Dalmatians and Chickens...?

[pixie74943]

I'm having another phase where I am now OBSESSED with Dalmatians.. they're adorable, energetic, smart, and they SMARL (google it.. ahh the cuteness)

Has anyone ever had a Dalmatian? How was your experience of them? And did they cope well with chickens? Guard them, Kill Them, Ignore, or run away?

 

[BorderKelpie]

I fostered a (deaf) Dal for a while. Super sweet but she did harass my chickens. She was adopted by an older retired couple (hubby was deaf, too) and they worked with her so that she left their birds alone. I would think, like any other breed, it would be an individual thing, plus training/supervision to teach her to get along with other animals. I do remember reading somewhere that one of their jobs was hunting, something to watch for.
I hope you find your perfect Dal!
Best wishes!

 

[MomtoSyd&Emma]

Dalmatians are not a breed for everyone lol I have owned 3 and fostered numerous for Dalmation Rescue. They are great dogs, with TONS of energy, they do not accept new people too well unless socialized majorly. Even the last one I had, I had to place back with the rescue after getting her at 12 weeks, graduating 3, 6 week training courses, taking her EVERYWHERE we could she still becames super aggressive even with my family that she had been raised with. The final straw was when our baby was learning to crawl and Sadie (dal) charged her for getting to close to one of us. I couldnt risk that and they placed her in a home with NO children. I had done everything "right" with her and it just didnt work!

Did I mention they can jump a 8 foot fence like it is not there, and counter top surfing is their favorite! Oh and they SHED SHED SHED. I adore the breed, I smile when I see them to this day and I think I will have another one just not while I have children in the house! (We have a Boxer and a Chihuahua)

 

[chickenzoo]

In my experience they do not do well around chickens or small animals. Mine was a good natured Dal, the vet told me constantly he couldn't believe how good. Not all are. She loved other people but in her older years got possessive of her toys with kids. She would kill a chicken or a small animal in a heart beat. She was a great snake killer and good guard dog... loved the horses and always wanted to be with them and protect them.
They are very, very smart dogs, so much so people often thing they are stupid. They are very strong willed and will find 50 other ways of doing something they were told not to do. If I told her to sit, she would give me that look and sit, but keep her butt a few inches off the ground, so she wasn't really sitting. LOL Even with perfect hearing they are selective in what they hear. They have the energy of 5 dogs and love to run. She would follow us when we went riding, never seemed to tire. They are not the dog for everyone.

 

[Cara]

I'm a dog lover, but I loathe Dalmatians. I've been bitten by several, some from show lines and some from BYBs. A friend of mine had one growing up from one of the top Dalmatian breeders in the country, I believe one of her parents was Best of Breed at Crufts. She would growl at anyone and everyone whenever she felt like it. She was possessive and territorial. She would jump on you and snatch things from your hand. She was also highly dog aggressive. I wouldn't let one around a chicken coop, much less loose birds.

 

[millebantam]

I understand where you're coming from. My inlaws had a similar behaving Dalmation. I must be one of those who don't appreciate how "smart" they are and think that they're stupid. from my experience, I've never seen the smart stuff, just plenty of stupid. The best ones that you will find are made of ceramic and are found at an antique shop.
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[speckledhen]

When my son asked us to take his 10 year old Dalmatian, I did some research and because of my chickens, told him we could not take the dog. In fact, I did bring it up on BYC so there's a thread on Dalmatians here somewhere with me as author. You may want to check it out.