Yes, that's true. You can read about it in any dog breed book. Here is an example, taken from www.jlsdals.com:
Spots tend to show up within a few weeks or so, and sometimes you can even see slight pigment before then.
Aww, aren't they adorable?
Anyone who has seen "101 Dalmatians" also know this is true. In the Disney animated version, Cruella De Vil arrives right after the birth to purchase the puppies for her coat but is disgusted that they have no spots.
In the live version, we actually see the puppies right after birth and sure enough they are white. Now, I guess that you could argue that there could be some CGI involved, but I highly doubt it.
I adore dogs and puppies. I have always been a dog over cats kind of person (nothing against cats, mind you. I just like dogs better). I have known several dogs in my life, most of them the dogs of friends or family members. There was Morgan, the Golden Retriever that taught my brother that not all dogs are scary. There was Rosie (pronounced "Rozz-ie") that made my brother scared of dogs in the first place. There is Mogul, a linebacker of a lab who dives off docks into the water to fetch a tennis ball and can ride in a kayak. There's my family's neighbors' dog Frodo, who is dumb enough to run into the side of a moving car yet smart enough to pick apples from the trees. There were/are my friends' dogs, like Razor, Roxy, Daisy, Iris, and many others. Then there were Hoss & Chance, the dogs my best friend/old roomie Teri trained in college. I almost adopted Chance.
Then...there was Sadie:
Sadie was the first (and thus far, only) dog I owned. Okay, she was technically the family dog, but she was primarily my responsibility. She arrived in the family of June 2001, as a three month old puppy. A mutt of dubious lineage, she was plenty happy to go for walks or just hang out all day. Never a big fetcher...you had to bribe her with treats. As my grandfather battled dementia, she was always able to bring a smile to his face. Sadie saw me through some very rough times in my life, and was always at the door to greet me with her vocal antics and a fiercely wagging tail.
In fall of 2012, Sadie began to lose weight. At first, nothing seemed wrong...she was an older dog after all. However blood tests confirmed there was something wrong with her liver. Sadie was peacefully put to sleep in late January 2012 due to suspected liver cancer. I was in college and unable to come home to say good-bye, but the vet saved her ashes, which stay with me today in an urn I made for her in ceramics class. Someday another wonderful dog will come into my life. As a side note, my grandfather passed away nine months later, and I am sure the two of them are having a blast together in heaven.
I have never owned a Dalmatian, but I did meet one as a kid. It was my grandmother's birthday (she was born on Leap Day, so we had to have a big party every four years, and this was one of them). Some friends came over with Jasmine, a young Dalmatian. While I do not recall most of this party (I was probably between 4-7 years old), I do remember sitting on the front porch petting Jasmine. There is a photo floating around of little me and Jasmine on that porch. I wish I had an electronic copy of it, so I can show you. I never saw Jasmine after that party, but she was an early indication to my family that they had a dog lover on their hands :) .
No comments:
Post a Comment