very interested in owning a dalmatian, looking for a male puppy as a family pet, and best friend. do work but able to take into work with me and guaranteed plenty of exercise will become companion during training runns for half marathons and triathlon. not wanting a show dog so if has blue eyes it is not a problem. looking to collect after summer holiday (september time) within a couple of hours travelling from kent. own flat with large gardens and beach only 10 yards from the flat on the kent coast. what more could a lively puppy need apart from lots of love. if you can help please e-mail me at chris.ainsleyxix@virgin.net thanks :-))

No doubt Jeangenie will see this post sooner or later. One thing I will say though. Any thoughts of taking him out on training runs is something for the distant future. His bones will not be developed enough for this until nearly 2 years old. Before this time too much exercise could seriously damage his hips.

Best wishes, John

If you are looking for dallies at the moment they are very sparse on the ground.  I have one of the few litters registered with all the Dalmatian clubs and mine have all been spoken for since 2 days old with some in reserve.  If you require a puppy which has been raised by people who abide by the dalmatians club rules contact the North of England Dalmatian club who collate all information for the puppy list.  They have a very strict code of conduct.  They also have a list of rescue dogs which are sometimes very young and are re homed due to relationship break ups, allergies, or people just getting bored after the novelty has worn off.  Good luck.

PS Not quite sure I agree with John about the training runs.  One of spotties I sold last year has been doing half marathons with his owner since 12 months and has come to no harm.  Bear in mind they were originally bred to run behind carriages and would not have been given the privillege of waiting until they were 2 years old!

Just one point not all the dalmatians availible are on the website puppy list so it might be wise to give the co ordinator a ring.  ANY of the dalmatian clubs have the same dogs.

Regarding the excercise.  My dog that I sold had been built up gradually to this kind of excercise but I would have thought anyone would realise that.  The owner adores him so she would not allow him to do it if his pads bones or muscles got damaged in anyway. She also takes him on hiking holidays.  Personally I would think that smooth tarmac would be a lot less damaging that uneven ground with stones etc that they would have had to run over when they were used for the purpose they were originally bred for.  I think it is just down to your own personal view but if I was inclined to run a marathon I cant think of a better dog to do it with!!!

<<built up gradually to this kind of excercise but I would have thought anyone would realise that.>>

Don't assume anything, Tigge-with-spot! My vet told me of a nitwit who, to train his dog to run with his ponytrap, tied the lead to the axle and went for a five-mile trot around the roads. It took many weeks of treatment for the poor things pads to recover. The continual pounding on the tarmac had worn them away.

Tarmac is very unforgiving for feet and bones. It is very damaging to its bones to ride a horse at speed on tarmac (apart from the lack of grip), whereas it is fine on 'natural' ground. It is the same with dogs. The dog will be better on the verge, not the road.

Hiking holidays are fine, because the dog isn't being forced to go at too fast a pace for too long.

I agree there are always numbskulls who try and take things too far but although I respect your views I am afraid I do disagree about the marathon running.  Most of it is done at a plodding pace and I shouldnt think someone would do it for that distance without giving the dog a break although as you say there is always one!  My dogs do about 1/3 of their walks on tarmac until they get to the grassed area and there pads are so hard my eldest one walked around with a drawing pin in her pad without even noticing it she didnt even limp.  As with all things to do with dogs I think it is just down to your own personal views and mine is based on what I have been told from someone who does this type of training with their dog.  I think in general there seems to be a view that dogs should not be excercised until they reach a certain age and not too much etc.  I was told that if I excercised my dogs when they were too young it would ruin their movement but my older show bitch got her first CC under Frank Kane who is renowned for judging on movement.  My two younger ones are also renowned for their excellent movement.

It's also important to remember the type of travel dalmatians were expected to undertake. Accompanying fashionable carriages didn't involve top-speed gallops for 30-odd miles; it was more like a sedate trot for 5 miles to the neighbouring village. For long-distance travel (visiting distant relations etc) taking several days horses (therefore dogs too) were rested every 10 or 15 miles - generally 20 miles was considered a day's journey. It wasn't until about the turn of the 20th century that people started travelling more than that as a matter of routine: and then they went by train!.

Hi,
Your best bet is to contact the secretary of the British Dalmatian Club, or have a look at the Dalmatian Telegraph and click on Puppy List. Make sure any pup you buy has been BAER tested and has a certificate guaranteeing its hearing status. Be especially careful if you are offered a blue-eyed pup (especially if it has two blue eyes) because it is highly likely to be deaf, and if it is, or is untested, the breeder is one to be avoided like the plague.

Although dalmatians were indeed bred for long-distance travelling accompanying carriages, it wasn't all at a steady pace, and it wasn't on tarmac roads, which would be very damaging for its bones and pads unless it was trained up very gently and carefully. It also shouldn't be taken with a bike at a pace faster than a trot, so the bike part of the triathlon would be a no-no.