DALMATIAN ADOPTION
Is a Dalmatian the dog for you?
Too often people get a dog on impulse, selecting superficial appearances over the dog's actual traits. There are many different breeds of dog to choose from because they have all been bred for different things. Dogs cannot change their heritage!
Dalmatians were bred for high energy! Their high activity level is widely known. If you are not prepared to exercise your Dalmatian for 1-2 hours per day - you should not have one! If you got a Dalmatian without asking about their activity level, then you had better buy a good pair of running shoes! It is not your Dalmatian's fault, you didn't research the breed properly!
Dogs are not impulse purchases. You are responsible for any dog you get for its lifetime. If you cannot make that commitment to a pet for 15 years, or can't even imagine where you will be in the next 5 years, DO NOT GET A PET!
Considerations BEFORE getting a Dalmatian
Your Dalmatian needs a new home?
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The way the Dalmatian looks, or your fondness for the colors black and white, is not a reason to get a Dalmatian! The first thing you need to do, is truly assess your lifestyle. Many purebred and mixed dogs, meet the same fate of abandonment, a fate that can be avoided by careful selection of a dog that matches the family's needs and personal preferences.
Read and answer the following questions.
If you answered YES to any of these questions, the Dalmatian is NOT the dog for you.
You must have the lifestyle compatible for a Dalmatian. You will have to make concessions to fit a Dalmatian into your life. Dalmatians were bred for high energy, and this will not change. Good for you for reading this before getting a Dalmatian!
On a very practical level, consider the cost of keeping and caring for a large dog. During the first year of owning a young Dalmatian, this can reach $2,000 very easily (all prices are approximate).
Rescue Groups have older Dalmatians who may have been altered, had all vaccinations and been through obedience training. This will decrease the cost, but the dog accessories will still have to be purchased.
After the first year, the average cost for basic feeding and preventive veterinary care is about $700 per year. Urinalysis is a preventative measure, but the cost of your Dalmatian will soar if it needs special foods or medications for any health problems. And, of course, an accident or serious illness can easily generate veterinary expenses in four figures.
Dalmatians are a medium sized dog, and can weigh anywhere from 50-80 pounds. They are energetic and can easily knock over child and some adults! The activity level and natural dominance of the Dalmatian makes this breed unsuitable for an apartment, elderly owners, mild-mannered people or families who do not want another "child". Some Dalmatians do adapt to apartment or condo living as long as they get appropriate exercise.
DALMATIANS ARE A HIGH ENERGY DOG! You MUST provide serious daily exercise for your Dalmatian - a walk around the block just isn't enough! One to two hours of exercise a day is appropriate! Do you have this amount of time to spend with your Dalmatian?
Dalmatians who do not get adequate exercise quickly become bored and frustrated. They will exhibit all sorts of undesirable, destructive behaviours: hyperactivity, digging, barking, self- mutilation, inappropriate chewing, destruction of your home. They are also more likely to try to escape from backyards.
Time and time again, rescues respond to calls from frustrated owners who have Dalmatians that they claim are "hyper" and "out of control". The cause and solution can be found with the owners - lack of exercise! It is widely known that Dalmatians are an active breed. Do not get a Dalmatian if you cannot provide the appropriate exercise for 15 years!
Health problems can occur with any dog, but purebreds are more susceptible. There are a number of illnesses which you should be particularly aware of when considering a Dalmatian, including: urinary tract disorders, kidney disorders, hip dysplasia (rare), epilepsy and allergies.
Deafness, is a debatable "health problem". DAR considers it a "state of being" as opposed to a "health problem". No medication is necessary, nor is the quality of their life affected. Deaf dogs live out their lives fully and completely with no adverse affects.
Please see the health section for more information on the breed and deafness myths or Ddeaf for more information on deafness in dogs.
Breed and group temperament can be described in a general sense, but there is the factor of individuality. Dalmatians can be generally described as intelligent, independent and dominant dogs. But intelligence does not equal ease of training; smart dogs often have their own agenda and require motivational, positive training from the owner.
Many people believe that Dalmatians are stupid, and untrainable. Nothing could be further from the truth. They learn very quickly, but when it comes to basic obedience, their favourite question is "why"? Training can, and should, be very successful, if you approach it with enthusiasm and an open mind. The worst type of training for a Dalmatian is negative reinforcement (ie choke collars, yelling, etc). Trained Dalmatians are a joy and excel at competitive obedience and dog sports (flyball etc).
