My Husband and I are looking for a dog.
We particully love the dalmatian dog, but have heard some information about them which we are not sure is fact of fiction.
a) they are aggressive towards other dogs
b) they are almost impossible to train, off lead etc.
c) they have serious health problems
d) mostly all are born with hearing problems, or are 100% deaf.

We would get a boy dalmatian, as we prefer bigger dogs and the male temperment.
How tall are the males??

I would be so grateful if someone could clarify if the above statements are correct, and any other breed information we should know.

Many thanks
Mary and William

there are some resident dalmation experts who will no doubt be along soon!

hello jeangenie! :D

Hi Mary and William.
To answer your questions: Not usually, no, no and no!
To elaborate: There are some individuals that are agressive towards other dogs, but you will find that in all breeds and crosses - it is usually down to lack of correct socialisation in their youth. They seem to be no more difficult offlead then other breeds; the bitches in particular tend to go no further than about 50 feet away from the owner, whereas the males tend to go further. Properly trained, though, they come back when called! Serious health problems? Not really. The breed average for HD is lower than most other breeds - there is a skin condition called 'dally rash' which seems to be breed-specific but which is almost always purely a cosmetic problem.

You are right to raise the subject of deafness. This is the main health problem within the breed, but testing over the last ten years has reduced the incidence of total deafness to about 3% and partial deafness to about 8%. A partially deaf dalmatian is almost impossible to detect without electronic equipment, so makes a perfectly good pet. As you can see from the figures that about 85% of dalmatians tested have perfectly normal hearing, and these are the only ones that should be bred from. If you get a pup from a reputable breeder (ideally a member of one of the Breed Clubs) you can be assured that you will not be sold a deaf puppy.

If you go to the Dalmatian Telegraph you will find lots of information about the breed as well as useful contacts.

Hope this helps.
:)

PS: Ideal height for dogs is 23"-24" (although some are getting oversized), and bitches 22"-23".