steve

Anyone have a Dalmatian? Been thinking of getting a dog for a while but finding it hard to choose. The Kids want a Dalmatian, from what i've read they seem a good family pet, also on the list is a German Shepherd, my kids are 10 & 3, would appreciate others views .


Steve

SkodaLover

Steve,

Would this be your first dog? Also would you be getting a Pup?

Chris

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Johnnyc

I believe they quite often suffer from inherited health problems. Deafness in something like 10% of them for example. These dogs need lots of attention and preferably other Canine companionship.

Just found This. It may be of some help.

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Johnny

"Americans have different ways of saying things. They say "elevator", we say "lift" ... they say "President", we say "stupid psychopathic git."

steve

Yes to both, pup will be approx 8 weeks old. Will also be going to obedience classes .


Steve

SkodaLover

Steve,

Dalmatians are extremely active dogs, and can be quite lively, it's probably not the best dog to have with your little one. I wouldn't say they were vicous or dangerous, but they can tear around a bit! And don't think they are small either!

If the dog is brought up from a pup with children it's much better, from what you said it sounds as though it will be.

From what I experienced with Dalmatians, they are people dogs and like company and are quite friendly but a bit boisterous...

If you go for a Dane, make sure you suss the breader out, some people are breeding like made for the current trend, and that's not the dog to buy!

I'd recommend a Retriever or a Lab for a first time dog buyer though... they are much easier to train and make great family pets!

And believe me when I say don't buy a bitch, get a dog! As true in life, they are much easier...

Chris

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steve

@ the last comment , Chris what are your views on a German Shepherd?
Living in S.W. London and working odd hours i must admit the GS would be MY first choice, they seem to be good with children .


Steve

SkodaLover

Don't know too much about them I'm afraid, other than my neighbour had one and it always seemed friendly. It was a poor old thing and like many GS it's hind legs gave up and they had to put her down in the end

The GS would probably be a little more sensitive around Children (a little calmer...) so would probably be a the better choice for the 3yo.

However you must always be aware with dogs, you can't really be sure of there personality until they are a couple of years old... and you seem fond of larger dogs which is a little worrying. I don't want to scare you, dogs are great, mans best friend, just keep a look out!

Top Tips...
Be nice to the dog (make a real big fuss of it every now and then) and don't show it any strong aggression, but always let it know who's boss. Train it from an early age, it's far easier for both dog and you!

Regards,

Chris
(currently dogless and sad...)

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steve

Thanks for the reply Chris,
Point taken about the big dogs..........



Steve

scrutineer

another vote for Labs or Retriever here - great family pets - but get one from a family breeder where you can see at least one , preferably both parents - there are a lot of them around that are not labrador shaped and also health problems especially with commercially bred dogs - they should be "chunky" ( not fat ) and so many now are like modern wimmin - unpleasently skinny

added advantageof a labrador they make great waste disposal units -
also agree with a dog rather than a bitch - much less trouble - especially when they've been " done "

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heresmo

Hi

FWIW and from my experience, dalmations are lovely and friendly, but need loads of exercise. There's a snobbish attitude as to which have the right number of spots, would you believe Leading to their being inbred. That can lead to arthritis (no fun seeing your pet in pain), as can any thoroughbred, especially spaniels IIRC.

I've not been happy around the German Shepherd genre after I was bitten by one whilst trying to do a paper round in my younger days, which thought I was attacking its house.

As said, dogs can be unpredictable according to circumstances, and some can go dotty in older years (golden retrievers I think fall into this category), so that self-preservation makes them attack if they (dippily) think they are under threat.

Given you are talking about looking after a dog for up to 20 years, I do applaud that you are investigating the right decision for you and your family now.

Best regards
Mo

Kentish

Steve, the wife had a Daly years ago as a child, but it was mad and destroyed everything it could..a not unheard of thing with Daly's. I was in a similar boat to you a few years ago. I ended up with a Staffy. Totally fantastic with the kids, very very friendly to the family. Very protective to you and the family, a small dog to have around the house and excersize, but a big dog when the bite is required.

I would have one again anyday over most big dogs (except perhaps a Doberman).

