Dalmatians?

Oh and I will be home 5 days a week with with two days of being gone for half of the day except my roomate said she wouldnt mind taking care of her and running with her because she loves dogs. I also train at 6-7min pace typically so I want to make sure the dog can run at those paces.

I ran with my dalmatian from the time she was one until she was at least 10-11 years old. She ran off leash in the trails and never really had any problems. She would go off after something but always come back. So you should be fine running on the trails with her at that pace. I would run with her anywhere from 4-12 miles without any problems. The running part should be fine. Now, in my experience the breed can be stubborn and they may not be a good breed if you have small kids or cats. But, on the other hand they are incredibly loyal. Good luck in your search.

To the OP - lots and lots of obedience training - right from the start.

If you haven't already, read up on the breed info.

They are people dogs, which can be good and bad - good that they like you, bad that they like you so much that they act out while you are away, destroying the house.

Also, in my experience - they tend to be barkers.

From our friends at Wikipedia.

A large number of Dalmatians end up in shelters and rescue homes, often being stated as being difficult and un-trainable. A Dalmatian being un-trainable is not true; it is more a problem with the owner's inexperience with dog psychology, dog training, and/or lack of information about the breed than the dog itself (this statement usually holds true in most cases, irrespective of the breed of dog).

Dalmatians have extremely sensitive personalities and will not forget ill-treatment. Ill-treatment can and will break a dog's spirit and a Dalmatian's - certainly so.

While a Dalmatian with a clear rank idea, proper and correct obedience training, would make an excellent companion for anyone or any sized family, Dalmatians are not a breed for a first-time and completely inexperienced owner, especially one whose expectations of the dog and its behaviour are high, especially in terms of obedience or those who have little time and patience to train them.

While a desire to please their owners can be a taught behaviour, they do not have a natural desire to completely please their owners in comparison to some other breeds, e.g. shepherd dogs. Generally speaking (and specimens may vary) Dalmatians are a rambunctious, playful breed and usually seem to have a mind of their own, which makes them more challenging to train and requires more knowledge of dog training. Generally speaking (i.e. individual specimens may vary), their attention spans are limited. More so in the hands of an inexperienced owner who does not create the correct rank order. Combinations of rewards (treats, play and praise, in that order) are your best bets and will go a long way in getting their attention and for training purposes [please note the difference between rewards and bribes].

Well don't get a pit bull. Or maybe you can – we haven't decided yet.

I have a Dalmatian and I take her sometimes on long runs of up to 16-17 miles. She has no problem with it at all, in fact they were bred for that kind of running. My long runs are at about 7:30 pace typically finishing around 7mm pace. She has no problem keeping up with me on harder tempo runs at 6 or below. A couple of weeks ago we did a 10 miler in 66 minutes and when we were done she was still eager to keep running.

They are kind of wimpy in the winter since they have short coats. She is great off leash on the trails and doesn't bother people we come across unless they have a dog. When she sees another dog she won't listen and just wants to play. Also in the city for running she has to be on a leash because she will tear after any other dog she sees even if it is on the other side of the road. I am sure she could be better trained but it's not going to happen. I keep her tired out and her behavior in the house is good.

Thanks for the responses. I am kind of torn between three types: dalmatian, australian shepherd, and border collie. I want a dog that can run well which I heard all three are good at especially the dal. I also want a dog that will be dog friendly and people friendly and loves to go out doors, once again all three. I have no family no but I will while the dog is still alive and want a dog that will be able to deal with this and I heard dalmatians can be picky and get jealous. I also want a dog that is low maintenance meaning I want a breed that needs the basics like I exercise her, feed her, play catch, bath and give the normal shots and what not. I heard that with dalmatians you have to do alot of like empty their anal sac or something and all of this other stuff. Do you dalmatians owners feel this way? I know they can run so now I am just trying to get more info about their temperment and health. Thanks

German Short-Hair.

Love my Dalmation. Absolutely love her. Sweet, obedient, quiet, and LOVES to run. I don't run with her, though, because I also have an older dog, who shouldn't run with me because of his age, and I don't want to make him jealous. I love watching the Dally run, though. She's a small one and looks like a spotted whippet. Very lean and muscular in the legs. Fast! Great fun to watch her open up on a golf course.

My Dalamation has been very healthy, except for one incident where she apparently ate something bad while out on a walk. Made her very sick. She lost a lot of blood from her rear end. Had to take in for emergency care. They put her on an I.V. Almost lost her. Other than that, and the occasional skin allergy reaction, she's been very healthy.

She has a nice temperament. Barks occasionally when scared, but not often. Very loving. Just wants to be around her master, especially when frightened by loud noises like fireworks and thunder. She's terrified then.

FWIW

DON'T get a dog

they rip the faces off of little girls and then you have to run them over with your car. A friend of a friend of a poster told me this 100% true story, and therefore I can justify to the entire world that all dogs are evil!

We have had to take her a couple of times for the anal milking but it cost ~20 and the vet does the nasty work. It truly is nasty.

Regarding the DAL and their skin sensitivity, they do have sensitive skin but we put ours on a fish based food with added zinc and she has a perfect coat and no allergy problems. If you put them on the crap walmart dog food your dog will have a lot of problems.

By the way, when I am running ~6:30 pace or slower she shuffles along side, not even really running. Once you get really going like 6ish or faster she has to actually run. She can shuffle forever.

I'm in love with the dalmatian breed and I'm wanting to adopt one for my family. There are not many dalmatians for sale at affordable costs but I checked out https://dalmatianpuppyplace.com . They're both affordable and have very useful info on adoption. They care for their litters and everything , are dalmatians easily trained and can they be cuddled while sleeping ?

Anal milking?