Information & Care
What You Need To Know About Dalmatians

Feed your puppy a premium quality puppy food not a generic. They require a low purine diet. They do best on a lower protein; non-beef based food to prevent urate stone forming. Many owners feed lamb and rice foods.  Please see Grading Your Dog's Food. Take your puppy to the vet as soon as possible after purchase for a thorough exam including a fecal. Enroll your puppy in puppy kindergarten and then follow up with basic obedience. Statistics show that well-trained dogs are far less likely to be given up for adoption by their owners. Check out the trainer carefully. A Dalmatian does best with motivational training that relies on praise, treats, and toys. Dalmatians resent harsh training methods and may react negatively.

Click the links below to read more about caring for your Dalmatian

1.  The Healthy Dalmatian Diet

2.  Nutritional Supplements For Your Dalmation

3.  Exercise, Exercise, and More Exercise

4.  What Should I Do If I Think My Dog Has Urinary Stones?

5.  Preventing Illness

6.  Day-To-Day Care of Your Puppy

7.  Puppy Proof Your Home

8.  Traveling With Puppy in a Car

9.  Socialization

10.  Disciplining Your Puppy

11.  Potty Training

12.  Miscellaneous Basic Puppy Tips

Nutritional Supplements

There have been some research studies showing that even the most expensive pet food available is lacking in basic nutrients essential for proper cell support and longevity. It is a fact that some of the ingredients in pet food produce free radicals or unstable oxygen molecules which causes oxidation of the cells and subsequent mutation and death of the cells. There are important nutrients that animals once received when they were living in a more primitive environment that are not available in the modern diet. Commercial pet foods contain numerous by-products that can make them poisonous, toxic and incapable of reducing the devastating effects of unstable oxygen molecules, also commonly known as "free radicals."  We highly recommend providing your Dalmatian with Nutritional Supplements by NuVet. More information HERE.   TOP

Exercise, Exercise, and More Exercise

In addition to paying careful attention to your dog's diet and helping to reduce the formation of urinary stones by continually providing fresh drinking water, it's also important to ensure your Dalmatian has regular and frequent opportunities to urinate, which prevents the urine from accumulating in the bladder and allows less time for stones to form. This means making sure your Dalmatian has the opportunity to urinate first thing in the morning or before you head off for work, at least every four hours during the day (if at all possible), and right before going to sleep for the night.

The best way to ensure your Dalmatian urinates enough during the day is through regular and frequent exercise, whether that be in the form of leashed walks, jogs along nature trails, playtime at the local dog park, or simply hanging out in the backyard. Just keep in mind that Dalmatians are "people dogs," craving attention and companionship from their owners in order to thrive. Some dogs are perfectly content to live their lives outside, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a Dalmatian that's willing to do so — at least without their owner inclined to share that life in the great outdoors with them.

Exercise is also key to helping your dog maintain its ideal weight. Excess weight places additional strain on the function of vital organs, including the bladder, and can lead to a variety of health issues. And numerous studies have linked obesity in dogs with an increased risk of developing certain types of cancers, including cancer of the urinary bladder.

What dog owner doesn't know about the Dalmatian's love for wide open spaces to romp and chase varmits? Bred for endurance and vitality, Dalmatians are excercise-enthusiasts first and foremost, with a long history of long-distance running. Well before the "firedogs" were protecting horse-drawn fire engines and carriages, Dalmatians were protecting nomadic tribes constantly on the move.

It's up to you as a responsible dog owner to maintain that tradition for your Dalmatian — your dog's health and happiness depend on it.  TOP

What Should I Do If I Think My Dog Has Urinary Stones?

