Dalmatians? (What breed should I have?)

Thank you Aleron, I never really thought about it like that, but it makes a lot of sense. That's one of the main reasons I want a smaller dog, is so it can play with Chloe. But the reason I said small-medium is because I'm leaning more toward medium (or at least tougher small dogs like a Corgi) so that when Chloe is gone, I'm not locked in an endless cycle of only small dogs, if that makes sense.

Example: If I get a Chihuahua as a friend for Chloe because I'm worried a bigger dog could hurt her, and Chloe passes away, my next dog will have to be another small dog, because I'll be worried that a bigger dog will hurt THAT one.

So that's difficult. Because I want my first "on my own" dog to be a puppy that I can raise.

Most Dals, at least a proper Dal, isn't going to be a good match for you. And yes, I echo the profuse shedding. My boss at the carriages has a couple of Dals and one of them, Ivy, rides along every night. She's what people want when they think of Dals--small, super friendly, willing to just sit on the carriage all night and eat up the copious amounts of attention from all the passers-by. So basically, a Lab with a spotted coat. Not what they're supposed to be, really.

I think you're putting the cart before the horse a bit here.

Do you know what you might want to do for schooling or a career yet?

I think your focus right now should be on getting a job and saving for school and your future and finding out what you want to do with your life before worrying so much about what kind of puppy you want to get.

What are they like? In my experience they are pretty nice dogs, they can be stubborn though. What is your reason for wanting one though, just because you love them..or?


Energy level? They are pretty mellow, but I have only met matured Dals not pups. Good with other dogs/cats? It depends on the dog, but remember even if they grow up with them there is a chance of prey drive and dog aggression. Willing to please? I think they are, after all they are fire departments mascots.

Good offleash? I wouldn't trust a dog off-leash unless the dog had good a good recall. Health issues? Deafness is a big one, so you would have to be prepared if you were to get a Dal even as a pup deafness is a possibility even in an adult and allergies can also be an issue.

Anything else I should know? Research these dogs, thoroughly.. go meet some if possible to see if they really are for you.

Chihuahuas can be great little dogs, but they can also be nasty little buggers too and are more than often not one person dogs and should be treated like dogs, not an accessory and I personally never would have one.

Corgis are great little dogs, I think so anyways.

I would not recommend a border collie especially from working stock to a pet home unless you were going to take them to herding lessons/whatever and they usually have prey drive and can be dog aggressive. LOVE them though. I am not too experienced with Shelties, really but I have met a few.. great little dogs.

What do you mean by minimal exercise? Dalmatians can have minimal exercise and so can Chihuahuas and Corgis. Border Collies need more than that and even border collies at shelters need a job. Shelties would probably be alright with minimal exercise.

From that quiz here are my matches.. pretty accurate I think lol.

Bouviers Des Flandes - Match! (not sure I'd have one..)
Collies (Smooth) - Match!
Basset Hounds - Match!
Black & Tan Coonhounds - Match!
Bloodhounds - Match!
Ibizan Hounds - Match! (not sure if it would be my choice.)
Irish Wolfhounds - Match!
Pharaoh Hounds - Match!
Scottish Deerhounds - Match!
Bulldogs - Match!

Retrievers (Chesapeake Bay) - Match!
Spaniels (Clumber) - Match! (wouldn't have one)

Akitas - Match!



Bernese Mountain Dogs - Match!



Bullmastiffs - Match! yay!



Great Danes - Match! yay!



Great Pyrenees - Match! not sure I'd have one with all that fur.



Mastiffs - Match! yay



Newfoundlands - Match!



Rottweilers - Match! yay!



Saint Bernards - Match! yay!

It's kind of fun to think about what kind of dogs you might like, though--I certainly looked at (online and in books) and considered lots of breeds that I ultimately didn't choose to pursue.

I don't see why it would be impossible to save for school, work on your future, and think about dogs. Unless I'm mistaken, it doesn't sound like the OP is planning on getting a new dog right this second.

Have you thought about Silky's and/or Yorkies again? I know you've had them in the past. Just wondering.

