Training

Breed temperament can be described in a general sense, and every dog also has their own individual personality. Dalmatians are generally described as intelligent, independent and fairly dominant dogs. 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 quickly, but when it comes to basic obedience, their favourite question is "why"? Training needs to be approached with enthusiasm and an open mind. Dalmatians respond to positive rewards rather than negative reinforcement. Trained Dalmatians are a joy and excel at competitive obedience and sports such as flyball.

Dalmatians have a natural sense of pack hierarchy and this is important to note, since the Dalmatian will need to dominate if it does not know its pack leader. Therefore a Dalmatian needs to know its human family is its pack, lead by the family. This is very easy to teach humanely and the lesson lasts a lifetime.

Many Dalmatians are now participating in the GOOD CITIZEN DOG SCHEME which was set up countrywide by the Kennel Club, in the 1990's. The training builds up from Puppy Socialization classes up to Bronze - Silver and finally Gold tests. It provides a very good base for owners to train gradually, and (apart from Puppy) any dog of any age can start. Follow this link - KCGCDS - for more details and explanation of the classes.