Although Dalmatians love to ride in the car to just about anywhere, they're not back-seat dogs in any other sense of the word. Their inner world contains wonders around every corner and no dangers that are quicker, tougher or smarter than they are. A Dalmatian is not a "porch dog" that sits and looks at a guest or visitor until some unknown cue prompts it to get up and investigate or greet. They are instantly curious about nearly everything and won't hesitate to go see what's up.

The Dalmatian breed standard calls for poise and alertness, and a stable, outgoing, and dignified temperament. You should understand that this translates into a dog that does not go wagging up to any stranger and lick them up one side and down the other. This means that when a Dalmatian meets strangers, he usually prefers to go up to them at his own pace, investigating fairly thoroughly before becoming the wagging, silly bouncing friend.

Many people are so taken with the dog's looks and bright expression that they forget introductions and manners. They'll rush up to the dog, arms and hands extended, bending down, with body language that says to the dog, "I want to grab you and pet you and touch you." The Dalmatian understands the body language to say "I want to grab you and hold you in one place and prevent you from moving around me and checking me out while I check you out."

Throughout early history, the Dalmatian was bred to take control of the streets and make judgments on whether things were safe or not for the horses and masters. You can't make judgments while you're being held in one spot and examined. This isn't to say that the Dalmatian's instincts should dictate your routines, or that he can't be trained to be appropriately sociable; however, they are more likely to meet someone by going through the steps of investigation and judgment before acting like a wagging fool.

What if they don't like someone after investigation? Sometimes this happens, and most of the time it's for reasons the owners can't comprehend. When this occurs, it's rarely an aggressive scene. The Dalmatian's reaction is more likely to be one of avoidance, perhaps a quiet grumble or groaning and a move to the next room, from which he can keep an eye on things until the stranger leaves. Your first impression as an owner is to feel like scolding your dog for unsociable behavior the Dalmatian's judgment has always turned out to have an element of soundness.

Diet For The Aging Dalmatian

Dalmatians are considered old when they reach seven years of age. There are certain changes that occur as dogs age that changes their nutritional requirements. As they age, their metabolism slows and must be accounted for. If maintenance rations are fed in the same amounts while metabolism is slowing, weight gain may result. Obesity is the last thing a dog owner wants for his Dalmatian, since it increases his risk of several other health-related problems.

As pets age, most of their organs do not function as well. The digestive system, the liver, pancreas and gallbladder are not functioning at peak effect. The intestines have more difficulty extracting all the nutrients from the food consumed. A gradual decline in kidney function is considered a normal part
of aging. Elderly dogs need to be treated as individuals. While some benefit from the nutrition found in "senior" diets, others might do better on the highly digestible puppy and super-premium diets. The latter diet provide an
excellent blend of digestibility and amino acid content, though many are high in salt and phosphorus than the older pet really needs.

Older dogs are also more prone to developing arthritis and therefore it is important not to overfeed them since obesity puts added stress on the joints. For Dalmatians with joint pain, supplementing the diet with fatty acid combinations containing cislinoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid can be quite beneficial.