Also, what about a "rescued" dog. My Staffy can from the Kent Staff rescue down outside Whitstable-ish. They had them sorted as to which were family dogs, single person dogs, etc etc. A pup is hard to find admitedly, but a 2 yr old is just as good and very rewarding.
The "smile" mine always gave me when I got home every time I will never forget.

Trust me Steve, if you want a good protective, loyal, reliable, playful dog a Staffy is hard to beat (even if the hard kids do like to show off when walking one)

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Andy

Owner of a sense of humour.

pixi

I used to have a German Shepherd until a couple of years ago

I would also ask yourself what would the kids be like with a dog? Mine had no problem with kids until the little darlings of the neighbourhood decided that it would be fun to wind him up constantly. After that I wouldn't let him near any of my friends children, it just wouldn't have been worth it.

I would also go for a lab as a first choice. If you get a dog I would also say get his bits chopped off and a definite for puppy training as it will also teach the dog to socialise with other dogs. It would also be an idea if your ten year old went to the classes with you to learn how to train/act with the dog.

My dog was a mummy's boy and I could get him to do virtually anything, but if Mr P. tried and he wasn't in the mood then he would have selective hearing

One of the worst things to do is to try and train it to be a guard dog. This can cause no end of problems. A dog that is loved and feels secure but also knows it's place will automatically have loyalty to it's owners.

Go for reccommended breeders only, good luck and be sure to post some pics of the little cutie whatever you decide to go for.

I want another dog

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drm_jones

Another vote for a Labrador here

My parents had 2 black labradors when me and my brother were younger - they make great family pets as they are so friendly and affectionate.

I would recommend getting two dogs if you have enough available space and money (especially if they will be left alone for long periods during the day when you are out at work) since a lonely dog will often get bored and may wreck the house.

Whatever dog you do get make sure you give it enough exercise - at least 5 or 10 miles a day are recommended for a labrador

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David

2002 Black Magic Octavia V/RS

Goochie

Steve, sorry for the long reply but please do read it all.

In September of last year we lost our 11 month old Dalmatian boy due to veterinary incompetence, however in those 11 months we learnt a lot about them!

As mentioned, they are very big strong dogs when fully grown, I'm 6ft and with him stood alongside I coudl touch his back with my fingers without bending my body at all (he was a good 6" above my knee). Males can also be very strong and very heavy, ours (Charlie) weighed in at 27kg.

As already mentioned they will need a LOT of exersise, not just pavement walking but off the lead running etc. We used to try and let ours have a good hour off the lead each day, regardless of the weather etc. If he diddnt get this he would be full off energy from 8am to midnight without a rest. They say a Dalmatian can run a marathon without stopping for a rest (presumably a fluid change at some point though)

Something the breeders etc wont' tell you is that they ALL spend the first year of their lives eating anything and everything, they'll eat kids toys, remote controls, the lot.

Regardless of training, they WILL run off if they catch a nice smell in the woods or somthing. This can be rather alarming as they wont come back if you call. However, if you either wait where you are or keep walking slowly, your loyal dog will coming running back.

Ours was partialy deaf in his left ear, if the breeder haddnt supplied the hearing test certificate (essential) we would never have noticed. They're not as deaf as people make out, nor is it a very big problem.

Despite all this, they are very loving animals, I had a very strong bond with ours and he would let us do anything to him. He was a big sloppy git who never growled at people or other dogs, he ahardly ever barked at anything either.

We have 5 neices and nephews and they all came round when we had Charlie. 2 of the kids werent used to kids and got scared if he walked up to them thanks to his sheer size. The others have a jack russel and were more than happy to play with Charlie (kids aged 3-6).

One thing to remember is that 25kg of dog moving at running speed will knock over a child. If they're dog friendly they wont mind the licking that will follow but there is a potential for a wounded child.

Be wary of non dalmatian owners/former owners telling you things about the breed, particulaly deafness and other health issues. They are no more likely than other large pedigree breeds to get arthritis etc.

Dalmatians are rear wheel drive - they can pull very hard from their back legs.

Would we have another one ? Yes! once we've sorted oursleves out with somewhere to live etc. we will start looking around for one.

