dogage.co
LargeNon-Sporting Group

Dalmatian

The Dalmatian originated on the Dalmatian coast of modern-day Croatia — documented in 17th-century regional artwork — and was standardized in England as a carriage and firehouse dog.

Calculate Dalmatian age
Lifespan13.2 yrrange 13–14
SizeLargeNon-Sporting Group
Weight45–70 lb20.4–31.8 kg
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10

Gallery (3)

About

About the Dalmatian

The Dalmatian originated on the Dalmatian coast of modern-day Croatia — documented in 17th-century regional artwork — and was standardized in England as a carriage and firehouse dog. The spotted coat emerges from unpigmented puppies born white at birth.

Aging

How Dalmatians age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 13.2 years (n=4,569). Congenital deafness affects 15-30% of puppies and hyperuricosuria (breed-fixed mutation causing urate bladder stones) defines the breed genetic profile; BAER and DNA testing are standard.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 13.2 yr · range 13–14Senior careSenior at 6 · geriatric at 10Common health issues9 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
45–70 lb(20.4–31.8 kg)
Height
19–24 in(48.3–61 cm)
Coat type
Short
Colors
White & BlackWhite & Liver BrownWhite & OrangeWhite & LemonWhite Black & TanWhite, Liver & Tan
Temperament

Temperament

How Dalmatians tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

dignifiedsmartoutgoingplayful
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~1 yr

    Congenital Hearing Loss (Deafness)

    Description and veterinary guidance for Congenital Hearing Loss (Deafness) land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Hypothyroidism

    Description and veterinary guidance for Hypothyroidism land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Periodontal Disease

    Description and veterinary guidance for Periodontal Disease land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
60min
per day

About 60 minutes of activity per day keeps a Dalmatian physically and mentally satisfied. Split it between a structured walk and free play.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

Compare

Compare Dalmatian to another breed

Pick any of the 200 breeds in the library and we'll open a side-by-side comparison.

Start typing a breed name.

References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.