Anonymous wrote:Any serious breeder or trainer would recommend against getting 2 puppies at once. Training 2 is tough and not very productive. What if both have medical problems? And I agree, something is off releasing puppies at 16 weeks.

This is a serious breeder. They do show dogs, they've had multiple champions. They had no issue with us wanting two dogs after we were screened. There is a health guarantee. These dogs come with some training. As I said, several of the dogs we looked at came older. So I'm not sure its "off" or unusual.

I know DCUM can be really persnickety at times but there sure are some feisty responses to such a simple "What do I need/might I have forgotten for these puppies?" thread.

We had a Dalmatian when I was growing up. They were way more common then. She was definitely a runner. By high school I was running her 3-4 miles a day, plus regular walks. This is something I miss in my current dog, who is a sniffer and takes 20 minutes to get around the block.


We have our dog in a crate at night. She is not a dog who will voluntarily go into her crate during the day like some do, but she doesn't mind it and it prevents her from peeing in the house at night.

Check out "Whole Dog Journal" it's like Consumer Reports for dogs. It also has wonderful training advice.

Be prepared to house-train and crate-train both dogs again when you bring them home. The breeder may have promised to train them before delivery, but it is common for dogs of any age to lose that training with a major life transition (move.)

Ask the breeder what the technique/process was used for their training. What words did she use? Signals? Etc. Then use rewards to reinforce behavior that you want.

Ditto on a lot of the stuff others said. I won't judge your choices but I will say I have had dogs before and was not prepared for raising a giant puppy pretty much by myself. We have a giant breed (Great Dane) and she is delightful...but it was a ton of work.

Obedience: We went with a private trainer in addition to classes. There were some house and neighborhood-specific issues she helped us handle. Make sure you are working with someone who uses positive, rewards-based methods. People comment on how well behaved our pup is, especially on a leash. I was not going to get dragged down the street by a 130-pound dog. What is even more important, however, is socializing your dog. I've known a few Dalmations who were a little socially awkward/standoffish around other dogs. The trainer said socializing should be one of the first things your work on and the window is small.

Crate training: It really worked for us but we also worked hard to get our dog to like the crate and when we used it she went in on command. We always put her in with a frozen Kong with peanut butter and yogurt. We couldn't really trust her loose in the house until she was about 2 and we have an open floor plan (and a newly renovated house) so putting her in a room was not an option. I totally understand why some people are uncomfortable with crate training but it was the best way to keep our pup safe.

Running: Our dog loves to go for runs but like others said, we waited until 2 years old when her joints were fully formed.

Food: We love Fromm because it's family-owned and never had a recall. Danes have notoriously sensitive tummies so we went grain-free but different foods work for different dogs.

Good luck! If you put in the work, having a dog is a wonderful experience.

Any serious breeder or trainer would recommend against getting 2 puppies at once. Training 2 is tough and not very productive. What if both have medical problems? And I agree, something is off releasing puppies at 16 weeks.

Anonymous wrote:I have never ever had a dog in my life. DH has but I have a feeling since I'm home I'm primary caregiver.

So they are coming in 5 weeks. They will be 16 weeks old. They will be spayed/neutered, have shots, be house trained.

What do I need? What food do you suggest? How many toys do they need? Can they share a bed?

I keep getting conflicting advice from the breeder and the vet.

I looked up some stuff and saw crate training, it seems mean to me. Is it mean or is it necessary?

Obedience training is a must correct? What other training if any is necessary?

Anything specific about this breed?

I am a runner, I do know this breed is good for runners. Anyone have experience with this?

DH is excited, kids are excited. I need help but I'm excited too.

My two cents:
Assuming you're using a real hobbyist/breeder: Trust your breeder over your vet on everything except veterinary medical matters (e.g., trust the breeder on behavior, training, breed-specific things).
Buy whatever food the breeder recommends/dogs are already eating. I like pro plan.
Lots of toys. I like Kong brand. Each dog gets his/her own bed and crate. (I assume pups are crate trained, ask the breeder about this).
Yes to obedience training. After you've completed the basics, you'll know what else you need.
Don't run long distances with large breed dogs until they're ~ done growing. Ask your breeder and vet for recommendations--I wait 2 years for a large breed.

