608 THE AMERICAN BOOK OF THE DOG. 



the whole ear-lap, giving the animal a most hideous 

 appearance, and subjecting it to great suffering. In many 

 instances, canker and deafness resulted. Fortunately, 

 however, this cruel practice has been abandoned, under 

 the more humane public sentiment of modern times, and 

 bench-show judges no longer tolerate such mutilation. 



Few breeds attract more attention at bench shows than 

 the Dalmatian, notwithstanding the few entries that are 

 made. The trim, graceful form, the high, well-carried 

 head, the alert expression of eye and ear, and the beautiful 

 marking of the Coach, render him an object of interest to 

 all lovers of the dog. 



The body of a typical Dalmatian should be white, with 

 black or liver-colored spots evenly distributed over the 

 body, head, neck, legs, and tail. These spots should be 

 round, not smaller than a silver dime, nor larger than a 

 half-dollar. Black markings are preferred, by most fan- 

 ciers, to the brown. Both colors are found on some speci- 

 mens, and while this is admissible, it is not generally 

 regarded as showing careful breeding. Such marking 

 indicates a mixture of blood of the two varieties. 



Many otherwise good specimens fail in competition 

 through having no spots on the tail, and common fiat, 

 black faces or ears are decided blemishes. 



In buying a Dalmatian it is well to examine the feet and 

 legs, for a dog with imperfectly formed or weak legs can 

 not endure the fatigue of a long run after a carriage. 



A noticeable peculiarity in this breed is the fact that 

 the puppies when first whelped are often pure white, the 

 spots developing within a few days. A friend of the writer, 

 not being aware of this fact, destroyed a very promising 

 litter, with the exception of one, which showed faint signs 

 of black spots. The spots developed in time, but the speci- 

 men did not prove a handsome one. Doubtless several of 

 those that were killed would have proven far better. 



The Dalmatian is the Coach Dog par excellence. His 

 love for horses, his neetness of foot, his sagacity and cour- 

 age as a guardian of property left in his charge, render him 



