Breeding Dalmatians
If you are seriously considering breeding your female Dalmatian, here are a few things to take into consideration. You need to answer YES to all of the following questions!
- Does your Dal have a very good temperament?
- Does your Dal have perfect hearing?
- Do you have enough knowledge of raising puppies?
- Do you have enough space for possibly 13 or 14 puppies?
- Can you sell 13 or 14 Dalmatian puppies to loving homes?
- If not, can you keep 13 or 14 Dalmatian puppies?
- Can you afford to keep your Dalmatian puppies fed, watered and vetted for 8 weeks?
- Do you have enough time? Dalmatian puppies need constant care even in the early days after birth.
Useful books
Dalmatians suitable for breeding
Your Dalmatian should have an excellent temperament.
He and She should be good around children and very mild mannered. Dals that are timid, shy or aggressive should not be bred as this may be passed onto the puppies.
Your Dalmatian should be FULLY hearing.
This is important, even if your Dalmatian is only deaf in one ear you should not breed off her. Deafness is a MAJOR fault in the breed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a deaf Dalmatian as a pet but they should never be used in breeding.
Your Dalmatian should have good markings and be free of patches.
This is a controversial issue. According to certain Dog clubs you are forbidden to breed off patched Dalmatians because they aren’t classed as “perfect”. You would get banished from the club for this. I looked at becoming a member but was put off by the membership form small print, below.
'If elected a Member of the British Dalmatian Club, I undertake to put down any totally deaf puppies that I may breed in a litter. I agree to abide by the Rules of the Club and the Code of Ethics.' Jan 2009.
I am not a member and never intend to be even if they do change their policy on deaf Dalmatians.
I have bred off a patched Dalmatian she had 11 healthy puppies and only 1 was deaf. I have also spoken to many experts and all have said breeding off patched Dalmatians reduces the deafness within the breed. One expert believed the figures were as follows -
- The figure for producing a deaf pup off 2 healthy, fully hearing, non-patched Dalmatians is 1 in 5.
- The figure for producing a deaf pup off 1 healthy, fully hearing, non-patched and 1 patched, fully hearing Dalmatian is 1 in 10.
Your dog should be checked by a vet before breeding.
This is to check for things like hip and elbow dysplasia. Your dog should also be fully vaccinated, wormed and de-flead. Potential stud dogs should also be checked by a vet.
Your two breeding Dalmatians should be perfectly as matched as possible. 
- Example, don’t breed a big Dalmatian dog with a small Dalmatian bitch. The female Dalmatian may struggle with the pregnancy and birth.
- Example, breeding a heavily spotted Dalmatian with a lightly spotted Dalmatian could produce medium spotted Dalmatians.
- Example, breeding two Liver Spotted Dalmatians could produce Liver spotted puppies (could be the odd Black spotted one though!)
Your two breeding Dalmatians should NOT be related.
Dalmatian Mating
Female Dalmatians will only conceive within a very small window of them being in heat.
It is generally the 9th day of the female Dalmatians heat that they are introduced. Some breeders suggest breeding them twice (On the 9th and 11th day of heat).
The breeding Dalmatians will ‘tie’ themselves together during mating. This can last for up to an hour in some cases. They should never be forced apart when they are ‘tied’. This can cause damage to both Dalmatians.
Dalmatian Pregnancy
During early pregnancy your dog will not require any extra food and should be exercised as normal. After three weeks, her diet should be increased and exercise decreased. Consult your vet about how much food to feed your her. Having a good vet on call is essential. My vet suggested feeding both the Mother and Puppies goats’ milk yogurt. This apparently boosts their immune system.
Gestation period is about 63days.
The signs of giving birth
During the last few days of pregnancy the your dog should start to show a few signs.
- Loss of appetite, do offer water with a little added honey or glucose when your dog is refusing food.
- Nesting, your dog may start digging a hole or hide herself in a secluded spot in order to give birth. It is best to try and coax her towards your breeding area so she can get used to it.
- Dopey eyes, her eyes may go slightly diluted.
- Movement in the belly, this is a sign the pups are on their way.
It is very important that your dog feels comfortable with her birthing area or she may ‘hold’ on to the pups which will cause problems during the birth. I would suggest a whelping box for giving birth.
Your Dalmatian should only be with people she trusts during the run up to pregnancy. No new faces! This may unnerve her.
The Dalmatian birth
Hopefully by this time you will be well prepared and will have read all or at least one of my suggested books. No excuses, you will have had at least 63 days in order to do so!!
All Dalmatians are born white. Patched Dalmatians will have a patch at birth. (see photos)
If you are not confident enough to help with the whelping, contact your vet or another breeder.
The birth should come naturally to a female Dalmatian. But just in case you need to intervene bare these few very important things in mind.
- Make sure the ‘sack’ your Dalmatian pup is
 born in is broken open, allowing them to breathe.
- Make sure the airway is clear of any mucus. You can use a paper towel or a towel to do this.
- Make sure you are as quick as possible in doing this, as the female needs to bond and clean the new pup before giving birth to the next one. We had about 30minutes between each birth.
- During the next birth, it is a good idea to remove the new born puppies so they don’t get trampled or sat on. I put them in a basket with warm towels during the other births. Make sure the Mother Dalmatian can see them so she doesn’t get upset.
During the birth if you observe any problems with the birth, contact your vet straight away.
After the birth
Arrange a time to see your vet, your puppies and Mother  will need to be checked over.
Hopefully the Mother will have taken to raising her pups naturally and will be feeding and cleaning up after them. If it's a large litter your dog may need you to help feed the pups. Consult your vet on what feed is best.
The puppies will feed off the Mother for about three or four weeks. Always ask your vet’s advice on this as it can vary with large litters.
Make sure you have plenty of newspapers to put down for the pups and keep their area as clean as possible.
Make sure you worm, de-flea and vaccinate your pups and Mother to your vet’s specification.
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