The Dalmatian's natural dominance and sense of pack hierarchy is important to note. A Dalmatian's human family becomes her pack, and she must learn everyone's place in that pack. Her owners' job is to HUMANELY teach her that her place is at the bottom of the hierarchy. The lessons are quite simple to teach and, when done properly, will last a lifetime. However, if her family does not establish their leadership , the Dalmatian will quite happily assume the dominant (alpha, leader) role in the family. This can lead to problems with dominance aggression.
It is important to realize that Dalmatians shed excessively. You must not be overly concerned about dog hair in the home or have allergies.
As mentioned before they are an intelligent, dominant dog who need proper training. This is not a dog for a first time dog owner.
This is an extremely active dog, who needs 1-2 hours of exercise a day. Without this exercise they will destroy your home and develop many undesirable behaviours.
In the proper home, this is a wonderful breed, who will give you
companionship and personality like no other dog!
Before continuing through this section you should read the above section Before you get a Dalmatian. It contains all the information that should have been researched before getting a Dalmatian.
This section is honest and straightforward, just as you should be in your assessment of the situation. Your dog is your responsibility. He has no one else but you to look out for his interests. It'll take effort, patience and persistence to find him the right home. He deserves your best efforts.
The decision to find a new home for your Dalmatian is a serious one that should be made only as a last resort. Dogs have the intellectual and emotional capabilities of two-year old human children. They become very attached to their human families just as any child would and they pine and cry if they are separated from their beloved humans. Dogs live to adore their humans and we are the centers of their worlds. Because of this strong attachment, you should do everything possible to keep your dog. --- www.savethedals.org - T. Haase
Finding a new home involves several steps. Before you start, there are some important things you should know...
Do you really have to give up your Dalmatian? There's a big difference between being forced to give up your dog and wanting to "get rid of him". Search your heart for the real reason why your dog can't live with you anymore.
Many of the common difficulties, which people and their pets encounter have some pretty straightforward solutions. These difficulties can fall into two categories: People Problems and Dog Problems. Most difficulties encountered fall under the "people problems" category, so your first step is to name the problem and decide what category it falls under.
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Moving is one of the more common reason why people give up their pets. It doesn't have to be this way. Dogs can move with you, but it takes work. Are you prepared to do some work to keep your dog?
To encourage a landlord to let you keep your dog
In difficult times, people often have to move in with relatives or friends who don't like dogs. This doesn't have to be an impossible situation. Use a dog crate when you're not home or when your family doesn't want your dog underfoot. A portable kennel run can be set up in the yard for exercise and can be sold later when you have your own place and don't need it anymore.
Don't think you're being unfair to your dog by moving into a smaller place than what he's used to. Dogs are very adaptable, they can often adjust even faster than people. Where he lives isn't as important to him as who he lives with. He wants to be with you and he doesn't care where that is.
Country dogs can make the move to town, as long as you're willing to help them through a period of adjustment. Let them get used to new things slowly, and try to make each new experience positive.
Some families may find themselves in a situation where they will be unable to
look after their dog for several months. Long term boarding
for your Dalmatian is an excellent option in this type of situation. Your
dog's breeder may be able to board your pet for several months, or he can stay
at a long-term boarding kennel. The cost is usually quite reasonable and, best
of all, when you come home again, your Dalmatian is there to welcome you. This
type of arrangement does not seem to be any harder on the dog than placing him
in a new home would be.
"We don't have enough time for the dog" is heard often by rescue and shelter workers. As a puppy, your dog took far more of your time than he does now. The Dalmatian's high energy is well known, and because you researched the breed properly, you made room in your schedule to exercise this dog daily for the next 15 years.
When they look closely at their lives, people often discover that the dog isn't cramping their style as much as they think.
It has been said time and time again that people today are unhealthy and in desperate need of exercise. Save money! Don't buy a gym membership, start taking the dog out!
If you got your dog as a puppy and he now has a behavior problem you can't live with, you must accept the fact that you are responsible for the way your dog is now.
You have 4 options:
Obviously the first option is out or you wouldn't be reading this booklet. You're probably most interested in Option 3 so let's talk frankly about that for a moment.
