Talk to me about Dalmatian’s

[LuluBellaBlue]

Hello,

We are considering getting a Dalmatian puppy, wondering if people with experience of this breed could share info please?

We have a 7 yr old collie x flat coat rescue who I’ve had from around 6 months old and 2 cats.

I’ve fostered cats and dogs for years now and have been looking for the right dog for about 5 years through rescues and none have come up.

Due to other pets and children would like a young dog. Even though I’ve had my girl from a young age she still carries trauma based fears like being petrified of men carrying guitar cases / umbrellas.

So finally decided to consider purchasing a KC pup.

My thoughts are after training a collie x flat coat who was already traumatised a Dalmatian should be easy? But am I under estimating the breed?
Also worth noting the puppy I’m thinking of going to see has unilateral hearing, so already aware of that risk. She’s the last pup left as I presume people can’t breed from her.

I used to walk a few as a dog walker for a while. They aren't the easiest to train and the breed is prone to deafness. They have a lot more energy than many breeds and can be very stubborn.

I think that as you are an experienced dog owner, you should be fine. But they aren't the easiest breed.

I’ve never had one but know someone who shows them and they are considered a head strong breed, generally recommended for experienced dog owners. You obviously have the experience but I think maybe a more easy going breed would fit in better. But if you have a pup available and you can didn’t the time training it may work. But they are not particularly biddable.

Thank you! That’s something I am concerned about, as in..... should I get a nice easy breed after my mad rescue (who I love to bits but has been very hard work at times!)
The problem is I’m not sure what other breeds I actually like that are easy..... and I guess I’m used to looking at rescue animals so not used to picking a breed iyswim...

My friend had one and she couldn’t cope with it at all. It was a very headstrong dog and required an insane amount of walking / exercise and seemed hyper. But a beautiful dog. I don’t think she did her homework, truth be told.
He was, however, rehomed to a family who were experienced Dalmatian owners and even they said he was a handful.

My next door neighbour has a pair of Dalmatians - think they're 5 and 7. We live next to a massive common where they get a 2 hour walk every afternoon and that seems to be enough for them. They are well trained and certainly not a problem with barking or general behaviour. She did say one was much harder to train and far more stubborn. She's older - mid 60s maybe - and she says they're hard to manage on the lead when she first gets them out on their walk. I tend to run into them on the way back and they're all chilled and graceful

I’ve never known a Dalmatian that wasn’t madder than a box of frogs tbh, nice to be fair... but definitely not easy to train compared to more biddable breeds.

I seem to recall they have a genetic problem with uric acid (leading to bladder stones etc), for which the healthy version of the gene no longer exists in the gene pool. Not all dogs affected, but all dogs are carriers so careful consideration when breeding is critical.

This is dodgy memory, though, so well worth you doing plenty of your own research on it.

My friend has one and they certainly are headstrong, and big. So hers can open all the doors in the house with his paw, and the cupboards in the kitchen.
She has got locks on cupboards now but still can't leave anything out as he can reach every where!

The dalmatian adoption service currently have a 6 month old bitch needing a home... I went off the idea having read the MN threads about dalmatians tbh.

I’ve got a Dalmatian
She’s the 3rd one I’ve had...and is by far the hardest work
Has a mind of her own
Very clever, very strong...I used to be faster than Usain Bolt when I took her down the road to get to the nearby fields
She is excellent with my 3 young grandsons and will play quite happily with them
Has very long legs and everything has to be moved out of her way
She caught a magpie in the garden once and was running around with him screaming the place down. A crowd of magpies then proceeded to sit along the fence and also scream with him. The neighbours came out to see what was going on. Managed to get him off her and he recovered but it was not easy
She also steals for attention. It’s not unusual to go into the garden and see shoes, cushions, even my daughters mobile phone just lying in the grass
My younger son was going out and couldn’t find his trainers. Managed to find them in the garden placed neatly side by side
Phew...I don’t know how I manage but she is fabulous really

My dog

She has liver coloured spots

They were bred to follow along behind carridges for hours so they need A LOT of excercise

I’ve only met two so a very small sample.

