I have been asked if I can take on a year old dalmation dog, as its current owner has a young baby and the dog is jealous of the attention. It is a bit hyper but good natured. On the plus side, there is always someone at home, as I am a student working evenings and my husband is at home during the day. I also have years of experience of keeping dogs.
However, although we have a car and can take the dog for long walks, we do live in quite a small flat. Also, as this dog is a year old, will I be able to earn its loyalty and trust, and to get it to obey me, as it is used to obeying someone else.
Any advice on the good and bad sides of taking on this dog would be much appreciated.
Answers:
all I can say is you have to have LOTS of patience. Make sure you show the dog who is boss.. you have to assert your dominance over him. because if you dont... you may go out one evening.. and come home to a demolished home LOL
always show kindness.. but always remember when training him.. be firm.. but you im sure already know this. I had a dalmation. Named Pepper.. and with all his monkeyshines.. he was a lovable dog. Every time he didnt do what I needed him to do.. I put him in "jail" for a little while.. soon he got the message.. if he got into to much meanness... ex. chasing the cat.. tearing up me flowers, getting under my house tearing up my water pipes ect ect... He was going to jail.. and he HATED it.. so soon after a bit of doing that process.. he didnt do those things anymore.. and turned out to be a VERY well behaved dog.
dals are notoriously hard to train. for years focus was on looks and not brains... however, if this dog is from a reputable breeder he may be allright,, as for his age,, he will be loyal to you within a week.
Dalmatians are renowned to be hard to train, they need copious amounts of exercise, If you have the time and patience then yes you would eventually get his trust, and he would obey you. I would take him to a training school and then he wil get used to your commands and ways.
with good loving care, the dog will soon love and respect you. As long as you are willing to give up the time to train and exercise him, it sounds like fun. I think that if he needs a good home, you should help out if at all possible. good luck!
The person above is correct. Dalmations are typically hard to train and can be a little hyper. Owning a dog is a huge responsibility. However, there is very little on this earth that is more rewarding.
A year old is still very young. You should be able to have the dog listen and obey you, especially if it has been trained already. If not, there are several places that offer training sessions around the country, like Petsmart.
If you make a list of good and bad with the dog, the bad will probably be longer...expenses, can't go on vacation without inconveniencing someone, may chew up things, cleaning up after the dog, jealousy issues with other people/dogs, insurance rates will go up, etc.
However, the pros are very big pros. Unconditional love, companionship, protection, and fun.
Absolutely! Especially if you've had experience before. A year old is still just barely a teenager in dog years, you'll do fine. Just as long as you give her walks every day, a smaller home should be alright for a dalmatian.
Good luck with your new friend. :]
Good for you! I always say, dogs end up where they are supposed to be. Ask the owners for a copy of all the vet records, and have them write a statement, surrendering the dog to you.
Then realllly read up on the breed, the good, the bad %26 the ugly. I have rescued aussies. This breed has lots of quirks (also high energy). It's VERY helpful to understand behaviors specific to each breed.
Make sure the dog is able to run and really get the energy out (like in a dog park, or fenced area), at least once a day, and a few quick walks during day. He/she will adapt to your schedule. GOOD LUCK!
I do not believe the flat bit is an issue if you take him for long walks - and more than once a day!
If there was a problem with dogs over a year old, how would people like the RSPCA and Blue Cross home older animals?
(as an aside, we have just taken on a 15 month old cocker spaniel - we lost our previous dog through cancer and I wanted a dog that was not too big, not too small, and not a puppy - ie house trained! And he is already totally loyal to us, although not totally obedient! He will only sit or come when he feels like it - but he does not like treats, so we are having a few problems with training! But getting there, slowly - but only had him for under 3 weeks! The biggest problem is that he always wants to sit on a knee - even when I am on the laptop or eating my sandwiches - or when drinking coffee!)
So go for it - but, even if you are totally used to dogs, why not go to obedience classes - although the joke at the Blue Cross (where our dog came from!) is that they are not sure if it is for the dogs or the owners!
You are very kind hearted to take this dog in.
You ask if you can earn the loyalty and trust of a year old dog and get it to obey you. The answer is YES YES YES.
You can teach an old dog new tricks, in spite of the saying to the otherwise.
The majority of the dogs in my life (and I have had as many as 13 at one time) have come to me as discarded/strays. They have been in age from over one year to my Rottie who was 7 when she came to me (now 13 1/2). I also have a Pomeranian who came to me at the age of one with a history of terrible abuse and no training. I gave this dog a few months just to bond with me and to get used to her new living situation. Then I enrolled her in a REAL dog training class. Not one of these fad "click and treat" programs.