If you were looking for a dog and could select from all kinds of dogs and puppies, would you deliberately choose one with a behavior problem?
No, certainly not - and neither would anyone else. To make your dog desirable to other people, you're going to have to take some action to fix his problems.
Most behavior problems aren't that hard to solve. We can give you advice and direct you to people who can help, if you'll give it a try. Think hard about Option 2 before deciding it won't work for you - because the only option you have left is number 4: Having the dog destroyed. That's the bottom line. If you, who know and love the dog best, won't give him another chance, why should anyone else? Think about that.
This section is the same as Lack of Training.
If you got your dog as a puppy and he now has a behavior problem you can't live with, you must accept the fact that you are responsible for the way your dog is now.
You have 4 options:
Obviously the first option is out or you wouldn't be reading this booklet. You're probably most interested in Option 3 so let's talk frankly about that for a moment.
If you were looking for a dog and could select from all kinds of dogs and puppies, would you deliberately choose one with a behavior problem?
No, certainly not - and neither would anyone else. To make your dog desirable to other people, you're going to have to take some action to fix his problems.
Most behavior problems aren't that hard to solve. We can give you advice and direct you to people who can help, if you'll give it a try. Think hard about Option 2 before deciding it won't work for you - because the only option you have left is number 4: Having the dog destroyed. That's the bottom line. If you, who know and love the dog best, won't give him another chance, why should anyone else? Think about that.
Was this Dalmatian an impulse purchase? Too often people get a dog on impulse, selecting superficial appearances over the dog's actual traits. There are many different breeds of dog to choose from because they have all been bred for different things. Dogs cannot change their heritage!
Dalmatians were bred for high energy! Their high activity level is widely known. If you are not prepared to exercise your Dalmatian for 1-2 hours per day - you should not have one! If you got a Dalmatian without asking about their activity level, then you had better buy a good pair of running shoes! It is not your Dalmatian's fault, you didn't research the breed properly!
Dogs are not impulse purchases. You are responsible for any dog you get for its lifetime. If you cannot make that commitment to a pet for 15 years, or can't even imagine where you will be in the next 5 years, DO NOT GET A PET!
If you did not research the breed properly, you will have to read Considerations BEFORE getting a Dalmatian before attempting to find a new home for him. You will have to educate the future owners, so that they are prepared for life with a Dalmatian.
Occasionally, dogs have genetic predispostions to certain problems. These can include a whole range of topics.
If you are having such terrible problems that you are considering giving your dog away, you have two options for help:
Both of these are viable options to help you sort out the problem and determine what needs to be done to fix it. As with the behavioural issue section above, the issue at hand will have to be dealt with in one form or another before your dog is rehomed. Regardless of where the behaviour problem originated from you have to ask yourself, "Would you want to adopt this dog?"
Perhaps you got 'Spot' from an animal shelter, falling in love with his beautiful eyes. Or maybe he came from an ad in the paper or from a friend, coworker or family member. And now you can see why Spot was given up. An undisclosed behaviour problem. This might even have been a problem you knew about. You were hoping that you could fix it, or that maybe the family was exaggerating. But here he is now, and you at your wits end, are wondering what you have gotten yourself into.
Take a step back. Remember that it is doubtful that anyone has worked with this dog, giving him a chance to learn proper behavior. Sure, he's tap dancing across your kitchen counters and ripping pillows apart until it "snows" in your home, but does he know any better?
There are resources for you. Your veterinarian can refer you to an good positive reinforcement trainer, and so can we. An excellent resource book is "Second Hand Dog" by Carol Lea Benjamin. There are other Dalmatian owners who have been through what you are going through. Need a shoulder to cry on? We have Dalmatian owners who understand and can give guidance. There is a reason you took 'Spot', let's see if you can keep him.
If your dog has ever bitten anyone, you have no options other than keeping him. No responsible person in his right mind would want to adopt a biting dog. No matter how much you love your dog, if he has ever bitten anyone, you only have one responsible choice - take him to your veterinarian and have him humanely put to sleep. Don't leave him at a shelter where he might be frightened and confused and put other people at risk. Don't try to place him as a "guard dog" where he might be neglected, abused or used for dogfighting. As hard as it is to face, putting a potentially dangerous, biting dog to sleep is the only safe and responsible thing to do. It's the right thing to do.
