A happy Dalmatian sitting in a field of purple flowers

Non-sporting

Type

10 - 13 years

Lifespan

Large

Size

16 - 32 kg

Weight

55 - 61 cm

Height

Intelligent, friendly, energetic

Temperament

120 mins per day

Exercise

Low maintenance

Grooming

<ul>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Dalmatian. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/breeds-pages/dalmatian" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog dalmatian page">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/breeds-pages/dalmatian</a></li>
	<li>Braund K &amp; Delauche A (online) Deafness: hereditary. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/diseases/deafness-hereditary" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog deafness page">https://www.vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/diseases/deafness-hereditary</a></li>
	<li>Godfrey D &amp; Vetstream Ltd (online) Living with a deaf dog. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/owner-factsheets/living-with-a-deaf-dog" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's living with a deaf dog factsheet">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/owner-factsheets/living-with-a-deaf-dog</a></li>
	<li>Nicholls P &amp; Wallace W (online) Urolithiasis. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/diseases/urolithiasis" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog urolithiasis page">https://www.vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/diseases/urolithiasis</a></li>
	<li>Vetfolio &amp; Vetstream Ltd (online) Bladder and kidney stones. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/owner-factsheets/bladder-and-kidney-stones" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog bladder and kidney stones factsheet">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/owner-factsheets/bladder-and-kidney-stones</a></li>
	<li>Bagley R, Garosi L &amp; Lowrie M (online) Epilepsy: idiopathic. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/diseases/epilepsy-idiopathic" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog epilepsy idiopathic page">https://www.vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/diseases/epilepsy-idiopathic</a></li>
	<li>Garosi L &amp; Vetstream Ltd (online) Epilepsy (seizures). In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/owner-factsheets/epilepsy-(seizures)" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog epilepsy factsheet">https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis/owner-factsheets/epilepsy-(seizures)</a></li>
	<li>Harari J &amp; Langley-Hobbs S (online) Hip: dysplasia. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/diseases/hip-dysplasia" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog hip dysplasia page">https://www.vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/diseases/hip-dysplasia</a></li>
	<li>Vetstream Ltd (online) Hip dysplasia. In: Vetlexicon Canis. Vetstream Ltd, UK. Website: <a href="https://www.vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/owner-factsheets/hip-dysplasia" target="_blank" title="Link to Vetstream's dog hip dysplasia factsheet">https://www.vetstream.com/clinical-reference/canis/owner-factsheets/hip-dysplasia</a></li>
</ul>

Content provided from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vetstream.com/treat/canis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Link to vet experts Vetstream's website">Vetstream&#39;s Vetlexicon Canis</a>

Vetlexicon is the world&rsquo;s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world&rsquo;s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.

Dalmatian Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Dalmatians might just be the most recognisable dogs in the world, thanks to their gorgeous black spots and place in the Disney hall of fame with 101 Dalmatians. However, this breed has a lot more to offer and our handy guide will help you decide whether a Dalmatian is the perfect match for you.

While Dalmatians once helped protect cargo as coach dogs in the Victorian era, these days they&rsquo;re very much a family companion just looking to slobber you with kisses.&nbsp;

<a href="/all-things-pet/the-dog-exercise-guide" title="Link to Everrypaw's Dog Exercise Guide">Dalmatians love to exercise</a>. Whether they&rsquo;re chasing a ball or exploring their surroundings, they need a family who can keep up.&nbsp;

This breed also loves being around people &ndash; they can become unsettled when left alone for long periods.&nbsp;

Dalmatians are soft-natured, so it&rsquo;s no surprise that children run to them. However, their lively spirit can make them potentially clumsy. Make sure you watch them around toddlers and babies. Dalmatians can also live in harmony with other dogs, <a href="/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">cats</a> or even horses provided they&rsquo;re properly socialised.

Dalmatians <a href="/all-things-pet/the-dog-exercise-guide" title="Link to the Everypaw Dog Exercise Guide">love to exercise</a>. Whether they&rsquo;re chasing a ball or exploring their surroundings, they need a family who can keep up.&nbsp;

This <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides" title="Link to the Everypaw's Dog Breed Guides">breed of dog</a> also loves being around people &ndash; they can become unsettled when left alone for long periods.&nbsp;

Dalmatians are soft-natured, so it&rsquo;s no surprise that children run to them. However, their lively spirit can make them potentially clumsy. Make sure you watch them around toddlers and babies. Dalmatians can also live in harmony with other dogs, <a href="/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">cats</a> or even horses provided they&rsquo;re properly socialised.

Dalmatian <a href="/puppy-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Puppy Insurance page">puppies are full of energy</a>, they love to play and will want your full attention. They get bored easily so make sure you have plenty of toys for them to play with. If they&rsquo;re not entertained, they may become destructive.

It won&rsquo;t take long for your pup to turn into a big spotty dog, but they&rsquo;ll always have the same playful spirit no matter how long their legs are.

Dalmatian puppy standing in a grassy field

A Dalmatian&rsquo;s energetic nature is contagious &ndash; they&rsquo;ll encourage you to exercise and make great running buddies. Their intelligent mind needs regular stimulation, achieved through training. They may demand a lot of attention, but it&rsquo;s all worth it when you receive their love and devotion in return.

