In the past century, there has been a growth in the popularity of Dalmatians in Great Britain. According to a few different sources, Dalmatians were bred from a line of English hunting dogs, but this is only speculation. There is also considerable speculation that based on character traits, hunting abilities, and specific types that a similarity exists between Dalmatians and the Talbot breed. This has also led to claims that Dalmatians are actually direct descendants of the Talbot breed as well. Some UK dog lovers are even clamoring that the Dalmatian is inherently British because of the above theorizing.

It is very possible that some Talbot breed may have cross-bred with other European canines a few centuries back, so the theory is not as incredible as it sounds. One of the resulting cross breeds may have in fact been the Dalmatian. The Dalmatian makes an excellent guard dog it is an extremely intelligent breed which is quite possibly why their popularity in the UK is on the upswing. Despite all the speculation it is doubtful that the breed existed during ancient eras. Nor is there any possibility that the breed has encountered any evolutionary trends.

The Dalmatian's official debut occurred at a dog competition over 140 years ago in 1860. It was Britain's second dog show that year and the Dalmatian was one of five featured breeds in the show. During the entire First World War (1914-18), the Dalmatian was an endangered species and it was nearly eradicated because of the war in Great Britain. At the time, a gentleman named Fred Kemp was the President of Britain's Dalmatian Club as well as being a third generation owner of the breed.

With a great amount of diligence and tireless efforts, Kemp was able to save the Dalmatian from extinction at the hands of war. It was difficult times no doubt, but Kemp managed to keep them from being what could have been a casualty of the war. Kemp went on to keep the dogs he saved as breeding stock once the war was over and their safety had been ensured. As a result, the Dalmatian population began flourishing once again. As of 1918, there were only 2 registered Kennel Club Dalmatians and these 2 did perform at the first dog show to run after the end of the war.

By 1925, there were 125 registered Dalmatians and within 7 years, that number had increased seven-fold to a total of 889 registered with the Kennel Club. Two years later (1934) there 199 Dalmatian entries in that year's dog competition. This proved without doubt that the popularity of the breed was increasing.

The following is a list of dietary guidelines to follow for your Dalmatian:

o Red meat, whether it is cooked or raw should never be fed to your Dalmatian, including pet foods and snacks that use this as an ingredient
o Avoid pet foods and snacks that list which list red meat as anyone of the first three ingredients in the product
o Poultry in either cooked or raw form also needs to be avoided, as well as pet foods and snacks where it is a key ingredient
o If poultry is listed as one of the first two ingredients on the label, do not give it to your Dalmatian

Additionally, consider fruits, grains, and vegetables as healthy snacks for your dog. However, you want to avoid vegetables high in purine content. This would include veggies such as asparagus, cauliflower, legumes, mushrooms, oatmeal, and spinach. Adult Dalmatians need pet foods that contain corn (first), wheat (second), and rice would be the last preference.