To successfully find a new home, you need to be realistic about your dog's adoption potential. Let's be honest: most people don't want "used" dogs, especially if they have health or behavior problems. Your dog will have the best chance if he's less than 4 years old, is healthy, friendly to strangers, obeys commands and adapts quickly to new situations. Look at your dog as if you were meeting him for the first time. What kind of impression would he make? Would you want to adopt him?
You already know that Dalmatians are special dogs for special people. Those special people can be hard to find. Most people interested in Dalmatians today have never had one before. They want a dog that will greet them with a wagging tail or will at least allow them to pet him. If your dog is aggressive to strangers, is "temperamental" or has ever bitten anyone, finding him another home may not be your best option.
What kind of home do you want for your Dalmatian? A large fenced yard? Another dog to play with? Children? No children? Make a list of what you feel is most important for your dog. Then get real. No home will be perfect, of course, so you'll have to make compromises. What kind of people are you looking for? What will you be willing to compromise on? Once you have a firm idea of what you're looking for, it will be easier to plan your search and get the results you want.
Your dog will be much more appealing if he's clean, well-groomed and healthy. First, take him to the vet for a check up. He'll need a heartworm test, a DHLP and a rabies vaccination if he hasn't one within the last 6 months. Be sure to tell the vet about any behavior problems so he can rule out physical causes.
If your dog isn't spayed or neutered, do it now! Don't waste your time trying to sell your dog as "breeding stock" even if he's registered. Frankly, no reputable Dalmatian breeder will want him unless he came from a well known show dog fancier in the first place. The only kind of "breeder" who'll be interested in your dog will be a puppyfarmer or a dog broker. Brokers seek out unaltered purebreds for resale to puppymills or research laboratories. That's not the kind of future you want for your dog. Spaying or neutering guarantees that your dog won't end up in a puppymill. It's the best way to insure that your dog will be adopted by a family who wants him only as a best friend and member of the family. You also won't be contributing new dogs for your rescue to place.
If your dog has never been tattooed or microchipped, this is a great time to do it. It's not unusual for newly adopted dogs to get loose and become lost. A permanent ID will help your dog get back to you or his new owners. Groom your dog. You want your dog to look beautiful and make a good impression. Get rid of his old rusty choke chain and buy a nice, new, strong collar and lead. Set a reasonable adoption fee. The key word is "reasonable". You can't expect the new owner to pay you anywhere near the same price for a "used" dog as they would for a shiny new puppy.
Word of mouth doesn't go very far. Don't be afraid to use classified ads to advertise your dog. Done right, it's the most effective way to reach the largest number of people. It's easy to write a good ad that will weed out poor adoption prospects right away.
Your ad should give a short description of your dog, his needs, your requirements for a home and of course, your phone number. The description should include his breed, color, sex, the fact that he's neutered and an indication of his age. Hints: if your dog is less than 2 years old, state his age in months so he'll be perceived as the young dog he is. If he's over three, just say that he's an "adult".
Emphasize your dog's good points: Is he friendly? Housebroken? Well-mannered? Loves kids? Does he do tricks? Has he had any training? Don't keep it a secret but don't exaggerate either. Knowing his name doesn't make him "well-trained"!
State any definite requirements you might have for his new home: fenced yard, no cats, kids over 10, whatever. Try to say these in a positive way
Always state that references are required. This tells people that you're being selective and that you're not going to give your dog to just anybody. This statement will do a lot to keep people with bad intentions from dialing your number.
Never include the phrase "free to good home" in your ad even if you're not planning to charge a fee. If possible, don't put in any reference to a price at all. The chance at a "free" dog will bring lots of calls, but most of them won't be the kind of people you're looking for and many of them will be people you'd rather not talk to at all.
Your ad should look something like this:
"Dalmatian: beautiful, young adult male, neutered. Friendly, housebroken, well-behaved. Best with children over 10. Fenced yard, references required. Karen 555-1234"
Along with your local newspaper, advertise in all major papers within an hour and a half's drive. Schedule your ad so that it appears in Sunday's paper - the issue that's the most well-read and widely circulated. If your budget is very limited, choose to run your ad only on Sundays rather than throughout the week. Nearly every community also has small, weekly "budget-shopper" newspapers that offer inexpensive classified ads. Take advantage of them!