Gorgeous to look at but both of these at least seem to be nightmares.
One is very dog aggressive, completely silent but ‘stalks’ and eyeballs on sighting dogs.
Both are walked on head halters and pull and bounce about and just appear completely hyperactive and out of control.

LUA Dalmatians are free from the uric acid disorder mentioned above but I think you might have a hard time finding a LUA Dalmatian.

I only know of one and it was absolutely bonkers. Strong willed and hard to train.

My dalmation was a rescue at 18mths. She was nervous and neurotic and I loved her to bits. She was afraid of my OH with made him annoyed/her more nervous. She was pretty good at dog school, they said she had some of the few neurons given out to dalmations. Some are a bit nervy to be totally trustworthy with children, She needed hours of free running a day and could happily lope for an hour. Favourite activity following me in my tractor for hours. True carriage dog. I miss her very much but dont take one on lightly the NEED you

I would not have one with unilateral hearing, it will make training much harder. On a lighter note, beware of the hair shedding, the short hairs burrow in to everything, they are lethal

The one we had when I was a kid was insane. Was KC registered etc from 'good breeding line' etc my mum bought her with the hopes of showing her... HA she was off her tits she couldn't even walk around a ring without chasing something, barking, crying, losing the plot.
She could open all the doors in our house so had to change them all to round knobs, couldn't leave anything at all on tables or worktops as she'd eat it, she once got a kitchen knife off the side and CHEWED IT had to go to the vets.
Was obsessed and I mean obsessed with food.
My dad came back from work with a mini pack of sweets in his suit jacket pocket... she ate the pocket. He bought some suede work shoes once, she ate all of the leather and just left the rubber soles and spat out the metal eyelets for the laces.
She was a fucking nightmare, I would never have a dally myself I'm afraid.
Good luck if you do! They can't all be like ours was 😂

My dad came back from work with a mini pack of sweets in his suit jacket pocket... she ate the pocket

My cat is an absolute fucker for this!
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to put a cardigan on and it has no pockets because the bastard has sniffed out the dog treats I’d put in there and chewed and clawed my pockets apart...

Oh my goodness this is soo much worse than I thought!!! (Holds head in hands)

15 yr old son is convinced it’s the perfect breed. After school I will be showing him this thread and discussing.

Thank you everyone.

What about a border collie?
Your existing dog is half collie.
A properly bred puppy from nice, stable parents?

I’m not sure I’d want another collie as mine is so mad...... which is making me question a Dally now

We had a Dalmatian as s family dog through my teens. He was crazy. Very greedy and a chancer but had a great smile. Hard work though (well he was until he won full rights to the living room sofa)

This is purely anecdotal of course but they only dogs I’ve ever been scared of have been dalmations. Saw two at separate times in separate pens at a rescue center and they both barked so aggressively that I was overwhelming glad there was a barrier between us. (But obviously rescues can be stressful places for dogs.)

I have a 7 year old Dalmatian and she is indeed mad as a box of frogs and has loads of energy while still managing to be utterly lazy with it. She hates it it it’s; too hot, too wet, too cold, too windy, too dark... you get the idea. There is one day around mid April where the weather meets her approval.
She is very smart but channels stupid really well, can be quite stubborn but because Dalmatians love food she is quite easy to blackmail I mean train with treats.

She is hard work but she is so loving and affectionate. Very clumsy around the house she still goes up and down stairs like she has twice as many legs but when she runs beside dh when he is mountain biking she looks amazing the breeding really shows then.
Hair gets everywhere she always seems to wander around with a general cloud of hair falling off her but we have a black cat just so whatever you are wearing in our house you’re inconvenienced

If you are experienced with dogs I’d say that it’s not all doom and gloom they really can be amazing company.