|
Frequently
Asked Questions about Dalmatians
Q.
I have heard Dalmatians are hyper. Is this true?
A. Dalmatians are NOT hyper unless
poorly exercised, and/or fed food high is sugar's and colouring
(similar to the sugar high a young child would have if fed
nothing but lollies & chips). Dalmatians
are generally "high energy" but individual energy
levels do vary in the breed. There are some
individuals who love nothing more then to lay on the lounge
all day, but others need more exercise and stimulation then
this. Historically,
they were bred to cover up to 25 miles per day accompanying
the horse drawn carriage. All Dalmatians need some
level of regular exercise and mental stimulation to avoid
building up excess energy that could be expressed through
behaviors such as chewing, digging and barking.
Q.
Are Dalmatians bad with children?
A. Dalmatians are generally very
good with children but like all breeds, do have the potential
to harm children if not properly supervised. All
dogs regardless of breed, should be supervised with children
at all times. Early socialisation with children
is a must for any dog so they will develop a healthy respect
for them. By the same token, children should be
taught to be respectful of all dogs and behave in a manner
so as not to antagonize or push the dog's tolerance buttons.
See
this webpage for more information: Kid-proof
your dog, AND dog-proof your kid.
Q.
Do Dalmatians bite?
A.
As with any breed of dog (even the Toy Breeds), Dalmatians
have teeth and therefore they have the potential to bite.
BUT dogs need a motivation such as fear, pain, protection
etc to bite. If you remove that motivation, then
you also remove the potential of biting.
Like
in humans, individual dogs have different threshold levels
for pain, fear etc before they believe they are forced to
take action to protect themselves. Fortunately
most dogs never reach that limit. All dogs will display
early warning signs that they are getting close to their
limits, and if you take heed of these early warning signs,
then a bite should never occur. Snapping and
growling are two of the early warning signs that the dog
is not comfortable in that situation, and you should take
immediate action to remove/stop the cause, or remove yourself
(and any others) from that situation.
All
dogs have a certain canine code by which they live.
Certain lines should NEVER be crossed such as:
- entering
a yard where a dog lives without the owner present;
- leaning
over the withers of a dog you do not know well (challenge
of dominance);
- staring
a dog directly in the eyes (also a challenge),
- pulling
a tail or ear (especially if that tail or ear is already
sore),
- running
straight at a dog (seen as threatening behaviour by
the dog),
- high
pitch screaming, especially combined with any of the
above.
Dog
behaviors have adapted to fit most of our domesticated
flavours, however, much of their unique language remains
intact and should be respected as well as learned.
The more we observe and file on our dog's behavior, the
more easily we can train as a team and facilitate learning.
Q.
Are Dalmatians born deaf?
A. Dalmatians have a genetic propensity
- due to the extreme piebald gene - to develop deafness
in one (unilateral hearing quality) or both ears.
Statistics (see: The
Dalmatian club of American) show that 8% of Dalmatians
are born bi-laterally deaf and 22% of Dalmatians are born
uni-laterally (one ear only) deaf. Hearing
status is determined through the use of the Brain Auditory
Evoked Response (BAER) test by a veterinarian certified
in this method of testing by the time pups are 8 weeks
of age, OR where this test is not available, home hearing
testing is performed by an experienced breeder.
The deafness gene (scientists believe that deafness is
caused by not one gene, but the combination of many) has
not been isolated to the point that breeders can
select away from the problem. In the meantime many
focus on breeding bilateral hearing quality Dalmatians
and rely on the history of testing results in whole litters
behind the pedigree to reduce the number of affected dogs.
Bilaterally AND Uni-laterally deaf Dals should NEVER be
breed from.
Q.
What is a patch?
A.
A patch is a solid silky mass of black or liver with brilliantly
defined edges that is present at birth. Patches
are commonly found on the head, neck or tail.
Years ago, rumours circulated about patches having heart
complications and hence were recommended for euthanisation.
This is absolutely not the case. While Patched Dalmatians
make great pets, most breeders register Patched Dalmatians
on the limited register, and they therefore cannot be
shown, or breed from.
To
see photos of patched Dalmatians see the Paisley
Dalmatians Patch Page.
Q.
Do Dalmatian come in colors other than black and white?
A. Yes.
Liver (brown) and white is an ANKC accepted colour and
contrary to ads depicting them as being rare, they are
not. Liver and white Dalmatians are just as attractive
as their black and white counterparts, and some people
even prefer the Liver's. Raisin
(Pokadot Coco Chanel) is an example of a Liver coloured
Dalmatian.