Don't be discouraged if your phone isn't ringing right away. Most people give up too soon. It can take a month or more to find a new home, so plan on advertising for several weeks. Put a phone number in the ad where you can be easily reached or use an answering machine. People can't call you if no one's home to answer the phone.
Newspapers are just one way to advertise. Take a good cute photo of your dog and have copies made. Duplicating photos can be done for as little as a quarter each at most photo shops. Make an attractive flyer on colored paper that you can have copied for a few cents each. Attach the cute photo of your dog. Your flyer doesn't have to be expensive, professional or computerized, just neat and eyecatching. Since you're not paying for words, you can write more about your dog than you could in a newspaper ad. Be descriptive!
Post your flyers at grocery stores, department stores, vets' offices, pet supply stores, grooming shops, factories, malls, etc. - anywhere you can find a public bulletin board. If you have friends in a nearby city, mail them a supply of flyers and ask them to post them for you.
"First come, first served" does not apply here. You are under no obligation to give your dog to the first person who says he wants it. You have every right to ask questions and choose the person you think will make the best new owner. Don't let anyone rush you or intimidate you.
To help you along, we've included a list of questions that we ask our callers. Make copies of this list and fill in their answers as you speak to your callers. If you like, you can also mail the application for your callers to fill out and return to you. Get out the list you made with your requirements for a new home and compare it to the answers the callers give.
These are very important questions! How they treated the pets they've had in the past will tell you how they might treat your dog. The following answers should raise a red flag and make you suspicious:
Do they have pets now? What kinds? Obviously, if your dog isn't good with cats or other animals and your caller has them, the adoption's not going to work out. Be up front. Better to turn people away now than have to take the dog back later.
Do they have a yard? Is it fenced? Your dog will need daily exercise. Without a yard, how will he get it? Can the caller provide it with regular walks? If the yard isn't fenced, ask how he plans to keep the dog from leaving his property? Did the caller's last dog wander off or get hit by a car? If so, how will he keep this from happening to his next dog? Does he understand that our independent Dalmatians will wander off if left unsupervised? That they have a mind of their own and don't like to come when they're called? Does he know that keeping a Dalmatian tied up can have a bad effect on the dog's temperament?
Where will the dog spend most of its time? Dalmatians hate being separated from their family and cannot live as an outdoor dog.
Why is the caller interested in a Dalmatian? What do they like about them? Find out what kind of dog "personality" they're looking for. Many people are attracted by the Dalmatian's beauty but don't know anything else about them. They might not have the slightest idea what a Dalmatian is all about and might not like its temperament and characteristics. If their expectations don't match your dog's disposition, the adoption's not going to work. Be honest about our breed's good and bad points. Is a Dal really what they're looking for or would they do better with another breed?
References: Get the phone number of their vet (if they've had pets before) and two other personal references. Call those references! Explain that John Doe is interested in adopting your dog and you want to make sure he'll give it a good home. Ask the vet whether former pets were given regular medical care, annual vaccinations and heartworm preventative. Were they in good condition and well-groomed? How long have they known this person? If they were placing a pet, would they feel comfortable giving it to this person?
The In-Person Interview - Once you've chosen a family (or families) that you feel are good candidates, make an appointment for them to see the dog. You should actually set two appointments: one at your house and one at theirs. Going to their house lets you see whether their home and yard are truly what they said they are and whether your dog will do well there. It also gives you an opportunity to call off the adoption and take the dog back home with you if things aren't as represented, if you think there'll be problems or if you just get a bad feeling about the whole thing.
If they already have a dog, make plans to introduce the dogs on "neutral" territory, like a park. Most dogs resent meeting a strange dog at home. They may be hostile toward the new dog or even start a fight.
If you get a quality home for your Dalmatian, great! If not, you should call the breed rescue. Because you have read this website you understand the amount of work it takes to rehome one Dalmatian. Imagine running a breed rescue and spending all of your free time and money doing this.
Your breed rescue may be full, but perhaps they can help you in some way or give helpful advice. Remember to thank them for the work they do - they are doing it for you!
Some parts of this article were adapted from When You Can't Keep Your Chow Chow" written by Karen Privitello, Lisa Hrico & Barbara Malone. Reproduction other than for private individual use is prohibited without permission
