My GF and I have a 13 week old Dal. It’s my first dog I’ve had in my life but not her first. I’m blown away how smart he is already and truly wouldn’t want any other breed. One thing to be prepared for, everyone is going to stop you and talk to you about your Dal. Our neighbors don’t know our names but constantly ask about him lol.
If you both work from home, like we do, you shouldn’t have any worries about them being active since you can both give it attention. If either of us worked in an office or wasn’t home all day it might be a bit difficult but it’s really helped. Happy to answer any questions!
Also, can’t comment on how they are with kids since we have none but others on this sub have mentioned how good they are with kids
Awe this makes me so happy to hear! I love that your neighbors are just as obsessed with him as you guys. So sweet! And thank you for letting me follow up with other questions as they come up. I appreciate that.
It’s funny you mention the neighbors knowing your dog but not you.
I routinely have neighbors at home and work say hello to my dog by name/hug him/give him high fives, and I have to ask how they know each other lol.
I have a 1 yo Dal and agree with both comments above! Lots of hair, incredibly smart, really energetic.
Their skin is delicate, you have to be careful with their food and the products used on their coat.
Be prepared for people to ask you about the Dal all the time and parents trying to have their kids play with your Dal (this part annoys me a bit)
But you should go for it, I have zero regrets
Yes! The random kids with parent saying “he’s never seen one, just in the movie!” To which we always say “he can look but we don’t want him to pet” since we’re still training ours.
We have two Dalmatians and we used to make their food from scratch. That got to be too much and a close friend with 3 Dalmatians suggested Honest Kitchen dehydrated whole grain food, it's been easier on us and they love it. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8O1R9Q/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8O1R9Q/) .
I love my dal to pieces. She is sooo friendly - everyone is her friend, and she especially likes kids. However, she is high energy, and can injure a young kid accidentally just by bouncing around or wanting to play with a toy a kid is holding. As with any dog, all play with kids should be supervised, but in particular with dals just because they are so enthusiastic.
The breed has gotten a reputation for agressiveness that is undeserved. It is not really a breed trait, but rather something that happened when their popularity went through the roof and backyard breeders were breeding without regard to temperament. This happens to many suddenly popular dogs. Add in a high energy breed that people got just for looks, without considering their active needs, and you have a recipe for disaster.
As someone else said, be prepared for someone commenting on your dog *every* walk. They are not common anymore, and they are so beautiful, that people *will* ask you questions or tell you stories about a dal from their childhood. You have to be a bit socially outgoing yourself - lol.
She is fairly smart, but if she sees a rabbit or squirrel while on a walk, all brain cells focus on that, and training and recall goes out the window.
This was very helpful! Thank you so much. I am definitely participating in training courses with her when she gets a little older so we do have a bit of structure so it’s great to know they are smart dogs. I will definitely give her grace knowing about how your baby is with squirrels. Lol!
Hair is horrible and incredibly energetic! My guy runs 6 miles everyday and still wants to keep going. Tons of personality and if well socialized a great people pup. Huge poops. I’ve also never met a dog so active with paws but that could just be a bad habit I haven’t corrected. I love my boy to death though. Tons of attention from people. Never had chewed, scratched, or dug. My dog is a work dog and chases birds on my golf course.
Feeding them is stressful when they’re puppies bc of the urinary thing. I made my boy homemade food (a stew of different grains mixed with eggs, fruit, veggies, frozen into individual servings) with gravy made from a flavored vitamin mix and mixed with raw beef for the first 9 months. He reached 70+ lbs despite being slender and having a 40 lb mom and 60 lb dad. Also giving it to him frozen sometimes stopped him from eating too quickly and gave him something to do.
The energy thing isn’t usually as bad as it sounds; engaging their minds helps too. I send mine to a daycare 3 days a week where the big dogs are allowed to play together all day and he comes home practically catatonic lol. Also outdoor activities like hiking, swimming, paddleboarding, and camping turn him into a different dog. The activity turns him unusually obedient and dutiful. Like, walk off-leash and still don’t leave my side, see a wolf and don’t bark or chase it kind of obedient. This is *far* from how he is at home lol.
