Dalmatian FAQ

The dalmatian is a wonderful, loyal, good-natured dog with a lot to offer its family. However, over-reaction from the Disney movies has created an misunderstanding about the breed in the general public. This page should give you enough information to form your own opinion.

Our dals

• Monika's been with us since 1996, and goes everywhere with us. She's very loyal, and listens very well. The training we gave her as a puppy definitely was worth the time and effort.
• We rescued Legato, who had a litter of 10 puppies. She's now happy at a friend's home, but is still really submissive as a result of being mistreated when she was younger.
• We kept two of her puppies, Allegro and Encore. Allegro is deaf, and tries to assert himself over Encore, but loves human companionship the most. Encore's the ball dog, and will play all day.
• Monika had one puppy in her first litter, Cantata. Cantata's the goofiest dog, and loves to catch your hand in her mouth. We've trained her not to jump on people, so instead she'll bounce around like a rabbit.
• We bred Monika and Encore, with the result of seven puppies.

Temperament

Dalmatians are dogs, and need to be well-cared for and properly trained. They are very smart, and are very much people-oriented. They are not stupidly exuberant, but are large enough to need plenty of space when active.

All our dals are great with our kids. Dalmatians have great memories, and once a friend they're alway friends (unless mistreated). On the other hand, they are wary of strangers, including children. So we're always careful when introducing children to our dals, teaching the children how to properly treat a dog (not poking, not getting in its face, being generally nice).

Food is a huge factor in a dals' temperament. The key is to find good-quality food that is low in purines. Your run-of-the-mill store brands, and just about all name brands are not optimal for a dal. We feed ours IAMS Less Active (once they're out of the puppy stage), and have dals with good natures, nice coats, and no hyperactivity.

Overview of Dalmatians

• K9 Web FAQ page

Deafness

• One out of twelve dals are deaf in any given litter, regardless of the lineage.
• A deaf dog can still be a great pet, resources at About.com