I'm sure most of you have heard the awful reputation that Dalmations have accumulated over the years. For those of you who have heard this, there are probably just as many if not more who have seen the 101 Dalmations movies that make these dogs seem exactly the opposite of what their bad rap makes them.
Personally, I do not believe than any dog is born a "bad dog," or that any particular breed of dog is doomed to aggression or behavior problems of any kind. I am a firm believer that any breed of dog can become a loving, mentally healthy dog if it is raised and socialized properly.
The release of 101 Dalmations resulted in America falling in love with the breed. Dog lovers everywhere rushed out to the nearest backyard breeder to buy their own little spotted ball of love and loyalty. These dogs were bought and tossed into the backyard and forgotten quite quickly. They ultimately became "backyard ornaments," underexercised both mentally and physically. The Dalmation is a very sensitive breed, and tends to require a generous amount of exercise. Proper socialization is detrimental with all breeds of dogs, including the Dalmation. A dog with little to no mental and physical stimulation is unbelievably likely to develop behavior problems. A sensitive breed like the Dalmation will develop problems very quickly without plenty of exercise. Think of it this way: you take a two-year-old and give him ten cups of coffee, then stuff him into a tiny, empty room with no toys. Just 4 walls. Underexercised dogs will have lots of pent-up energy and nowhere to release it. So, they tend to release it by destroying your $100+ loafers, your new Armani suit sleeve, your leather couch, your yard...etc. With nothing to do to release their energy, they develop habits that we do not approve of. This can also result in aggression of many kinds.
So, these people who ran out to get their Hollywood star simply wanted a dog. Not a dog that needed socialization and frequent exercise........and thus, the bad reputation of the Dalmation was born. These are NOT simply "bad dogs." I believe that there is no such thing as a bad dog--only a bad or uninformed owner. Most of these people were not bad people who wanted to create an unhappy dog, they simply didn't know how to raise a puppy--especially one as sensitive as the Dalmation.
Because they can be high-strung and very friendly, many people claim that these dogs are horrible with children. Ridiculous. The first dog I ever knew was a young male Dalmation, unusually large for his breed. I met Rosco when he was about two or three years old. My parents found him at a few months old darting bravely(or stupidly rather) back and forth across a busy highway. This was before I was even born. They brought him home and he stuck. As soon as I was old enough to walk, I was outside with Rosco. He was my best buddy, and my guardian. Rosco was not leash-trained, and his greeting to my father was to jump up playfully and give him a big hug and kiss. Being a large dog, this would be dangerous with children....but he wasn't. If I came outside, he'd scamper over to me and sit in front of me. You could see in his eyes how excited he was to have his buddy out there with him, and he would do everything he could not to wag his whole body in anticipation until I rubbed him behind the ears. If I walked out the back gate and left it open, Rosco would tag along, never leaving my side. He made it his duty to keep me out of harm's way. If my father was walking him, he was pulling ahead, leading the way. If I grabbed the leash, or if I was just beside him, he would stay glued to my side as though he'd been leash-trained all along. He never rough-housed with me(despite the fact that I sometimes wanted him to) but he always loved to play. Gently, of course. He slept outside my bedroom window at night, and warned us of anything or anyone suspicious. He was the best family dog anyone could ask for.
Later we acquired a female, Sasha. She had been owned by a deaf child, and the family was moving. Sasha was incredibly timid due to both lack of socialization and simply living in a relatively quiet world. She was very sweet, however, and was much like Rosco. She was laid-back but enjoyed playing, but never offered to jump, pull, snap, or anything. She and our horses were fast friends. She never wandered unless she was following one of us. If the gate was left open all day long, you never had to worry that she was anywhere. If she wasn't still in the backyard, she was by the front door. She also was very motherly...with people, animals of all kinds... She was very sweet, and great with kids and a wide variety of animals. She was also a guardian, like Rosco. If those two were barking, something was wrong.
Well, now that I have ranted a little on their bad reputation... :doghappy: The Dalmation was originally a carriage dog. They would run stock off of the road as carriages passed by, and were excellent family and guard dogs. They were later used as fire rescue dogs because of their desire to please and of course, their desire to help people. They have an undying loyalty and wouldn't think twice about giving their life for their family. They are highly intelligent dogs, and I find them to be a joy to train. They are spontaneous and fun-loving, and as I said, need plenty of exercise. Every dog of this breed that I have ever known has been a social butterfly. One downside about Dallies is that they are notorious shedders...so playing with Spot before going to work in the morning is likely to result in a million little while hairs all over your black suit. ^^ (But hey, no outfit is complete without a few horse/dog/cat/etc hairs, right?)
Today, Dallies can be seen competing in Agility, Obedience, Flyball, Frisbee....just about anything, really. And of course, they are still in many homes all over the world. I personally do not recommend Dallies for inexperienced or first-time dog owners, simply because they are a sensitive breed. However, I love Dalmations and it is easily one of my favorite breeds. :doghappy: We no longer have any, but we've had quite a few over the years. Don't just believe what you hear. Look into breeds before making up your mind about them. :dogsmile:
Personally, I do not believe than any dog is born a "bad dog," or that any particular breed of dog is doomed to aggression or behavior problems of any kind. I am a firm believer that any breed of dog can become a loving, mentally healthy dog if it is raised and socialized properly.