Would we have one with kids ? We dont have kids yet but would have no worries with a Dalmatian and a child. However we'd have a female next time as apparently they're a little calmer. Yes, we would have one with children

Do I think you should get one? If you're a new dog owner and have a 3yr old I'd make sure you're 100% certain. The 10yr old will/should be fine. Not knowing anything at all about you or your family's experience with dogs I'd suggest you look around at other breeds.

Can I ask if this has come about through your children watching 101/102 Dalmatians over the Christmas holidays ? If so, children will love any puppy regardless of its breed (so long as you're sensible).

A book I suggest you reed is "Its Me Or The Dog", written by a lady aho also has a new series of the same title coming to Channel 4 soon. Cant remember her name but it has a white cover with her and a dog on the front.

Another great looking dog you may get tempted by are Weimaraners. They're the same size as a Dal but the colour of a glass of Baileys. However, think of their staminer and behaviour as a Dalmatian without the spots

Feel free to ask anything you like about the breed. I'm happy to help you make the right choice.

drm_jones

27 kg may be heavy, however both the (female) labradors my parents had were over 35kg each In most cases we did not take the the dogs for a walk they were taking us for walks

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David

2002 Black Magic Octavia V/RS

Steve R

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/select_a_breed.asp

try this out! It helps selecta dog suitable for your circumstances and has info on each breed.
German Shepherds are generally good when brought up with kids but are often overprotectice and this could cause problem

Hope the site helps

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heresmo

Even a friendliest big dog can knock a kiddy over when wanting a lick of icecream, not to mention a neighbour who was simply "knocked" from behind and a broken knee was the outcome, even though no mal-intent from either of the dogs in question.

Clearly those dogs should have been under control. That said, if it's necessary to perpetually restrain a dog against it's natural instincts, that in itself cannot make for a happy dog IMO. Many considerations.

Regards
Mo

Goochie

on all counts.

SkodaLover

Not when a dog's been properly trained, we had a flat coat retriever that was so obidient that it would move it's head if you put a plate of food under it's nose... (it's bowl was a different matter).

We also trained it to 'calm down' at which point it turned into a slow motion replay... I loved that dog

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steve

Thanks for all the help/replies, i new it was a wise idea to post this .
Michelle and I have decided the Dalmatian is not the dog for us, as much as we would love one the energy it has and the exercise it requires is slightly overwhelming . We have explained this to the children and they understand { well my son does } so this is going to take longer than first anticipated but thats not a bad thing.
At the moment im reading up on German Shepherds, my wife had one when she was younger.
Kentish....Id have a Staff but the Misses dont like them, we saw one bite a bloke once { i do believe he deserved it though } he could'nt get the dog to let go, he ended up jumping down a 15 foot shaft to get away from it .
I have a mate with a Lab, the dog is a big softie great with kids but as previously mentioned a bit of a heavyweight and well clumsy.
Goochie thats some post , sorry you lost him .
Thanks again for all your replies / insights you cant beat experience { or other peoples }.
Will let you all know what we are going to get once we have decided,

Steve

Kentish

Understand Steve, but my outlaws were of the same opinion, until they saw how good she was when out with the girls, and even when friends came round with their latest baby in a pram...she sat at the pram the whole time never moving away at all. She was'nt told a baby was inside it, she just knew and sat guard the whole time.

Another plus side is that they take as much or as little walkies as you want to give them.

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Andy

Owner of a sense of humour.

Steve R

I used to have German Shepherds - they need as much, if not more exercise than Da1mations if they are to remain happy and in condition. How about something like a Miniature schnauzer? Big enough and robust enough to enjoy rough play sessions and running for miles, small enough for a house and content to not have that much exercise. Also fab with kids
Whatever u choose if well socialised, trained and walked I'm sure will be fine.
Its great to have a dog with kids - enjoy!

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steve

Michelle has a friend with a Staff, the dog is lovely full of energy and loves my little girl , but the misses feels uncomfortable around him.


Steve

steve

Reminds me of a wire haired fox terrier but with a beared ,

Steve

SkodaLover

Steve,

How about a... English Cocker Spaniel. In my eyes it's the only 'proper' small dog!

Thet are great with children too!

They have to have a red and white or black and white coat though... I don't like them with a all red coat.

Chris

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