Dalmatians as we know:

Dalmatians or (Dalmatiner) are known to be one of the best watchdogs and fire-escape hunters since time immemorial. They are known to be famous for their mysterious black spots on their velvety-smooth white fur skin. Making them one of the most easily recognizable dogs of the world.

Known as one of the most entertaining yet energetic dogs, Dalmatians tend to be hyper active more or less all the time and because of which they are generally used in the circus extensively as well as they act like one of the better playmates for young children at home.

Dalmatians have a huge mystical arena around them when one tries to investigate into those black spots as well as when it comes to talk about their origins. They are known to be friendly yet ferocious and thus the whole personality of the Dalmatian breed makes them one of the most fascinating canines throughout the world.

Origins of Dalmatians:

Dalmatians are one of those breeds whose origins are even now to the present day unknown because of which the curiosity is developed around them most of the times. Originally, these dogs are known to come with the nomadic bands of Rome who are now knows as gypsies to us. Although it is still a façade that they were found there. They are known to have adopted their name from the eastern shore of Adriatic Sea which is now known as Croatia to us. The Republic of Croatia was accepted by the F.C.I to be the county original of these Dalmatians. Since the 18^th century this breed was massively cultivated in the backdrop of England and their unusual coatings and markings seemed to become popular in Europe during the latter half of the 19^th century. But even this theory on these Dalmatians being from Croatia has been debated over the years because the country is yet to call these breeds a product of their territory and thus many theories of these dogs being from Asia(as the Bengal dog) and from Africa have been lurking since their very existence.

It is believed that this breed has been related to the Pointer and because of their stamina they are known to be greatly affiliated to having very pleasant and sharp searching abilities with themselves.

All in all, although the topic of Dalmatians origins has been disputed since years, their existence in the lives of many has been pertinent.

Dalmatians as Mascots:

It has still not yet been absolute whether it was for what purpose this breed was used for but at the outset it was believed that Dalmatians were utilized for the work of being a carriage dog in the 1800’s for the gypsies. Running behind the coach or being under the coach axles being their primary job. They were guard dogs for the horses and coach when at rest. Because of their comfortable proximity with the horses and the stags; they became the guiding canines for the stags and helped out clear out their paths.it is said that during that time when a fire would be started, these Dalmatian dogs helped clear out the way for the horses in order to make way for the horses to reach the place caught with fire on time and even helped rescue people in dire need of help during the fire to escape.

Utilized as fire-fighting dogs in the United States

They would then direct the horse’s way back to the stations and would carry out the responsibility of being a watch dog. Because there was a heavy possibility of thievery being carried out in those local areas of the fire engines and hoses, these Dalmatians would serve their purpose of being responsible watch dogs, efficiently. Even now Dalmatians are used as guard dogs for protection of eminent institutions as well as homes. Protection with this breed is guaranteed.

Dalmatian’s Personality:

Known to be entailing very high energy with themselves, Dalmatians are known to be able to travel long distances on their limp in a day (known to cross counties within a day’s time). Thus, it is well advised to not have them stuck in the backyard for too long. They are known to have a sly sense of humour and could behave well with unknown entities if treated properly at the time of them being a puppy. They are known not to have many issues when around familiar entities and if taught well from the beginning, they are known to be adjustable enough to fit in. Dalmatians are known to fit in well with young kids and are branded playful when treated with toys, food etc. being very smart in nature, it knows how to entertain everyone from every age group, well and could be the perfect watchdog for your house.

The Mystery behind the SPOTS:

Whenever we see the infamous movie 101 Dalmatians, we all at one point had wondered “where do these spots come from?”

Dalmatians being the only canines having such spots that ranges from their whole body (they even have spots in their mouth) makes them a unique animal to have. Believe it or not, the reason for their spots is still unknown. Some believe that the spots on these Dalmatians come about because of selective breeding that caused the liver-color spots on them. Whereas, some say the spots arrived due to the genetic mutations on the skin of these dogs, called the PIEBALD GENE which bring about these spots.

It is said that these spots do not come out only in the black color- there are Dalmatians with blue, light green and lemon colored spots as well. They might not even have any spots at all!

Dalmatian with brown spots!

Dalmatians are even known to have variance in their eye colors- having amber or blue eyes.

