Dalmatian puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Dalmatian puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Congenital deafness, which affects a significant share of the breed, detected by BAER testing of whole litters
• Urate bladder and kidney stones, caused by the breed wide hyperuricosuria mutation, detectable by DNA test and managed with diet and water intake
• Hip dysplasia, screened by hip evaluation of breeding stock
• Dilated cardiomyopathy, investigated by physical exam, chest x-ray, echocardiogram and ECG
• Skin allergies and Dalmatian bronzing syndrome, diagnosed by a vet once other causes have been ruled out

From Dalmatian breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/dalmatian/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Dalmatian puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Dalmatian.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 20.4 to 31.8 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other large breeds

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