Spotted in action: Dalmatians at the G&S!

Visitors will have the chance to see the first ever Carriage Dog Display at the Gillingham & Shaftesbury Show this year. Liesel Thorner, a dog trainer and canine conformation judge who also awards Challenge Certificates to Dalmatians, is secretary of The British Carriage Dog Society (BCDS). She, alongside her fellow members of The BCDS committee, will be running the display. Dalmatians, the original spotty dogs, ‘have a deep instinct for carriage work,’ says Liesel. ‘The very first thing we do with any aspiring carriage dog is the Instinct Test to discover whether they actually have the drive to follow a carriage. It’s rare to find a Dalmatian that doesn’t!’

Liesel Thorner (in red) ran her first two Dalmations, Marcy and Molly, together – pictured here with driver Lornah Hullah and Bobby. Image: Mary Cruxton

Liesel’s current working dog, five-year-old Mona Image: Liesel Thorner

*Without the support of volunteer drivers – and very often their families in stewarding roles – Liesel says they would not be able to train or run the trials and ultimately not preserve the working role of the Dalmatian.

The first known written reference to a Dalmatian dog is from 1375. Peter, Bishop of Đakovo, mentions a hunting dog – principally found in Dalmatia – with short white hair and black round spots, naming the breed Canis Dalmaticus . Dalmatians were hunting dogs originally, explains Liesel: ‘You’ll often see “distinctively spotted dogs” in medieval art – the forerunners of today’s Dalmatians – and hunting is where their affinity for working with horses came from.’ During the Regency period they were the must-have accessory for a nobleman’s coach, guarding from highwaymen on the road and sleeping with the horses in the stable to protect them. They’re also excellent ratters, making them doubly welcome! They were soon the carriage dog breed of choice, and because of this, “carriage dog” became synonymous with “Dalmatian”: the British Carriage

Dog Society exists to preserve “the working heritage of the Dalmatian as a coaching dog”.

Going for gold

The BCDS runs national trials near Fordingbridge every year, where dogs are tested on obedience and endurance – Dalmatians are the ultimate long distance trotters!

There are three disciplines for carriage dogs:

• Groom Handled – a second person on the backstep of the carriage, the groom, is responsible for the dog while the driver handles the horse

• Whip Handled – the driver must handle the horse, the carriage and the dog, though a groom is still present

• Road Dog – there is no carriage, and the dog runs alongside the horse and rider.

During the trials (for bronze, silver or gold level), the dogs will complete an obedience test, and then set out on their endurance test – bronze is six miles, while gold is 25 miles!

‘Marcy, our oldest dog, is 13 and retired now,’ says Liesel. ‘She achieved her bronze level – but the ratbag failed her silver obedience! They’re expected to be focused on the carriage, and Marcy preferred the horse poo – she kept leaving the carriage! She passed the vetting with flying colours after the 12 mile silver endurance though.

‘Mona, our young dog, is five, and she’s going for her bronze this

Liesel’s dog

Molly working a perfect position with the carriage during a trial

September. She’s terrific, a very instinctive guard – it is absolutely HER carriage. But that is causing some training issues as the dogs are expected to run behind the carriage, and Mona insists on popping out at field junctions and sections of woodland, scouting ahead to check the way is clear before returning to her spot!’

• You can see the Carriage Dog display in the Main Ring on both days of the show - there will be four carriages with four Dalmatians, and they will be demonstrating the bronze obedience test for the crowd.

The British Carriage Dog Society

The British Carriage Dog Society (BCDS) founder Alison Wright visited the Washington Dalmatian Club in the USA in 2002 to shadow the organisers of that year’s Road Trials, with a view to bringing the working Dalmatian role back to the UK. In 2003 the first Carriage Dog Trial event took place where both Road Dog and Carriage Dog classes were offered – the society has been running trials and training since.

If you own a Dalmatian and would like to have a go, no prior experience is necessary. Training takes place throughout the winter at Half Moon Stud, Motcombe, nr. Shaftesbury. If you would like to know more, please contact Liesel on secretary@britishcarriagedog society.co.uk