Pre-requisites before buying a Dalmatian:

• Need to be taken for daily long and brisk walks, allowing for them to walk behind so as to instil in them the feeling of being lead, or else they could turn out to be the leaders and be aggressive in future.
• About 30% of every Dalmatians are deaf, and must go through the BAER test for the one who wants to adopt/own them.
• Have a tendency to lose a lot of hair- must be brushed at least 3-4 times a week so as to avoid losing hair on things
• Must be combed regularly- make them have a bath 3-4 times in a year.
• Can live up to the age of 18 years if take care of properly- have a possibility of getting health issues during their last years regarding the urinary bladder stones- proper medication can help avoid the same
• One must get a health clearance from the breeder before opting for this breed.

All in all, Dalmatians are worthy of being a care-taker of your house and could very well help you with guarding the family!

The post DALMATIANS- THE MYSTERY DOGS appeared first on Pet Attack.

In the previous part I have told you about Swansea Jack who used to save people from drowning in the most dangerous river of Australia; I have told you about Bamse the Peacemaker, I have told you about Bob the Railway dog and I have told you about the friendship of Bummer and Lazarus. There are still too many incredible dogs waiting to appear in the list. So here it goes.

Barry

Monks of Saint Bernard pass, a snowy divide between Switzerland and Italy bred them for 100 years for one purpose- search and rescue travellers who got lost and buried in snow. These rescue dogs travelled in pairs so that when they find a traveller one can stay with him and keep him warm until the help comes and the other can go and find help. Barry saved at least 40 people in his course of time. But he is famous because once Barry found a child trapped on a treacherous ice shelf. He managed to go there and kept the child warm until the help came, but the help could not reach him so he allowed the child to get on his back and pulled him to safety. Barry was so good a rescue dog that even after his departure they always kept a dog named Barry in the monastery. It was the tradition.

Bud Nelson

Bud was the first dog who had crossed America by car with his owner Horatio Nelson and co-driver Sewall K. Crocker in the year 1903, when car journey was not luxurious. At that time car journey was dusty and noisy. The roads were not there at every place. Bud was provided one goggles so that his eyes can be saved. But bud was happy like he is in the photo.

Owney

It is believed that like Bob Owney’s owner was a mail clerk but as he died Owney stayed behind in the post office with his precious mailbags. He liked the smell and texture of the mailbags. After some days, not only in the post office, he started travelling with the mailbags, first to the wagons then to the mail trains. Soon the mailmen noticed that no train ever had an accident in which Owney travelled. So as a lucky charm Owney travelled in the trains.  People started attaching a medal to his jacket to represent everywhere he had been. For a publicity stunt he travelled the world in 120days like Jules Verne’s novel. He travelled across the ocean liner, America, Europe and Asia. He also had his own postage stamps.

Pickles

In 1966, the World Cup was held in England and they were as excited about this as they had a feeling that they might win. In that situation the World Cup got stolen from England and kind of a frenzy begins to find it. It became the question of International embarrassment. Pickles was being walked by his owner when he sniffed something in the bush and that something was the lost World Cup. Pickles found the World Cup. And he became the Dog of the decade by receiving money and going to a banquet.

Rolf

Rolf was either the smartest dog in the world or he was in the middle of a dirty scam. According to Nazis, he could talk. Now, Nazis had some really weird beliefs like they could really make an army of super dogs. Smartest of the super dog squad was Rolf. Apparently he could tap his paw against a board to produce some doggy-Morse-code to communicate with humans. By this code he used to appreciate poetry, Express his pride for Nazi regime and expressing his blind hatred for the French. He even expressed his desire to fight in war on the front lines. Hitler believed that a dog could talk and wasted a great amount of time on his baseless belief. Even if the Nazis could not succeed in making a talking dog, they certainly did succeed to make a racist dog.

Fido

We heard the stories about Hachi who everyday waited for his dead master to come home. We have seen the movie about it. We have dropped a lot of tears watching Hachiko. But the loyal dog Fido is not that popular. Fido was born in Italy during the World War II. He was found dying by a kiln worker. He took him home and nursed him to life and he gained Fido’s unparalleled loyalty. He used sit in the bus stop, waiting for his master to come back home. He refused to move until his owner got off the bus. During the war Italy was bombed daily. One day Fido’s owner did not return. He was killed in an air raid. From that day in spite of the bombardments Fido sat in that bus stop waiting for him for everyday. For 14years. He became a source of stories to media. Everyday people came to see him and made his way to the bus stop. He sat there, watching everybody leave. Then he left. Disappointed. You can cry now.

