Dalmatians become popular every time a 101 Dalmatians series movie is released or re-released on video or DVD. Suddenly, every child wants one, and parents are too quick to buy one, without doing the proper research on the pet, assuming it will be just as friendly as the one from the movie.

However, Dalmatians may not be the best breed for first time dog owners and unfortunately for the dogs, their new families find this out too late. It is always upsetting, to see people buy dogs because they see them in a movie.

Dalmatians are medium-sized, with very muscular bodies and small, floppy ears. In purebred dogs, only black or liver-colour spots are recognized, although other Dalmatians may develop spots in varying colours, or patches. These dogs have blue or brown eyes that are set wide apart on the skull. Their ears are wider at the base than they are at the rounded tip. Dalmatians are not good yard dogs because they love their families and can become very sad and even depressed without human companionship. They are very well known for their ability to remember for years any bad treatment they have suffered. Dalmatians need exercise or they can become destructive. This is what many owners don’t understand

Dalmatians need more care and energy from their owner than many other breeds of dogs, they can be difficult and may exhibit behavioural problems. Their cute looks often mask the real dogs temperament. These dogs require a tremendous amount of exercise  and  attention.  Anyone considering owning one who has not had one before should be aware not only of this but of the potential for puppies being deaf or partially deaf and of there being a tendency for some to have urinary stones. Dalmatians are also more likely to present with uric acid calculi and commonly present with calculi lodged in the urethra.  Dalmatians are also prone to deafness, hip dysphasia and allergies

Dalmatians are a bundle of energy and very animated! They are extremely active and need to play, run, jump, chew, bark and get into everything around us. This breed in particular can be shaky and nervous if they are weaned from the mother too early.  Dalmatians are great-but although they are very smart dogs they can be a challenge to train.   They aren’t really dumb they are just slow learners. Some owners just get tired of showing their dog how to do something 100 times, so they just call them dumb and don’t teach them anything Dalmatians are definitely not house dogs and require a lot of attention if they are to be kept as house dogs. They usually like to be left alone.

These are one of the oldest purebreds in the world. Dalmatians are happy and well-behaved, provided they are given plenty of exercise and attention. They tend to be strong-willed and require obedience training and a firm hand from an early age. They are very loyal to their families but they have an excellent memory and will remember for ever any unfair treatment they might have been subject to. They are usually docile with strangers but they know who their masters are, and  are often reluctant to warm up to new people right away. An innocent pat on the head could frighten the dog if the gesture is unwelcome – After all, patting is a human thing. Dogs relate better to gentle stroking which may remind them of their mother’s licking when they were a  pup.  But overall these are actually very obedient dogs if you are patient with them. So buy a Dalmatian today!

.