so.

Activity

This breed will need about a half an hour of exercise daily which could be time spend in an off-leash dog park or on a long walk. Chasing a ball or just playing with other dogs will tire this breed out effectively. The Dandie Dinmont Terrier will do well in an apartment and will not need a back yard but access to one would be a bonus. When walking this breed, the owner should always have a leash just in case they decide to chase after a small animal.

The Dogue de Bordeaux also known as the French Mastiff or the Bordeaux Bulldog is a part of the Molosser family. It is a rather large sized dog breed with a broad head. The dog breed was named after the French city Bordeaux. An indication of the purity of the dog breed is the fact that the whole facial area does not have a black mask like the English Mastiff and signs of this would mean that the dog was crossbred. The Dogue de Bordeaux eventually crossed over to America and gained it’s fame from television and movie roles.

Breed Group

Working

Size

Male dogs: 23.5 to 27 inches

Female dogs: 22.5 to 25.5 inches

Weight

Male: 110-125 lbs

Female: 100-120 lbs

Color(s)

The Dogue de Bordeaux comes in uniform colors. Shades of fawn from a light fawn to a darker fawn are acceptable. Small white patches are acceptable on the chest and extremities. The black mask isn’t desired, but a very vague mask is sometimes present on this breed.

Coat

The standard coat for this breed is short and soft to touch. White markings are allowed on the tips of the toes and chest, but any discoloration on the body or head is a disqualifying quality.

It was in the 1870’s in Germany, that Louis Dobermann, a tax collector who needed an alert and intelligent bodyguard dog, bred the Doberman Pinscher, to protect him on his rounds from bandits.

It was developed presumably by crossing several different breeds of dogs, to find the characteristics that Dobermann was looking for.

This included German Pinschers, Rottweilers, Beauceron, Black Greyhounds, Black and Tan Terrier, Thuringian Shepherd Dog, Great Dane and the German Shepherd Dog to create the sleek and smart guard dog with a fearless nature.

The Doberman Pinscher is medium to large in size, compactly built, muscular and graceful this breed reflecting great nobility and temperament.

The Dachshund is a long bodied dog with undersized limbs. Originally bred in Germany, this breed’s name translates to “badger dog”. Despite their small size, the Dachshund is a tough little fighter! Their body is the perfect size to chase their prey into small underground burrows.

This breed comes in 3 varieties which are standard, miniature and toy. All are accepted in the AKC standards characteristics except for the toy size, as this was more of a size attribute for potential owners.

The Dachshund is best known for hunting badgers, but otters and foxes are also considered their prey. This breed, as it does in size variation, comes in 3 coat types: long, wire or short haired.

Breed Group

Hound

Size

Standard
Males: 14-18 inches high
Females: 14-18 inches high

Miniature
Males: maximum 14 inches high
Females: maximum 14 inches high

Toy
Males: maximum 12 inches high
Females: maximum 12 inches high

Weight

Standard

Males: 16-28 lbs
Females: 16-28 lbs

Miniature
Males: 11 lbs
Females: 11 lbs

Toy

Males: 7-9 lbs
Females: 7-9 lbs

Color(s)

The Dachshund comes in a wide variety of coat colours. The most common being black, tan, brown, gray, harlequin, or speckled. They can be either a solid colour or a mixture of two to three colours.

Coat

The Dachshund has 3 types of coats: the long, the wire and the short haired. The long haired coat is shiny and silky to the touch. The Wire haired coat is more hard and brittle feeling while the short coat is lustrous and smooth. All three sizes of Dachshund can have any of the three types of coat combinations.

Life Expectancy

About 12-15 years.

Personality

The Dachshund is a goofy and animated little dog. They are known to be stubborn, mischievous and teasing, but all in good fun. These dogs are the jealous type and want all of their owners attention on them. In general the Dachshund will do well with other dogs and cats, but monitor them around pocket pets such as hamsters and mice as these are thought of as prey.

Despite their short legs, the Dachshund is a digger and will make good use of a yard if given the chance. They are protective of their families and make great watchdogs because they have a surprisingly loud bark, and the breed itself is known for their love of “talking”.

Care

The long and wired haired Dachshunds will need to be brushed at least twice per week. This will prevent mats from occurring and get rid of the dead fur. The short haired Dachshund will only need to be brushed about once every week or two as their coat will not tangle.

This breed is prone to a variety of back related problems such as slipped spinal discs, because their spine is under constant pressure due to their long body. Diabetes, urinary tract infections and heart disease can also develop in this breed. Owners of a Dachshund will need to be sure to monitor their food intake as this breed will become obese quickly which will add even more to stress on their spine.

Training

The Dachshund will need to be firmly trained in basic obedience. They are a stubborn and clever breed that tend to get their way. Socialization with people and other dogs is necessary when they are puppies to ensure they become comfortable in busy situations when they are adults.

Activity

The Dachshund will need plenty of exercise to burn off their seemingly never-ending energy. They will do well in an apartment as they are small dogs that don’t take up to much space. Owners should be warned that these little dogs can become destructive if they are bored so ensuring they are taken out to dash around for a bit will do them good.