The post Famous Dogs Part Two appeared first on Pet Attack.

We have read and heard about so many dogs in history. Dogs that have travelled miles to see his owner, dogs that valiantly went in the war and took the bullets, dogs that were worshipped, dogs that detected cancer and still do, dogs that identified bomb, identified murderer but we can never get enough of this animal. They are with humans for a long time now and said and proved to be our best friends. Here goes some more about their bravery.

Jack

Once upon a time their lived a black Labrador, named Jack. He lived with his owner William Thomas near Lake Tawe, Swansea, Wales during 1930s. One day Jack saw a little boy drowning in the river so he ran in and pulled the boy to the shore by his collar scurf. That they there were no one to witness the incident but not only that once. Later, after some weeks he again saved a swimmer. This time there were people to witness him and then he kept on saving people. By the next decade Jack had saved at least 27 people from drowning in the most dangerous river and dock in the Wales.

He was awarded with the Silver Collar from Swansea Council, Bravest Dog of the year award, a silver cup from the mayor of London and his own statue. He was called the Swansea Jack.

Bamse

Bamse means ‘cuddly bear’ in Norwegian but Bamse was extremely tough, he served the Norwegian minesweeper during World War II. He was originally brought on board by the ship’s captain. Later when the captain tried to take Bamse away to accept another post, the crews of the ship threatened him that they would leave the ship if Bamse was taken away. They chose mutinee over losing Bamse.

In Dundee and Montrose Bamse’s legend spread out. During World War II the ship anchored there. Bamse rode buses alone to check on the drunken sailors reach back to their ships. He had a special bus pass tied around his neck. He saved some drunken crew from knifemen, from falling in the water. But Bamse was known for being a peacemaker. It was reported that when the sailors fought on board Bamse used to stand up on his hind legs putting his front paws on the sailor’s shoulder as if he wanted to say, “Calm down buddy, it’s not worth it”! He used to dress up as a little sailor so his photos could be sent by crew members to their home in Christmas.

Bob

Bob was born in Southern Australia in 1982. He was a stray from the beginning. He used to follow railway workers to their work until he was taken by dog catcher. Later a station guard bought him and took him to the trains. Bob used to travel with him wherever he went but not for long. The station guard got promoted and they fell apart. From then Bob travelled alone. He was a known and welcome face in the trains. People adored him. Whenever he wanted some privacy he used bark crazily at everyone in the compartment. The railway department knew about him and let him be. He used to follow the engine driver to his home at night for a meal and comfort and in the morning he used to return to his journey. He became famous. Whenever he came into town he used be the guest of honour in banquets. He was given a special bracelet with his name on it and an engraving saying to let Bob go wherever he wanted. Bob the railway dog died as the most famous dog in Australia.

Bummer and Lazarus

Bummer and Lazarus were two celebrity dogs. Whenever they had a fight with other strays the newspapers reported it. Dog catchers were not allowed to catch them. No. They were not any celebrity person’s dog. They were famous for their friendship. In earlier days Bummer used to beg for scraps to people until Lazarus came into the town and got in a fight with other strays. People started to think that the other dogs will tear him to shreds, that’s when Bummer came in the scene. He not only fought with the other dog but also nursed injured Lazarus to a healthy life. Their legend grew and every twist and turn of their story was reported by the newspapers. When once Bummer’s leg broke and Lazarus didn’t help him all the people protested though the dogs had a little to do with that. Their legacy continued till both of them died. Even after their death, the newspaper wrote about them. Their friendship was so famous that even Mark Twain took a time out to write about them.

Enough for this article, I’ll continue more about these famous dogs in my next article. The next article is going to be more interesting. Keep reading.

The post Famous Dogs Part One appeared first on Pet Attack.