[/QUOTE]

You pretty much summed up Jackson.... except maybe minimal grooming, I mean, he gets professionally groomed every 10-12 weeks and in between, he's really easy. Since he's kept short, I like never brush him, he gets a bath once every 10 days or so, so he's pretty easy but does still have to visit a groomer.

He's extremely biddable. Constantly wants to be with me, he's not happy if he's not involved in what we (the family or I) are doing. He's great with other dogs and has been socialized with them since a pup. Of course, as a terrier, there CAN be DA but from what I've seen and talked to breeders, most Silky's and Yorkies don't deal with this.

Here's a Silky description:

The Silky Terrier, or "Silky," is an energetic, curious, happy, busy, self-assured and loving dog who bonds every strongly with his owner and family. He loves attention and craves your companionship, and he wants to go everywhere and do everything with you. He is not a dog you can leave alone, either inside or outside the house. When bored or ignored he becomes mischievous, and especially loves to dig up your yard! He is a spunky, high-energy dog who is affectionate but doesn't necessarily like to cuddle or be fussed over. He prefers to romp and play with you, and loves ball games and chances to run and play outdoors. He has a great deal of stamina, and needs brisk, daily walks. When outside, he should always be leashed or in a safely fenced area, as he has very strong chase instincts and will run away after small animals. He makes an excellent watchdog because he is alert, suspicious, and intensely protective of his family and territory, and has a very keen sense of hearing. He will warn you with loud, high-pitched barks when he hears or sees something unusual. He can be barky and standoffish with strangers at first, then after a short while grow comfortable with them. He loves to go out into the world and makes a very good traveling companion. He is easy to train and a quick learner. He needs firm and patient training with lots of love, praise and rewards. He is not good with small pets; he is much better at catching rodents than living with them! He can live with a cat if he is raised with it as a puppy. He gets along well with older, well-behaved children, but may not do well with those who are too young and rough with him. He basically doesn't shed, and so would be a good pet if you are a clean-freak.

Oh and took that test- yay I scored 100% on a few breeds I've been very interested in lately, LOL.

Mastiffs- 100% match!
German Shepherd - 90% match!
Shiloh Shepherd - 100% match!
Border Terrier- 100% match!
Got 90% for the Australian Terrier, Cairn, Silky, Westies and Norfolk.

I also got 100% for a bunch of spaniels and sporting group dogs which intrigues me.

Thanks for all the responses! They're really helpful!

I really don't know how to take this, so I'm going to try not to get my feelings hurt, even though it seems like every time you respond to one of my threads, it's something like this.

Why can't I think about what kind of dog I want for fun? I don't need comments on how I should be concentrating on "getting a job". I don't think that's your business.

This.

You pretty much summed up Jackson.... except maybe minimal grooming, I mean, he gets professionally groomed every 10-12 weeks and in between, he's really easy. Since he's kept short, I like never brush him, he gets a bath once every 10 days or so, so he's pretty easy but does still have to visit a groomer.

He's extremely biddable. Constantly wants to be with me, he's not happy if he's not involved in what we (the family or I) are doing. He's great with other dogs and has been socialized with them since a pup. Of course, as a terrier, there CAN be DA but from what I've seen and talked to breeders, most Silky's and Yorkies don't deal with this.

Here's a Silky description:

The Silky Terrier, or "Silky," is an energetic, curious, happy, busy, self-assured and loving dog who bonds every strongly with his owner and family. He loves attention and craves your companionship, and he wants to go everywhere and do everything with you. He is not a dog you can leave alone, either inside or outside the house. When bored or ignored he becomes mischievous, and especially loves to dig up your yard! He is a spunky, high-energy dog who is affectionate but doesn't necessarily like to cuddle or be fussed over. He prefers to romp and play with you, and loves ball games and chances to run and play outdoors. He has a great deal of stamina, and needs brisk, daily walks. When outside, he should always be leashed or in a safely fenced area, as he has very strong chase instincts and will run away after small animals. He makes an excellent watchdog because he is alert, suspicious, and intensely protective of his family and territory, and has a very keen sense of hearing. He will warn you with loud, high-pitched barks when he hears or sees something unusual. He can be barky and standoffish with strangers at first, then after a short while grow comfortable with them. He loves to go out into the world and makes a very good traveling companion. He is easy to train and a quick learner. He needs firm and patient training with lots of love, praise and rewards. He is not good with small pets; he is much better at catching rodents than living with them! He can live with a cat if he is raised with it as a puppy. He gets along well with older, well-behaved children, but may not do well with those who are too young and rough with him. He basically doesn't shed, and so would be a good pet if you are a clean-freak.[/QUOTE]

Thanks Britney! I have considered them, and I love both breeds. I think eventually I'll end up with another Yorkie or Silky, but probably not for a while, just because I want to try some other breeds, and give myself a chance to find "my breed" if that makes sense.