While the Three Golden Rules of Dalmatian Dog Care should eliminate the possibility in most cases of your dog having to suffer through the pain of urinary stones (and you the expense of potential surgery), if you suspect your Dalmatian may be suffering from a stone-related health issue, here are several symptoms to watch for:

• Bloody urine
• Difficulty in urinating (straining to urinate)
• Urinating frequently but only in small amounts (not including territorial marking, of course)
• Gritty material appearing in your Dal's urine

If you see symptoms of stone formation in your dog, take him to the vet immediately. You should be able to avoid surgery if the stone (or stones) is caught early enough. In this case, urinary stones can be dissolved with medication, and infections can typically be resolved with antibiotics. The healthy Dalmatian diet then aids in preventing the stones from growing larger or new ones from developing.

Major cases of urinary stones will often involve surgery, but the prognosis for such surgeries is generally high, and repeat occurrences can be avoided in most cases by adhering to a healthy low-purine diet, making sure your Dal drinks plenty of water, and giving him or her plenty of opportunities to urinate regularly and frequently.  TOP

Preventing Illness
Besides generally being “in touch” with your Dalmatian, there are regimented measures you can take to help prevent illness.   Food items that you should NEVER give your dog:

1. Chocolate, Tea, Coffee
2. Alcoholic Beverages and nicotine products
3. Grapes, Raisins or Macadamia nuts
4. Bones from fish, poultry or other meats
5. Raw eggs, onions, or garlic

Apart from this you should avoid giving sugar (such as candy) to your dog. And salt or salty foods should not be given to your dog – even in small amounts as snacks.

It is essential to feed your dog the right foods to keep him healthy and to avoid complex health issues. Due to improper nutrition, dogs can suffer from vomiting, belching, loose stools, gassiness and stomach ache after meals. More severe problems include changes in heart rate, electrolyte imbalances, seizures, poisoning, and death. In order to give your dog a long, happy, and healthy life, you need to be conscientious about what you feed him.

• Always administer prescribed medications to your pet as directed by your veterinarian.  Since there are some diseases that are almost always fatal, the best approach is prevention.
• Always take your pet to see your veterinarian at least once a year for a check-up.
• Get in the habit of regularly checking your puppy for fleas, ticks, or skin conditions.  TOP

Day-To-Day Care of Your Puppy

Bringing a puppy into your home is exciting for everyone but remember your puppy is suddenly in an environment it does not know. Give him some time to adjust to his new home. Here are some things you can do to help your puppy feel comfortable and safe:

• Teach children not to be rough with puppy; no pulling ears, whiskers, or tail.
• Act calm, not rowdy, around puppy. 
• Provide a warm, soft bed and crate in a cozy out-of-the-way place
• Give puppy a soft, indestructible toy or two.  TOP

Puppy Proof Your Home

You'll soon see that a curious puppy will explore anything and everything it can reach. It does not know which things are puppy-safe, so puppy-proof your home by doing these important things:

• Keep electrical cords out of chewing reach
• Keep household & garden chemicals locked away from puppy
• Keep garbage cans/bags secure from puppy
• Check around vehicles before moving them
• Keep ALL medications out of reach
• Keep pens, pencils, markers, crayons, and paints put up and out of reach
• Keep floors picked up; remember that anything on the floor is "fair game"  TOP

Traveling With Puppy in a Car

• Drive puppy around in the car to get him used to the sounds and movements accociated with riding in the car
• Put puppy in a special doggy seat belt or traveling crate
• Put puppy in the back. If a car pulls out in front of you and you have a 20-mile per hour impact, the air bag will kill your dog even when he is an adult. An airbag is designed to stop a 180-pound person, not a 60-pound dog. Keeping the dog in back will also help avoid distractions while you are driving.
• Never put a leash on puppy then tie the leash to something to secure it because your puppy may be choked if the car stops suddenly
• Never leave your pet alone in the car for more than a few minutes
• Never leave your pet alone in a car on a hot day for any amount of time  TOP

Socialization

Like people, your puppy needs to learn how to act around others and in places outside his home. Help build his confidence by introducing him to people right away. Watch him carefully so you can offer safety and reassurance if he seems frightened, but over time, he will learn to be with other people and display appropriate behavior. Introduce puppy to all of the sights, environments and situations you can. Drive puppy around in the car or visit the local dogs-allowed pet store. Introduce puppy to birds and cats and squirrels (carefully). Go hiking or to a park where there are lots of people. These things and anything else you can think of will help puppy feel comfortable in social settings and keep him from acting inappropriately because he is afraid (aggressive or out of control, for example).  TOP

