Dalmatian Chase DALMATIA (CROATIA)

Chase the Dalmatian is no stranger to PetTalk, (he was our cover September 2020) so he already knows he’s a stud muffin! Yes, he thinks he is a strong, handsome man until his parents, Bruce and Shelby, call him Chase-E-Poo. He feels this is so unnecessary and prays the neighbor dogs do not hear this. Just to prove that he definitely is “all that”, when asked his favorite toy to play with, he replied, “My Great Dane, Arizona. I don’t need squeaky toys or silly balls. I play with over-sized canines.” Point taken. Playing on that theme, we asked Chase what he would say in human speak if he could and he barked, “Walk me, Walk me again, and Walk me some more." Dad agreed Chase's answer was “spot on”.

It got us thinking that Chase, whose breed hails from the Adriatic Sea region, might be exhibiting an exterior "tough guy" persona but his DNA may actually en-tail a softer side. Dad finally spilled the beans. “Chase is scared of thunder and runs to me for protection. He also sleeps with us under the covers.” Aha…we knew there was a sensitive side to that beautiful face!

Dalmatians are associated with fire fighting, particularly in the United States. In the days of horse-drawn fire engines, dogs would guard the horses, who could easily become uncomfortable at the scene of a fire. Dalmatians were a popular breed for this job, due to their natural affinity to horses and history of being used as carriage dogs. The Dalmatian breed also experienced a massive surge in popularity as a result of the 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, with several remakes. In the years following the release of the sequel 102 Dalmatians in 2000, the breed suffered greatly at the hands of irresponsible breeders and inexperienced owners. Many well-intentioned people got Dalmatians without researching the commitment and training needed for such a high energy dog used for hunting and guarding.