THE DALMATIAN ROAD TRIAL

The History of the Coach Dog

The Dalmatian first appeared in colored paintings in the tomb of Redmera at the Thebes on the Nile River as early as 3000 BC. Black and brown spotted dogs were depicted running along side Egyptian hunters in chariots. Spotted dogs following horse drawn carts were also found in the writings of the Greeks and Romans.

It was in the early 1800's that the modern Dalmatian was recognized as a ‘coach' dog in the English language. Fashionable in his spotted coat, the Dalmatian was a favorite to run alongside the carriages and keep stray dogs from attacking the horses. Through the years the Dalmatian and the horse developed a natural affinity for each other. Dalmatians were kept in the stables, calming the horses and keeping rats out of the grain. The Dalmatian is a bold, protective dog who has a deep loyalty for his family. The Dalmatian became a firehouse dog, protecting the horses as they pulled the fire wagons, calming them at the scene of the blaze, then protecting the fire hoses from marauding firemen competing for insurance money.

After the turn of the century, the invention of the gas powered automobile replaced the horse drawn carriages. The Dalmatian continued to be a close companion to both man and horse. Today the Dalmatian is still one of the most popular breeds and can be found in stables across America and Europe.

The Dalmatian Club of America developed a performance event to test the ability of a Dalmatian to coach. It is called the Road Trial.

The dog's physical condition is recorded (pulse, temperature, pad condition, respiration, etc.) by a veterinarian prior to the start of the competition. The Dalmatian must perform several obedience exercises while the handler is either mounted on horseback or driving a cart. The exercises call for the dog to ‘hock' alongside a trotting horse, keep up with a galloping horse, come when called, hock past a ‘distraction' and remain seated or lying down for 60 seconds. After passing these exercises, the dog must complete the endurance portion of the test. For the RD title, the dog must complete 12 ½ miles in under 3 hours. For the RDX the dog must complete 25 miles in under 6 hours. The dog is checked at the half way point by another veterinarian and it's condition recorded. If the dog is unable to continue, it is eliminated from the competition. At the end of the course, the starting veterinarian again records the dogs’ vitals. The dog whose condition is closest to his starting statistics wins "Best Conditioned". The conditioning scores are combined with the obedience scores to rate the dogs placement. The time taken to complete the course does not count unless the dog goes over the maximum time allowed.

Road Trials are fun to watch and truly allow the Dalmatian to show what he was bred to do!

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