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Are Dalmatians Good Dogs?

head portrait of a Dalmatian

They became famous through a book!!

Many people may not have heard about the Dalmatian dog breed until Disney turned a book into a cartoon movie. The book was published in 1956, and firehouses across the nation began adopting dalmatians as their mascots.

Yes, this dog makes a good family pet but like all dog breeds, they need the same love and care to be even better pets. The exception to this conclusion would be all those poorly bred dalmatians who ended up with temperament problems.

But if you go to a reputable breeder, you should be able to find a dalmatian that is perfect for you and your family.

Need some Good Dalmatian Names? Click here to learn more.

Are Dalmatians A Good House Dog?

The key characteristics that most Dalmatians are born with include being intelligent, playful, active, protective, gentle, social, and relatively non-aggressive. These characteristics make them great house dogs.

They can be trained to achieve even more if you have the patience and the ability to train them. These dogs can accomplish a lot and overcome most challenges when their environment is loving and encourages learning

The environment that hinders these achievements would be one where the dog does not get much socialization or is left alone too often and for too long. Other than that, these dogs make great guard dogs, hunting pets, and retrievers.

The key to getting a good dalmatian that will be perfect for your home situation is to watch out for those not-so-honest breeders who were inspired by the movie and just want to make some money.

If you can avoid them, then do so. Those dogs may have health problems that may be too expensive for you to take care of.

What Do Dalmatians Look Like? Click here to find out.

What Are The Cons Of Having A Dalmatian?

View looking down at a pair of feet with a Dalmatian puppy sitting next to them

Despite their breeding source, Dalmatians will have a variety of negative aspects. These negative aspects are highlighted more by the bad breeders than the good ones. Here are some of those negative aspects you have to watch out for:

They Can Be Aggressive

This characteristic is often found when the dog has not been bred properly. Also, a lack of attention, as well as a lack of exercise, will bring this aggressive nature out.

What contributes to these acts of aggression is their long memory. It seems Dalmatians are capable of remembering who treated them poorly for many years.

Health Problems

A good percentage of this dog breed tend to go deaf when they are a puppy. These dogs usually can hear out of one ear and on rare occasions go completely deaf.

Then they can develop hyperuricemia which is a build-up of Uric acid that causes gout, bladder & kidney stones.

Do Dalmatians Bark A Lot? Click here to learn more.

Overweight Dalmatian laying on the ground

They Can Get Obese

This dog breed seems to have a big appetite. They like to eat, and if they do not get the exercise they need, they will grow fat. Once they do, they can get different fat-related ailments.

Hyperactive

This is great if the children are old enough to understand what is going on but younger children may become afraid of the dog and not want to play with it.

Shedding

All dogs shed but the Dalmatian dog breed is one that sheds all year. There isn’t a specific season for their shedding time and you should find dog hair everywhere, almost every week.

Bad Breeding

There are many Dalmatians that were bred because someone saw the movie and decided that was the type of dog they could make money off of. This bad breeding tends to instill negative attributes.

Part of those negative attributes includes digging, chewing, nipping, barking, and even scratching.

What Kind Of Dog Is A Dalmatian? Click here to find out.

Are Dalmatians Good For Beginners?

Dalmatian puppy laying in a bed with a blond toddler.

When coming from a reputable breeder, there is nothing to stop a first-time dog owner from getting a Dalmatian. Their only drawback would be their energy levels and their anxiety about being left alone.

As long as you do not live in an apartment or are away from home for hours on end, then Dalmatians should make great first-time pets. If you are one of those people who likes to be away from home a lot, don’t be surprised if your Dalmatian destroys a few things while you are away.

This dog breed needs a few humans around the house to keep it under control.

Some Final Words

Young Dalmatian standing in a grass field

Owning a Dalmatian is not a bad thing. You just have to know a lot about the breed to make sure you are the perfect pet owner for him or her. Make sure your living situation doesn’t leave your new dog home alone, or your house may not be the same again.

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