Disciplining Your Puppy

You should start disciplining your puppy right away. Use firm “No!” and lots of praise to differentiate between things you want him to do and things you don’t. Two things that puppies do by nature are bite when they play, and chew. Bite and chew, bite and chew. When these occur, tell puppy “No” emphatically and give him something he is allowed to chew, like a toy. Reward the behavior you like by praising him for chewing the toy.

Enroll your puppy in puppy kindergarten and then follow up with basic obedience. Statistics show that well-trained dogs are far less likely to be given up for adoption by their owners. Check out the trainer carefully. A Dalmatian does best with motivational training that relies on praise, treats, and toys. Dalmatians resent harsh training methods and may react negatively.   TOP

Potty Training

You should start potty training right away. You may want to seek out the help of a trainer to assist in potty training, but with consistency and repetition, you can do it yourself. Start by committing to take puppy outside as soon as he wakes up, before and after every meal, after a round of play, and at least once during the night. Always take him to the same spot so he starts to associate “going potty” with this spot.

While inside, if you see puppy looking distracted, walking in circles, sniffing the ground or squatting, get him – he is about to go potty! Pick him up, take him to the “potty spot” and tell him to “go potty or “go outside,” using the same phrase every time. Always praise puppy each time he goes potty outside. Again, reward the behavior you like with praise.
If puppy goes potty inside and you catch him in the act, tell him “no” emphatically then take him outside to the “potty spot” and give him the “potty phrase.” You may have heard or been advised to rub puppy’s nose in the potty when he goes inside. This is bad advice. Never rub puppy’s nose in the potty, this can associate a negativity with something that is only “nature” and cause other more dangerous behavior. It is unsanitary and there are better praise-based methods for training puppy.  If you don’t catch puppy in the act of going inside, do not scold him. Too much time has passed for puppy to understand what he has done wrong. Just clean up the mess and wait for the next opportunity to teach.

As you can see, repetition and consistency are the keys to successful training. If you are persistent, within a few weeks, puppy will ask to go outside when he as to potty.  TOP

Miscellaneous Basic Puppy Tips

1. Immediately have an ID tag made for your puppy in case he wanders from home. Some people prefer to microchip.
2. A collar should be introduced as soon as possible.  You should be able to fit two fingers under the collar when it's on. Check the fit often because puppies grow quickly.
3. Be sure your Dalmatian's shots are always up to date and that he has a county or city license.
4. Spay or neuter your puppy at about six months of age. In addition to being foolproof birth control, spaying and neutering have health benefits.
5. Be sure your dog is on heartworm preventive year round
6. Have your dog's nails trimmed at least every other week.
7. Learn to brush your dog's teeth and do so several times a week.
8. Feeding dishes: Stainless steel is easiest to keep clean and doesn't break. Remember to clean your dog's feeding dishes daily to prevent bacteria from collecting
9. Take the time to housebreak your puppy correctly. Buy a crate for housebreaking and for providing your Dalmatian with a place it feels safe in when you are not able to supervise it.
10. Always provide proper safety your puppy by providing a securely fenced yard. Never allow your dog to run at large in the neighborhood.
11. Always walk your puppy on lead.
12. Socialize your new puppy with a variety of people of all ages, sizes, and ethnic backgrounds.
13. Socialize your new puppy with a variety of other dogs.
14. Make your Dalmatian a part of the family.
15. Carefully supervise young children when they are playing with the puppy. Rough handling can damage a puppy physically and mentally.
16. Do not play games like tug-of-war that encourage growling or nipping.
17. Never allow your dog to eliminate on someone else's property.
18. Read some books on puppy training.
19. Never leave your dog out at night.
20. Pick up dog droppings in your yard frequently.
21. If you have a problem, contact us or your veterinarian immediately.    TOP