LOL I was talking about the DOG having a job NOT you.. no need to get defensive. I did not say that you couldn't think about getting the dog for fun but you seem pretty serious about it so..

I think a viszla might be a good choice for you!

That was directed at MandyPug, not you. Sorry!

Milo_Mommy: I've never considered a Viszla. Aren't they hounds though? I've always thought most hounds couldn't be trusted offleash (as a general rule, i know it's a training issue for the most part).

Oh, and TheHoundGirl, by minimal exercise, I mean, romps around the backyard, fetch, training for mental stimulation, etc.

Basically, not hardcore dogsports or anything.

The Dalmatians I've met have all been...odd. Over breeding really hurt them as a breed, I think. My experience with them (through the clinic) is that they are sharp, aloof (tolerant of strangers, just not ZOMG, its a person!! YEY!!!!), protective, very active, intelligent (but not necessarily biddable), and the shedding. I'd take Lab hair over Dalmatian hair any day. LOL Most of the Dals I know seem to have some kind of temperament issue...either they are very sharp, very nervy, or very DA. (Please keep in mind I have only met eight Dalmations.)

I personally am not fond of Dalmatians. They are one of those breeds that I've never had any desire to ever own.

How do you feel about spaniels? I'd look into Field Spaniels (certain lines are much less energetic than others), Welsh Springer Spaniels (again, certain lines are much less energetic than others), and Clumber Spaniels (but they shed). I'm not a huge spaniel fan in general, but those are my favorite spaniel breeds and the ones I wouldn't mind owning. I prefer Fields over WSSs and I'd *love* to have a Clumber at some point. Also, one thing I like about Spaniels is that even though if you keep them in coat they require brushing, you can get a pair of clippers, shave them down yourself with little effort, and the dog still looks good. lol I've discovered it isn't the grooming part I don't like, it is the upkeep between grooms I hate.

A Golden would be a good fit, but keep in mind that retrievers as puppies need more exercise than you would think. They don't typically calm down into the nice calm adult dogs until they hit about three or four. If we missed a day of walking with Sadie (2 mile walks, typically) she'd start getting fiesty and stealing things/chewing on things because she was bored. A bench Golden might be less active, but when they're pups they are still a breed you can't skimp on the activity with. When Blackie was a pup he was insane. LOL

And if you didn't mind the coat/shedding...maybe a Keeshond?

ETA: I would be worried that a Vizsla would be too high energy...sort of like a GSP.

Thanks blackrose! I've never really considered a Spaniel, besides Cockers. I just tend to be drawn more toward sleeker looking dogs, with longer noses. Nothing against Spaniels or hounds, but I've just never really been drawn toward that general look in dogs. I'll look into Spaniels, though! I really do love Cockers.

ETA: Oh, and one spaniel I ADORE are Cavaliers. I've always wanted one. When I first joined Chaz, there was a user who had three of them (I think she had two when I joined, then added another, actually) and I just fell in love with them. It's the heart issues that make me wary though.

Viszlas are pointers. Very much like the GSP in general terms.

Generally, all the really sleek dogs are made for running.

If you wanted a Vizsla maybe froma show breeder and they wouldnt be so "on" all the time.

What about a Brittany?

Ooooo... Keeshond is a great suggestion for you! The coat may be the only downfall. There are a couple we do agility with and they are just phenomenal dogs, super happy, very biddable and just want to have fun.

It's all good.

Viszla's are in the hunting group, and they're pretty similar to dogs like pointers, but are definitely a bit hound-y....I don't usually consider them hounds, and know quite a few who are regularly trusted off-leash.

Spaniels require a lot of grooming....