DALMATIANS are lovable, intelligent and loyal. They are devoted to their owners and want and need to be part of the family activities.Dalmatians are medium sized, happy natured, athletic, and active. They get along well with people, other dogs, and other animals (horses and cats).

STANDARD (what a Dalmatian is like)

• Size: 19" to 24" at the shoulders
• Weight: 40 to 65 pounds
• Color: Black spots on white or Brown spots on white
• Eyes: Brown or Blue or one of each
• Coat:short and dense: sheds all year, requires regular brushing
• Intelligence: easy to train and excellent in Obedience, Agility, Tracking, and Road Trials. Obedience training is a must with Dalmatians.
• Energy Level: very active with lots of stamina. Requires regular exercise. Enjoys exercising with joggers, bicyclists, hikers, rollerbladers, and walkers.
• Barking: most are not barkers but will bark to alert you to someone coming into the yard, home, or of a doorbell ringing.
• Crating: my dals love their crates and it makes life easier to crate them when I am out ot the house for any length of time.
• Health: Dalmatians are generally healthy except for deafness. About 12-20% of Dals are deaf and should not be purchased by anyone but the most experienced owner. Dals can get bladder stones and should eat a diet low in purines (liver, heart, beef). Mine eat lamb and rice.

Best home: Outgoing and active people who include these extroverts in their lifestyle. Mine go with me in the car, to the store, to dog classes, to shows, and are the best company. They follow me from room to room and are joyous on my return from an outing without them (such as a trip to the mailbox). They want to be next to me when I watch TV and cuddled up to me when I am reading on my bed. These are a very hands-on breed and not for a cold or aloof owner. Many OK with gentle kids but some dals are too energetic and will be too rambuncious for small children.

Don't get a Dalmation if....you are gone all day and all night. Dals do not do well in the yard for hours on end.They can get bored and may spend their time digging or looking for an escape route. If you value perfection, you probably don't want any dog. Many Dals are food stealers and some young Dals are serious chewers. But, these are not serious dogs. There is a reason that they have been used as clown's dogs in circus days. They can be silly and do not understand your anger. They can be soft and must NEVER be struck in anger or hit in dicipline. They are easy to train but you must use incentive training (food reward) and praise, not negative training. You must TRAIN them and reinforce the training but if you take the time, you will have a dog who loves to show off, perform tricks, and win blue ribbons. If you want a Dal for his looks alone, pass on him. These dogs cannot be ignored and need to be inside dogs. They need to be part of your family.