I now have a dog who is very obedient, so much so that last week we competed in her first dog show and she took 2nd and 3rd out of 11 dogs her first time out and attained her first two legs of her AKC Novice Obedience title (and all against large dogs too I might add). This dog trained as easily as my Collie dog that I got at age 4 1/2 months.
The only down side to taking this dog is the breed and the fact that you live in a small flat. However, if you have time to take this dog out and excercise excersice excercise, all will be well. Dalmations were bred as a coach dog and because of this they do have an abundant amount of energy.
It is very important that you do get this dog in training class not only because all dogs need to be trained, but because of the fact you said he was showing "jealousy" in his previous home. This dog needs to know who is in charge. Again with a dog like this no touchy feely clicky training, it will only make a dog like this worse.
Best of luck to you and your new family member.
If you decide to take this dog I would put it in obedience school right away so that he might come down and be not so jealous of your child. i think that if you can get him trained it would be good for your child to have a playmate to grow up with.
Well at least a 1 year old dog should be toilet trained, if its not don't touch it with a barge pole. No dog, and i mean no dog can be trusted around young children, so i must admit i admire the owners wanting to rehouse it which is a better alternative to having the dog put down. Hope this helps.
im not a big fan of this breed pretty dog but bad breed.They dont like children sometimes men sometimes women the dog is one thats a iffy,iffy I most likely would take it because I love dogs but the first sign of aggretion and she will have to go to a new home.
Yes the dog will adapt, it's still young and you have lots of experience of dogs, maybe you could take it to Ring craft,(look on Internet for local one) they will help you train the dog,this dog won't take up much room, they curl up into a ball ,you just have to be calm with it for a while, so it to get used to your ways, it will love you and be your best friend for a long time,
Good Luck
There is a lot of good advice in the previous answers. I guess the one thing that I am not sure I am hearing is that you actually want the dog...do you?
It is a totally fair question. You can like dogs in general and you can have a kind heart. I guess, to me, that doesn't mean you want to own this particular dog for the rest of its life.
A new dog will learn new tricks, yes.
A year old can be a great age (no surprises when that cute pup becomes a dog).
You can tire the dog out or set up a walker or daycare.
You may want to own a dog, in general.
But will you be this dog's forever home? Or will you be a stopping point along the way? If you are not sure, take the dog in, if you can, with the intention of finding it a happy forever home. The honesty up front with the current owner (and yourself) will help you decide what is right for the dog.
You may fall in love with the dog over time. Many fosters are adopted by their foster parents. Then again, you may not. You may just like the dog, at best. Foster dogs find a safe comfortable haven until their real love connection comes along. You can connect with a breed group to help find the 4-ever home. And you will have the joy of knowing you helped both along the path of finding each other!
ps I added a link to my 360page. I foster from time to time. This site chronicles our experience with our current rescue group. Fostering can be very rewarding. So far, I have been able to see myself keeping each dog, but I resist because I want to help more than just one! That said, I would never give up my own dog, who was rescued from a shelter. She is fab!
My husband and I saw a notice in a pet store for a free dog, just a mutt, 1 1/2 yrs old. She (Hallie) was going back to the pound to be put down as she bit the owner's children when they pulled her tail. Our kids were grown and gone so that wasn't a problem for us. She wasn't what we were looking for but she was really sweet. She was dirty and full of fleas and disliked children. About a week after we took her the owner came to visit her and Hallie acted like she'd never seen her before in her life. I was so happy with that. She'll be 10 this year and just the nicest dog to own. She's even gotten used to kids and doesn't bother with them at all. Maybe because we didn't let them get near her tail. lol We got a yorkie pup last year and she's even accepted him into the family. They have great fun together and rip and tear around the yard like a real pair of goof balls. Should you take in a one year old dog. Hell, yes. Enjoy and good luck.
Dalmations are very loyal dogs so I doubt that will be a problem. I have a female and my boyfriend has a male so I have experience with the breed. They are quite hyper, but if you start training them now and you are tough with them while they are training, you should be fine. It is very good that someone will most always be home because they love attention. The size of your flat also should not be a big deal, as long as your dog gets to go on walks every so often, and has some room to run around. Just give your dog lots of attention and he will bring you lots of happiness, and, being a dalmation, probably lots of laughs. Don't hesitate to take this dog, you won't regret adopting him!!!
Good Luck and enjoy the dog if you get him!!!
If you have the time and experience for the dog its a good idea. I would watch around kids though. Dalmations tend to not get along with kids. You need to look at your future. If you have kids or plan on having kids you will be in the same cenerio as the person who is wanting to give you that dog. Weigh out all the goods and bads. It is a good idea to try to help out with the dog if you are prepared. My main thing is the kid situation. If you dont have kids and wont be having kids I would go for it. I wish you the best of luck in your decision.
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