Anonymous wrote:

Dalmations http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/dalmatians.html

2 pups 16 weeks old is unusual. Most pups go at 8 weeks and you meet the puppy first. Breeders have puppy open house after a series of shots usually at about 6 weeks. Then you go back at 8+ and they match you with an available puppy out of the non-show homes. If they feel a pup you wanted is far better for say a family with children the breeder will not let you have the pup.

Have you met the breeder? Seen the pups? Mom? Dad is commonly NOT on site. How much do you run? Marathoner or a couple of miles per week. Large barrier fenced yard? 1/2 acre minimum for the breed? Invisible fence might not work on the breed as well as on a lab.

Why not look at american field labs?

OP here. Thanks to everyone for their advice and concern. Did a lot of research and didn't make this choice lightly. As stated DH has experience with dogs. Just wanted to get some advice regarding the actual questions I asked in the OP because as I said I was getting some conflicting advice and I am nervous/excited as a first time dog owner.

We've been looking at dogs for over a year and are comfortable with our choice. In my experience it wasn't unusual for 16 weeks. The German shepherds we considered didn't go home until 20 weeks and two other breeds were a 12 and 16 weeks. We did look at labs and various other dogs. We chose dalmatians.

Yes we have met the breeder. Yes we have met and spent time with the pups. Yes we met mom and we met dad. As well as the other adult dogs there. I am a marathoner. We have almost 4 acres and it is fenced.

Again I wanted advice about what food people feed their large breed dogs. How people feel about crates and what type of training beyond obedience, And about toys etc.

Thank you to everyone who answered those questions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:and more... When young and far more active with kids etc we had american field lab and that mixed with english labs. Now as an older person English lab is better for me but would certainly be fine for your children which is what you should be thinking about.

not to hijack, I'm not op, but that sounds like good advice for me. We have a lab/retriever mix and had another previously. We love them so much, but maybe an English Lab would be easier to keep up with as we're slowing down, lol, arthritis aches and all!

I posted the difference and knew people from the UK who were older and had a small fenced yard. They went on many walks but the exercise /run it off factor was lower. Am and Eng are very trainable and over all the dogs we cleaned up less than 5 poop accidents in the house. Plus many exercise needs can be tken care of by doing training exercises-long recalls, stays, etc. With the am lab I even did jump through hula hoops-up dwns on little tykes slides etc.

Anonymous wrote:and more... When young and far more active with kids etc we had american field lab and that mixed with english labs. Now as an older person English lab is better for me but would certainly be fine for your children which is what you should be thinking about.

not to hijack, I'm not op, but that sounds like good advice for me. We have a lab/retriever mix and had another previously. We love them so much, but maybe an English Lab would be easier to keep up with as we're slowing down, lol, arthritis aches and all!

Wow you've never had a dog before and your getting not one, but TWO dalmatians....a breed known for being aggressive, needing a ton of training and stimulation, and having a plethora of health problems...I wish you luck OP, doesn't sound like you did as much research as you claim.

Dalmatians would not be my first choice of breed. There are too many instances of bad results.

Call Cruella. She'll help you take care of them.

We read and liked the Monks of New Skete before getting our puppy (standard poodle) and then learned the book is quite outdated. Many of the techniques are no longer recommended by reputable trainers. For some dogs, particularly those that are more aggressive or "alpha," they may still be appropriate, but it's far from universal. I do appreciate some of their tips but I would not recommend following this training protocol religiously.

I'm very surprised the breeder is giving you these pups at 16 weeks. That's quite unusual. And it's even more unusual that they'd be neutered/spayed before that age by a breeder. Increasingly breeders recommend later neutering for males, especially larger breeds. It's also odd the breeder would promise they'll be housetrained. They may be but you can't guarantee that at this age. Do you know this breeder well, have you visited, met at least one of the parents, gotten recs, etc? Please be careful and know what you are getting.

Crate training is not mean. It can be very useful. And I say this as someone who abandoned the crate relatively early on. We still use it sometimes when puppy is overexcited and needs down time.

For food our vet recommended any decent puppy food and our breeder made a specific suggestion so we use that. I would suggest at least starting with whatever food they are currently eating and then gradually changing if you wish to switch.

I would strongly recommend working with a dog trainer from the start. Since you are new to this and are getting two puppies of a challenging breed I think a good trainer will make your life immensely easier.

Pick a different breed. You are getting in over your head and two of them - are you crazy. Never met a Dalmation that wasn't completely hyper out of control. Your house is going to be destroyed and I hope you have a big back yard. Tons of energy.