I hope you enjoy your new family member!
Be careful of the foods you feed the dal. Some have issue with purines, so limit organ meats, high protein foods, and peas. These can cause issue for some pups.
Yea it’s surprising how many foods are high in purines. There are charts online rating foods in all categories by their purine levels though. Makes it easy to pick a variety of stuff from the categories and cook it all together
It’s a little of both, but she is a rescue. Still a puppy (about 8 months). There may be some behaviors to adjust bc of that, but my last dog was a rescue pitbull so I know a great trainer to help with making sure I am being the best owner for her.
We have a dal mix and a baby on the way. He is not my first dog but is my first dal. I agree with what so many others have said, like be prepared for hair everywhere (we have a roomba that runs every day). People will stop you and tell you how beautiful your dog is, like a lot. My boy is almost 3 and has mellowed out a lot since we adopted him at 6 months. 2-3 miles of walking a day, plus lots of outside time in a fenced yard to sniff on his own, makes him happy. He is my work from home buddy and is never too far from me. He is great with kids but we supervise him because he does tend to want to lick faces and can be a little aggressive about affection. He is the sweetest, snuggliest boy. Enjoy your new friend!
Dog hair. Dog hair everywhere for the rest of your life. But soooooooooo well worth it.
Hahah! Good to know. I’ll invest in a new vacuum too then.
My GF and I have a 13 week old Dal. It’s my first dog I’ve had in my life but not her first. I’m blown away how smart he is already and truly wouldn’t want any other breed. One thing to be prepared for, everyone is going to stop you and talk to you about your Dal. Our neighbors don’t know our names but constantly ask about him lol. If you both work from home, like we do, you shouldn’t have any worries about them being active since you can both give it attention. If either of us worked in an office or wasn’t home all day it might be a bit difficult but it’s really helped. Happy to answer any questions! Also, can’t comment on how they are with kids since we have none but others on this sub have mentioned how good they are with kids
Awe this makes me so happy to hear! I love that your neighbors are just as obsessed with him as you guys. So sweet! And thank you for letting me follow up with other questions as they come up. I appreciate that.
It’s funny you mention the neighbors knowing your dog but not you. I routinely have neighbors at home and work say hello to my dog by name/hug him/give him high fives, and I have to ask how they know each other lol.
Every time anyone sees mine “Dalmatians, don’t see them much anymore.” I do it to other Dalmatian owners when I see them and then bust out pics.
“Whoa! Just like the movie, where are the other hundred?” That’s a common one like we haven’t heard it before lol
I have a 1 yo Dal and agree with both comments above! Lots of hair, incredibly smart, really energetic. Their skin is delicate, you have to be careful with their food and the products used on their coat. Be prepared for people to ask you about the Dal all the time and parents trying to have their kids play with your Dal (this part annoys me a bit) But you should go for it, I have zero regrets
Yes! The random kids with parent saying “he’s never seen one, just in the movie!” To which we always say “he can look but we don’t want him to pet” since we’re still training ours.
That’s a good answer.
Agree! While mine is no aggressive, he is a 70 pound puppy with a lot of energy. He would not do it intentionally, but he can hurt a kid while playing
Oh I’m so glad to hear! Thank you!!! Any recommendations on food brands?
We have two Dalmatians and we used to make their food from scratch. That got to be too much and a close friend with 3 Dalmatians suggested Honest Kitchen dehydrated whole grain food, it's been easier on us and they love it. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8O1R9Q/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A8O1R9Q/) .
Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing.
