Would a Dalmatian be a good dog to have with my small pets?

Question

I have done research about Dalmatians and would really like to adopt one. I have a little Maltese dog, a rabbit, 2 guinea pigs, and 2 rats that all get along together. My maltese, Kayti is very loving to them and would never hurt them. Would a dalmatian be okay around them or would she/he attack them? Would she/he be a good playmate for a little dog?

Thank you all for your answers. :)

Answer 1

I rescued a dalmatian when he was 7 months old. first you have to let them know that you are boss, they can be very royal and loving dogs, but they need strict training.
Mine was around my granddaughters from the time they were babies, he would have given his life for them. He also lived with several cats and a chinchilla, he never hurt a one of them, but my dog was the acceptation to the rule. with any dog, training is so very important. He was my best friend for 13 years. please spay and neuter your pets.

Answer 2

Hello,

I used to run a pet rescue organization for 9 years and have rescued and placed several dalmations over the years. My answer is that it will depend on the individual dalmation you are thinking of getting. Each dog has it's own personality. If your maltese is the "alpha dog" and rules the roost at your home, then you want to find a dalmation that will be submissive to your maltese. You also want to ensure that the dalmation won't consider your smaller pets as food or toys. This too will depend on the dog.

Here's what I would recommend:
No matter whether you get a Dalmation from a breeder or rescue organization or shelter, find out as much as you can about its temperament. Does it always want to be the boss of the other dogs it is with or is it ok being second fiddle and letting another dog be the boss. Also, how is it with other dogs? How is it with rabbits, cats, and/or small animals? These questions are especially important if you are not going to get a puppy (the puppy can be raised to get along with your other pets, whereas a juvenile or adult dog may already have some behaviors associated with other animals). You can also try your maltese out with dalmations you are considering getting (1:1, in a neutral location such as a pet food store, park, etc). Keep your maltese on a leash and have someone else who can handle the dalmation's strength keep it on a leash. Let them sniff one another. Watch for wagging tails, praise them. Be careful. Dalmations are pretty muscular when they grow up and can be quite rambunctious, so keep in mind that your maltese might be harmed if it is unintentionally run into by the dalmation. If you do get a dalmation, perhaps an older, more mellow one woudl be a good match. Or, a puppy that you can take to obedience training so that you can control it when it grows into a 65# bundle of energy. I wouldn't rule it out (I have a rowdy 75# golden retriever pup we're taking to obedience and a papillion). It can be done - but be sure this is really what you want and invest the time and effort to get a dalmation that will fit into your household well and train it well.

Answer 3

All puppies when they are young are very hyper. When choosing the size of your dog, remember that you are going to have to deal with the dog jumping on you, and playfull biting. A dalmation is a large sized dog (if you've done your research you would know this already). Sometimes when dogs get bigger they don't know their own strength, so the dalmation might hurt the little dog. But another way to look at it is the way you raise the dog. If you get the dalmation, you can teach it to be more gentle around the little dog. Either make a noise such as "eh!" when the dog is playing to rough, or just say "no!". Remember, you're the "pack leader". For the guinea pigs and rats, if the Dalmation is use to being around them, it will not be afraid and will not hurt them. But remember, when the dalmation is a puppy, make sure you are around him/her when the puppy is around the guinea pigs and rats. Everyone says that dogs hate cats, or cats hate dogs. If they are put together at a young age, they will respect eachother and act like brothers and sisters. You might be thinking, "what does a cat have to do with this?", it's the same thing for when the dog is around the guinea pigs and rats. they might become friends =]

Answer 4

Maybe choose a mellower dog?? Dalmatians are beautiful and there are so many that need homes! Check out your local Dalmatian Rescue outfit. Great Danes are known to be great with cats, other dogs and kids. They are super lazy, loyal, love to please, learn fast and have HUGE bladders. =) The key is to establish the rank in your house. If you can make it clear who is above the dog, the dog will respect its superiors. Please do research on proper introductions and establishing rank within your home. Good luck and happy puppy hunting!

Answer 5

When you go get the dog bring your pets to see how they do with the Dalmatian.

Answer 6

first off, i love dals!! i have rescued 3 of them as adults. 2nd off dals take a very special person to have them. they do have alot of energy and typically are not good with kids or small animals. out of the 3 that i have rescued only 1 of them was ok around children. none of them were ok around small pets.

if you can adopt a puppy and do a lot of training with it, then it might work for you, but if its an adult i would advise against it.

talk to the people you want to adopt from, see what kind of environment the dog has been raised in. dals typically have a moderate to high prey drive and boundless energy.

if you do get one, i would not advise leaving the dal unattended with your little ones ever.

Answer 7

Dalmations are very hyper most of the time- They are very good loyal dogs but they love to play it may be easier if your other dog was a larger breed as well. But with the right training and a lot of work anything is possible!

Answer 8

If you adopt a young pup and raise it with the animals that you already have, it should be okay. You will be teaching the pup that it's not okay to behave badly with the smaller animals, while it's young. As for any adult dog breed, you can never tell how they will react to animals smaller than them, unless you know their history.

I have an adult female dalmation and she doesn't care for small animals at all, doesn't matter what they are.

Answer 9

Just make sure that you get a puppy. They're easier to aclimate with other pets.

Answer 10

if you get a dalmatian, try and see if your pets would go along with it on the first day, or you can train it not to attack or back at your other pets.