What do you know about Dalmations?

Erm, they are spotty?

They are a very active breed.  Prone to deafness in one or both ears, this is linked to pigmentation in the ear.   Overbred thanks to Disney and many have behavioural problems. 

As with any pedigree dog, if you are buying a puppy, BUYER BEWARE.  Be prepared to WAIT, PAY and TRAVEL for a good quality pup. View as many litters as you can and get a feel for what health certs you should be seeing, what the adult relatives should look like, study the breed standard and ask questions of every dal breeder you can find.

I have only had first hand experience with two dals, one was a sweetheart and the other was a menace.  Sorry I can't be more help.

Good luck

 A very good friend of mine had a Dalmation.  Unfortunately, my friend was not much of a dog owner so the dog did have some of the typical behavioral problems caused by not enough exercise and training. Ripping through crates, destroying furniture, etc. Despite all of that, she was such a sweet heart of a dog. I just loved her and she was pretty devoted to me when I was over (probably because I gave her so much attention).

She was pretty smart though. She learned to smile on command and several other cutesy tricks. She was never aggressive to people and did not have the medical issues that some dalmations can get (deafness, and so on). She died at age 12.

So just like any other breed, you have to do your homework. Find a good breeder and do lot of socialization and training early on

I've had first hand experience with maybe five or six. Not terribly impressed with the ones I knew and one was really lacking in brain matter.LOL  I'm sure if you find a decent breeder you can find a nice one.  I think some of the problem with this breed is they really don't have to be bred to DO anything, just to look good.  I don't recall seeing them in obedience, agility or any other sort of activity.  But that's a VERY small sampling.  I do love their looks. 

Dalmations are very outgoing yet dignified dogs.

If anyone thinks of words to describe the Dalmation is is ENERGY and STAMINA. They NEVER tire and CAN'T just sit down somewhere. They are very happy and loyal dogs though. They LOVE kids but can have too much energy for smaller ones. They get along with other animals but *MAY* become agressive if a dog is too dominat toward them. Health problems are the deafness that was mentioned above, but they are also prone to urinary infections and allergies. They need 2 LONG walks/runs or a walk and a run each day. They become VERY destructive if bored.

And if you don't mind me asking...............why? Are you getting a Dalmation. SQUEEEEEEE

Any decent Dal breeder will have dogs in conformation and usually agility and obedience as well. Look at JLS Dalmatians for a great example.  Most reputable Dal breeders also *DO* breed for work, but what a lot of people forget is that a Dal isn't a sporting breed- they're a guard breed- and they're not bred to work with a handler like a GSD. They're bred to run along side the carriage and make their OWN judgement about who is scary and who is not. THey're bred to be independent, intelligent, and pretty darn aloof! They're smart dogs but can be VERY resentful of heavy-handed training.

My best friend has a Dalmatian service dog, who is 8, and another who is in training as his replacement.  

Mechanical Angel

And if you don't mind me asking...............why? Are you getting a Dalmation. SQUEEEEEEE

Not sure...probably not. We are looking to get a second dog this spring though! I like them, but idk if it'd be right because Jeremy has alot of reservations about them.

Oh well darn but do you have any other ideas for the dog breeds you're thinking about?

Mechanical Angel

Oh well darn but do you have any other ideas for the dog breeds you're thinking about?

So far our list of dogs to consider are Labs, Goldens, and GSDs. Maybe a mutt if we're going the shelter route again.

I would like something a little different though. But, so far, that's all Jeremy is open to.

Go Shelter Dogs I say. They're awesome!!! and who in their right mind would want to miss out on special shelter dog love.. everybody agrees right????

Mechanical Angel

Go Shelter Dogs I say. They're awesome!!! and who in their right mind would want to miss out on special shelter dog love.. everybody agrees right????

I agree! We got Apollo from a high kill shelter in GA. Jeremy would like a puppy, purebred, from a breeder that he can stay in contact with, and meet both puppy parents, etc, etc.

I worked with a few. A couple of deaf puppies - and then an 8 year old sweet heart that we found as a stray. The old guy was a doll. Very barky, did not like being left alone. He did come down with bloat - so that's another concern with the breed. He had bad hips/joints. He was not good with smaller animals, and not very tolerant of puppies - but great with other adult dogs. (that could have just been HIM though).

They are smart, active and protective.

Well yes it is VERY nice to know the parents and DNA  and such instead of guessing

They're cool dogs.

I was bitten by a pure bred Dal years ago, so I'm not a fan of them.

I also had a Lab/Dal mix that was, and I hate to say it, dumb as a brick.

Not meaning to add to the bad rap, but that my experiece with them. I have met several in public areas that are wonderful.

misstrouble

I also had a Lab/Dal mix that was, and I hate to say it, dumb as a brick.

Hey now I have a Dal/lab/chow mix. She is far from dumb.

Cheyanne's mom was a purebred Dalmatian. Very calm and friendly. She's the only purebred I ever met so I cant tell you anything more about them.

Of all the mutts I have grown up with Cheyanne's the best. For both breeds being energetic she has a great off switch. Maybe the chow in her? Ready to go walking,running,biking,etc. But loves her down time too.