Question:I have always wanted a dalmatian, but I heard they were mean. Is this true? I want a nice, loving dog...
Answers:
Dalmations are a one person dog and very protective of that person. If you have more than one person in the household it could be a problem. They are not a kid friendly dog. If you want a dog for kids, I would suggest a retirever or a lab. A Dalmation will have problems with you dividing your time between it and the kids and could become aggressive toward them. They are the king of the household.
Other Answers:
No its totally false. If you are loving and caring to them they will be loving and caring to you!
all dogs will be totally loving if you rais them right. dalmations can be kind of protective, high strung and loud. but they are VERY smart. theres one at the stable where i board and she's not particualarly nice, but they use her to gaurd the horses. truly, any dog with the right background can be sweet, i know a pittbull who is the nicest dog i have ever met. if you have the time, deffinatly go for the dalmation. dalmations are really pretty too...
here's my fav dog breed cites low down on the dalmation:
http://www.puppyfinder.com/breed_details.php?id=53
No, What I had learned that any breed of dog is what you make of it. My dalmation was very loveable. I would suggest that if your not going to breed it, you have it fixed a.s.a.p. b/c some do like to run away to be free. Give it love and plenty of attention, they do love their exercise. As with any breed you must train your dog to the fullest. I would suggest to look at your schedule, as to how much time you will have for this dog now and in the future then do some research on what breed would best suit your living conditions.
I've had Dalmatians for over 10 years now. They are not mean but they can be protective. I have one that I have to be extremely careful with...he would never hurt anyone in my family but I do believe he would likely bite anyone else if he thought they were a threat to any of us. The other two are friendly and affectionate to anybody. They are extremely fun and HIGH ENERGY dogs. Great for somebody who likes to be outside and very active a lot of the time. Not so great for somebody who is more sedentary or who lives in an apartment and has no yard.
Certain breeds of dogs including dalmations, pit bulls, rotweillers, and others have a fractious personality. They are the type of dog that can oneday become insane and lose it. They may be good for 12 years and then one day just snap and seriously injure a person. If you want a nice loving dog pick another breed. The dogs I own include a blue heeler, 2 doxies, and one border collie. None of these dogs will ever be mean or be potentially dangerous.
Also note with the dogs mentioned they are a liability risk. If you have children or go near children do not get a dalmation as they have been known to bite and hurt children. They are not child friendly dogs.
I've never seen that they are mean but if you mistreat a dog it could become mean. I've known a few people who have had dalmatians and they are high energy dogs even in their later years.
In response to Ursula's answer I've been around hundreds of dogs (all breeds) and I have never found one to just snap and go crazy. If they do bite it is usually provoked. Little kids are great at provoking dogs but the parents don't believe that their little brat could ever do anything wrong and they automatically blame the dog. As with any dog you have to supervise them around young children. Also, blue heelers are working dogs that have to be kept busy at all times. I have seen blue heelers that aren't properly socialized be aggressive. Don't be so quick to say that someone else's dog is a problem but your breeds would never be.
Try a Golden lab
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