Our childhood would have been incomplete without the dogs in the cartoons, agree? The classic cartoons of 90s which made the weekends better. Not all of those cartoons were created in the 90s but I watched them in the 90s. In my childhood every weekend was a bliss because these spectacular people who made their spectacular cartoons with dogs. Now our busy schedules have gulped those awesome times. But can you deny the fact that you can never get enough of these cartoons? Well… I really can’t. This article is for our lost childhood and those fabulous dogs that made us laugh.

Pluto:

Pluto

Mickey Mouse has a pet dog. Did you notice a mouse has a pet dog?  And that was not a Chihuahua or any small breed, Pluto was a mixed breed. Most likely an English Pointer. What a giant mouse! Now it makes us laugh but as children it was perfectly normal to us.  Pluto first appeared in 1930 in Chain Gang. Pluto was one of the “Sensational Six”. He was one of those successful non-human characters of Disney along with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald duck, Daisy Duck and Goofy. But Pluto was the only one without human-like attire.

Goofy:

Goofy

He is another one from the “Sensational Six” group. But Goofy is not a pet. He is a dog-person or person-dog more appropriately but unlike Pluto Goofy wears cloth and he is dim-witted but however he is it works just fine to entertain us.

Spike:

Spike

Not much of us remember Spike from Tom & Jerry. But some episodes of Tom & Jerry reached a whole new level of fun just because Spike was there to eat Tom’s head and save Jerry or in some he was just teaching his son Tyke a lesson of Barbeque and Tom and Jerry ruined it. Spike was a grey Bulldog. Spike was dumb but stern and he was real soft to mice and disapproving to cats.

Taz:

Taz

The Tasmanian devil from Loony Toons was a little-witted, ferocious, omnivorous and short tempered dog. But he was really cute in Baby Loon Toons. He was best known for his grunts and growls and rasps. He had a huge appetite. He could eat anything. And he could spin like a vortex. He just made baby loonies’ and my childhood. Later a bigger and better version of Taz came out where Taz was the protagonist, Taz-Mania.

Courage The Cowardly dog:

Courage The Cowardly Dog

Here comes Courage the Cowardly dog of no-one-knows-what-breed but he is pink in colour. Normal dogs have pest problems, walk-in-garden problems, Family-leaving-him-alone problems but not Courage. All the ghosts and supernatural creatures come to his house to abduct his two innocent old owners. Courage, apparently the coward dog saves his owners from the ghost alone. No. Not totally alone. He has a computer which has a ghost encyclopaedia inside. The computer answers to Courage’s questions and solves all his problems. But you can hardly see his family members using that computer.

Droopy Dog:

Droopy and Dribble

Droopy dog was a sharp-witted white bloodhound. He seemed lethargic all the time but in the end he was right. Later his son Dribble came in the scene. Dribble was just the carbon copy of Droopy, just a little smaller and Dribble used to wear a t-shirt where Droopy never felt the need of any.

Wile E. Coyote:

Wile E chasing the Roadrunner

In the starting I said that I was going to write about dogs but still this Coyote is included in the list because I fear no one will ever include a Coyote in a pet blog but some days back I wrote another article where I explained a Coyote as a pet. This spectacular show has to be known o all.

Wile E. Coyote was generally from the Road Runner Show, where all his life the Coyote had dreamt and put so much effort on having the Road runner for meal. Later The Road Runner Show was merged with The Bugs Bunny Show. No matter how intelligent the Coyote was the roadrunner’s speed outran him.

Snowy:

Tintin and Snowy

Remember the little white furry wire fox terrier that has seen more of the world than some of us have? Yes. I’m talking about Tintin’s shadow companion Snowy. Whenever Tintin was in danger this adventurous little guy rescued him.

Odie:

Garfield and Odie

There is nothing much to say about Odie. He was Garfield the fat cat’s victim and partner in crime.

Snoopy:

Snoopy

Charlie Brown’s dog from Peanuts comic. He thinks himself to be driving a fighter plane in World War 1. Snoopy was created by Charles M. Schulz. I think Charles M. Schulz was the only creator who portrayed what the dog was thinking and apparently Snoopy was the smartest in his gang.

In our childhood, the cartoons never made us sad, in those days dogs never died; dogs were not abused by humans. In cartoons there were always people to help them… And now with our big grown up eyes we see the hardships of those happy creatures, we see the cruel world. We see death, we see wounds. We see people’s worst deeds to dogs. If growing changes the world like that, then I really regret growing up.

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