The release of 101 Dalmations resulted in America falling in love with the breed. Dog lovers everywhere rushed out to the nearest backyard breeder to buy their own little spotted ball of love and loyalty. These dogs were bought and tossed into the backyard and forgotten quite quickly. They ultimately became "backyard ornaments," underexercised both mentally and physically. The Dalmation is a very sensitive breed, and tends to require a generous amount of exercise. Proper socialization is detrimental with all breeds of dogs, including the Dalmation. A dog with little to no mental and physical stimulation is unbelievably likely to develop behavior problems. A sensitive breed like the Dalmation will develop problems very quickly without plenty of exercise. Think of it this way: you take a two-year-old and give him ten cups of coffee, then stuff him into a tiny, empty room with no toys. Just 4 walls. Underexercised dogs will have lots of pent-up energy and nowhere to release it. So, they tend to release it by destroying your $100+ loafers, your new Armani suit sleeve, your leather couch, your yard...etc. With nothing to do to release their energy, they develop habits that we do not approve of. This can also result in aggression of many kinds.
So, these people who ran out to get their Hollywood star simply wanted a dog. Not a dog that needed socialization and frequent exercise........and thus, the bad reputation of the Dalmation was born. These are NOT simply "bad dogs." I believe that there is no such thing as a bad dog--only a bad or uninformed owner. Most of these people were not bad people who wanted to create an unhappy dog, they simply didn't know how to raise a puppy--especially one as sensitive as the Dalmation.
Because they can be high-strung and very friendly, many people claim that these dogs are horrible with children. Ridiculous. The first dog I ever knew was a young male Dalmation, unusually large for his breed. I met Rosco when he was about two or three years old. My parents found him at a few months old darting bravely(or stupidly rather) back and forth across a busy highway. This was before I was even born. They brought him home and he stuck. As soon as I was old enough to walk, I was outside with Rosco. He was my best buddy, and my guardian. Rosco was not leash-trained, and his greeting to my father was to jump up playfully and give him a big hug and kiss. Being a large dog, this would be dangerous with children....but he wasn't. If I came outside, he'd scamper over to me and sit in front of me. You could see in his eyes how excited he was to have his buddy out there with him, and he would do everything he could not to wag his whole body in anticipation until I rubbed him behind the ears. If I walked out the back gate and left it open, Rosco would tag along, never leaving my side. He made it his duty to keep me out of harm's way. If my father was walking him, he was pulling ahead, leading the way. If I grabbed the leash, or if I was just beside him, he would stay glued to my side as though he'd been leash-trained all along. He never rough-housed with me(despite the fact that I sometimes wanted him to) but he always loved to play. Gently, of course. He slept outside my bedroom window at night, and warned us of anything or anyone suspicious. He was the best family dog anyone could ask for.
Later we acquired a female, Sasha. She had been owned by a deaf child, and the family was moving. Sasha was incredibly timid due to both lack of socialization and simply living in a relatively quiet world. She was very sweet, however, and was much like Rosco. She was laid-back but enjoyed playing, but never offered to jump, pull, snap, or anything. She and our horses were fast friends. She never wandered unless she was following one of us. If the gate was left open all day long, you never had to worry that she was anywhere. If she wasn't still in the backyard, she was by the front door. She also was very motherly...with people, animals of all kinds... She was very sweet, and great with kids and a wide variety of animals. She was also a guardian, like Rosco. If those two were barking, something was wrong.
Well, now that I have ranted a little on their bad reputation... :doghappy: The Dalmation was originally a carriage dog. They would run stock off of the road as carriages passed by, and were excellent family and guard dogs. They were later used as fire rescue dogs because of their desire to please and of course, their desire to help people. They have an undying loyalty and wouldn't think twice about giving their life for their family. They are highly intelligent dogs, and I find them to be a joy to train. They are spontaneous and fun-loving, and as I said, need plenty of exercise. Every dog of this breed that I have ever known has been a social butterfly. One downside about Dallies is that they are notorious shedders...so playing with Spot before going to work in the morning is likely to result in a million little while hairs all over your black suit. ^^ (But hey, no outfit is complete without a few horse/dog/cat/etc hairs, right?)
Today, Dallies can be seen competing in Agility, Obedience, Flyball, Frisbee....just about anything, really. And of course, they are still in many homes all over the world. I personally do not recommend Dallies for inexperienced or first-time dog owners, simply because they are a sensitive breed. However, I love Dalmations and it is easily one of my favorite breeds. :doghappy: We no longer have any, but we've had quite a few over the years. Don't just believe what you hear. Look into breeds before making up your mind about them. :dogsmile:
we got her from a backyard breeder, at that time we didn't know the difference. She was the last of the litter to get sold, I think because she had the fewest spots and they were not very solid. (she later developed more spots as she matured even though they still were not very solid looking.) It was my responsibility to feed her, exercise her, clean up after her, bathe her, train her. We were best pals, and my friends all loved her.