For more photos of Livers, see the Paisley
Dalmatians Liver's Page.
There are other (rarer) colours that are not acceptable
in the ANKC standard, but do occur in the breed.
Examples of non-standard coat colors are the blue (similar
to Weimeraner coloration) spotted, lemon (yellow) spotted,
and tri-colored (black/tan & white, OR Liver/Tan and
White). There is evidence of brindle spotted as well
as long haired Dalmatians which can be seen at Paisley
Dalmatians.
Q.
Where do I find a Dalmatian Puppy for my family?
A.
Go to a reputable breeder and avoid the common impulsivity
of patronizing pet stores. Your well meaning attempt to
"save" the little Dalmatian from the window creates
a demand which is quickly filled by the supplier: puppy
mills or back yard breeders. Pet stores, puppy mills
and back yard breeders have very little in the way of knowledge
of the breed, nor contracts protecting the dog as well as
the new owner. Their animals are usually not as well cared
for as they skip genetic testing in favour of low overhead
and maximizing profit. Many Pet stores obtain their
puppies from puppymills (see website: www.nopuppymils.com)
in which an estimated half die in transit to the storefront.
Because pet store pups live in a crate 24/7 in the storefront,
they are very difficult to housebreak once in their new
home. They may not of ever been outside a crate, or
concrete enclosure, and therefore never have experienced
simple things like walking on grass. This is just
the beginning of a series of probable hurdles in owning
a pet store pup.
A
reputable breeder will ask you about your home life and
how you will contain the dog just for starters. This is
to match the best Dalmatian for your lifestyle and also
to see if this breed really fits your home. A reputable
breeder is a member of their local governing body for dogs
and also their State Dalmatian Club. This means that
they must abide by a code of ethics (see: The
Dalmatian Club of NSW code of Ethics or the RNSWCC
Code of Ethics) enforced by both these bodies that protect
the buyer from unscrupulous practices. Many
breeders are adding health clearances (such as Hip Scoring,
BAER testing etc) to their ever growing list of things to
prove their dogs worthy of being breed, much to the chagrin
of their already thin wallets. A reputable breeder
will take back any dog they place with you for the rest
of the dog's life regardless of the reason and backs the
health of the pup or adult with a written contract.
Q.
Where can I find a reputable breeder?
A. You can contact your local Canine governing body, or
local Dalmatian Club for a breeder or e-mail
me.
Dalmatian
Clubs:
- Australian
Capital Territory - The Secretary - Phone: (02)
6258 2373
- Queensland
- The Secretary - Phone/Fax: (07) 5426 2998
- South
Australia - The Secretary - Phone: (08) 8538 7086 (after
7pm) - website:www.geocities.com/dalclubsa/
- Victoria
- The Secretary - Phone: (03) 5998 2374 - website:www.dalmatian.asn.au
- New
South Wales - The Secretary - Phone: (02) 9634 6458
- website:www.dalmatiansofnsw.org.au
Q.
Where can I adopt a Adult Dalmatian?
A.
There are two ways for you to adopt a adult Dalmatian.
Firstly, you could adopt one of the many Dalmatians who
are homeless through no fault of their own. Dalmatians
are given up to rescue for a variety of reasons such as
Divorce, or moving to an apartment, or their owners simply
don't have the time to devote to their Dalmatian anymore.
All rescues are desexed, and vaccinated before being placed
in a new home. Contact your local Dalmatian Club for
details of any rescue dogs available, or email
myself.
Or
you can adopt an retired show Dalmatian through a reputable
breeder or through many of the Dalmatian rescue groups across
the country. Contact your local Dalmatian Club for
details of any rescue dogs available, or email
myself.
Q.
Should I breed my Dalmatian?
A.
This is a very common and natural musing of dog owners.
Breeding responsibly, at best, is a financial and emotional
drain on more than just one member of the family.
Breeding dogs responsibility takes a lot of time, effort,
heartache, love, tears and money. Breeders rarely
make any money on a litter when all the costs are taken
into consideration. For more information on
what it takes to breed dogs, see this website.
Breeding dogs should be carried out by those who are well
versed in the long list of genetics, responsibility and
have had the mentorship of successful breeders. Breeding
should be done only to improve or preserve an ideal specimen,
of which tend to come about from years of hard work and
dedication to the Dalmatian breed standard. The best
calculated risk is one that protects you and your dog...spaying
and neutering.
|
