So you've been to the movies and BOY those Dalmations are cute! And so SMART! The kids really WANT one for Christmas! DON'T DO IT!
The Dalmation began as a hunting companion and then was used as a "coach" dog, meaning he guarded the wealthy as they traveled from place to place by horse drawn carriages. He has also been used as a guard dog and a war dog. This is NOT a cute puppy with spots, this is a highly excitable, prey-driven dog that needs an enormous amount of daily exercise and very early training using positive reinforcement. This is NOT a family pet, especially in homes with children under age twelve. Today, the Dalmation is fraught with genetic problems, only the least of which is deafness, and has multiple inherited temperament problems such as fear and active aggression. If you MUST own a Dalmation, FIND A LEGITIMATE BREEDER, do NOT purchase your puppy from a newspaper ad or a pet store!!!! MOST legitimate breeders won't HAVE pups available now, since the movie will only precipitate our municipal shelters to be FILLED with unfortunate Dalmations in the next six months to a year and they don't want THEIR pups to be among those numbers! Do you KNOW how much training went into making those cute little Dals on the silver screen SO WELL BEHAVED? Literally DOZENS of intense hours of training are necessary to produce a "movie" dog. Are you ready to commit this time and effort in YOUR Dalmation? If not, Don't Do It!