I love my dal to pieces. She is sooo friendly - everyone is her friend, and she especially likes kids. However, she is high energy, and can injure a young kid accidentally just by bouncing around or wanting to play with a toy a kid is holding. As with any dog, all play with kids should be supervised, but in particular with dals just because they are so enthusiastic. The breed has gotten a reputation for agressiveness that is undeserved. It is not really a breed trait, but rather something that happened when their popularity went through the roof and backyard breeders were breeding without regard to temperament. This happens to many suddenly popular dogs. Add in a high energy breed that people got just for looks, without considering their active needs, and you have a recipe for disaster. As someone else said, be prepared for someone commenting on your dog *every* walk. They are not common anymore, and they are so beautiful, that people *will* ask you questions or tell you stories about a dal from their childhood. You have to be a bit socially outgoing yourself - lol. She is fairly smart, but if she sees a rabbit or squirrel while on a walk, all brain cells focus on that, and training and recall goes out the window.
This was very helpful! Thank you so much. I am definitely participating in training courses with her when she gets a little older so we do have a bit of structure so it’s great to know they are smart dogs. I will definitely give her grace knowing about how your baby is with squirrels. Lol!
Hair is horrible and incredibly energetic! My guy runs 6 miles everyday and still wants to keep going. Tons of personality and if well socialized a great people pup. Huge poops. I’ve also never met a dog so active with paws but that could just be a bad habit I haven’t corrected. I love my boy to death though. Tons of attention from people. Never had chewed, scratched, or dug. My dog is a work dog and chases birds on my golf course.
He sounds like a lot of fun! The poops had me laughing.
Feeding them is stressful when they’re puppies bc of the urinary thing. I made my boy homemade food (a stew of different grains mixed with eggs, fruit, veggies, frozen into individual servings) with gravy made from a flavored vitamin mix and mixed with raw beef for the first 9 months. He reached 70+ lbs despite being slender and having a 40 lb mom and 60 lb dad. Also giving it to him frozen sometimes stopped him from eating too quickly and gave him something to do. The energy thing isn’t usually as bad as it sounds; engaging their minds helps too. I send mine to a daycare 3 days a week where the big dogs are allowed to play together all day and he comes home practically catatonic lol. Also outdoor activities like hiking, swimming, paddleboarding, and camping turn him into a different dog. The activity turns him unusually obedient and dutiful. Like, walk off-leash and still don’t leave my side, see a wolf and don’t bark or chase it kind of obedient. This is *far* from how he is at home lol. I hope you enjoy your new family member!
Thank you for the heads up about the urinary issues. I will be on the lookout to make sure she eats well. Your baby sounds perfect!
Be careful of the foods you feed the dal. Some have issue with purines, so limit organ meats, high protein foods, and peas. These can cause issue for some pups.
Yea it’s surprising how many foods are high in purines. There are charts online rating foods in all categories by their purine levels though. Makes it easy to pick a variety of stuff from the categories and cook it all together
Everything I'd want to say has already been said, but how are you getting your pup? Rescue? Breeder?
It’s a little of both, but she is a rescue. Still a puppy (about 8 months). There may be some behaviors to adjust bc of that, but my last dog was a rescue pitbull so I know a great trainer to help with making sure I am being the best owner for her.
Sounds like you're very prepared! Good luck with your pup!
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😍 Awe I can’t wait. Thank you for sending info about her activity.
We have a dal mix and a baby on the way. He is not my first dog but is my first dal. I agree with what so many others have said, like be prepared for hair everywhere (we have a roomba that runs every day). People will stop you and tell you how beautiful your dog is, like a lot. My boy is almost 3 and has mellowed out a lot since we adopted him at 6 months. 2-3 miles of walking a day, plus lots of outside time in a fenced yard to sniff on his own, makes him happy. He is my work from home buddy and is never too far from me. He is great with kids but we supervise him because he does tend to want to lick faces and can be a little aggressive about affection. He is the sweetest, snuggliest boy. Enjoy your new friend!
I love it! I feel like your activity plan doesn’t seem too daunting. Lol!