Dalmatians are notoriously greedy dogs; they will steal any dog food that is left in their reach. They&rsquo;ll give you those hungry dogs eyes but don&rsquo;t be fooled. As long as you are following the daily recommended amount, your dog will not go hungry.

Some Dalmatians have a metabolic defect, which can lead to problems with their urinary tract. While this has been linked to historic breeding techniques, you can help reduce your Dalmatian&rsquo;s discomfort by giving them regular access to drinking water and reducing the amount of protein-heavy food you give them.

Dalmatians&rsquo; spotted coats might be desirable to dog lovers and villains alike, but they do shed. However, this is usually in moderate amounts, so you should only need to brush them once or twice a week.

To keep your Dalmatian&rsquo;s coat in top condition you&rsquo;ll need to bath them once a month. Introduce bathing when your Dalmatian is a puppy so that they get used to it. This will make the process less stressful for you and your dog.

Dalmatians are highly intelligent dogs, so it&rsquo;s often easy to train them. But they&rsquo;re renowned for being stubborn too &ndash; so it&rsquo;s a good idea to lay down the ground rules as early as possible. You can start training them while they&rsquo;re still a puppy, with the help of treats, praise and cuddles.

Dalmatians require plenty of exercise (around two hours per day) or they can become restless and agitated. They are speedy runners, so it&rsquo;s best to keep them on a lead unless you&rsquo;re in a secure area.

Link to get an Everypaw Dog Insurance quote

Before you bring your new Dalmatian home, you&rsquo;ll need to think about finding the right pet insurance for you and your dog.&nbsp; We know how complicated it can be to find the ideal match to your buddy&rsquo;s health &ndash; that&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;ve made our policies simple. For dogs, it&rsquo;s all about the <a href="/Home/lifetime-pet-insurance.html">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>. Just find the right level of cover for you and your spotted buddy, and you&rsquo;re good to go.

Before you bring your new Dalmatian home, you&rsquo;ll need to think about finding the right pet insurance for you and your dog.&nbsp; We know how complicated it can be to find the ideal match to your buddy&rsquo;s health &ndash; that&rsquo;s why we&rsquo;ve made our policies simple. For dogs, it&rsquo;s all about the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/lifetime-pet-insurance">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>. Just find the right level of cover for you and your spotted buddy, and you&rsquo;re good to go.

That’s All You Need to Know About Dalmatians

This energetic breed is a perfect match for an outgoing family. Whatever the weather, they&rsquo;ll get you outside. They can be naughty when it comes to food but with the right training, they&rsquo;ll be good as gold. They&rsquo;re gentle giants that will show affection to every member of the family.

This energetic breed is a perfect match for an outgoing family. Whatever the weather, they&rsquo;ll get you outside. They can be naughty when it comes to food but with the right training, they&rsquo;ll be good as gold. They&rsquo;re gentle giants that will <a href="/all-things-pet/best-dog-breeds-for-families-with-kids" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to the best dog breeds for families">show affection to every member of the family</a>.

Dalmatians have an increased risk of inheriting deafness, which will be present from birth. You&rsquo;ll know if your dog is deaf because it won&rsquo;t respond to noises or you call their name. This can make them more difficult to train but it is possible to teach them with hand signals. Letting a deaf dog off lead is a risk because they cannot hear potential danger, such as approaching cars. It&rsquo;s best to only let your Dalmatian off lead in enclosed areas.

Urolithiasis is a condition that involves the formation of a urinary stone somewhere in the urinary tract which blocks the flow of urine. Affected dogs appear tired, may vomit, will cry out when urinating or may be unable to urinate.

As soon as symptoms are noticed, your dog should be taken to a vet to be treated. There are various options to remove the stone such as basket retrieval, flushing the stone, surgical removal, or breaking it up with a laser.

<a href="/all-things-pet/epilepsy-in-dogs/" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to epilepsy in dogs">Epilepsy</a> is the result of abnormal brain activity, which causes repeated fits (convulsions or seizures). A fit can last 1-3 minutes and will involve the dog falling on its side, rapidly moving its legs, and in some cases, emptying their bladder or bowels. Generally, no damage is caused unless the fit lasts for more than 10 minutes, in which case brain damage may occur. There is no cure, but the fits can be managed with medication.

Hip dysplasia is a hereditary joint disease that is common in larger dog breeds. The ball-and-socket joint of the hip doesn&rsquo;t fit together properly and rubs. This causes damages to the surfaces of the joint resulting in pain, instability, lameness and eventually arthritis.&nbsp;

Although the condition is hereditary, the severity of it is affected by diet/weight and exercise. These areas will need to be managed to control the condition. In severe cases, surgery is the only treatment option.

Common Dalmatian Health Problems by Vetstream

Dalmatians are prone to certain health problems, but fortunately, genetic health testing can be done before breeding. When buying a puppy, make sure both parents have been tested for deafness and hip dysplasia, as these are common Dalmatian health issues.

A large dog breed renowned for its spotty coat, the Dalmatian is named after its supposed origins in the Croatian region of Dalmatia. Dalmatians have been used for various purposes throughout history &ndash; notably serving as coach dogs during the Victorian era.&nbsp;

Dalmatians usually don&rsquo;t reach their full height until they are 15 months old.

Dalmatians usually live to be over 11 years old and, with the right lifestyle, can live well into their teens.

Dalmatians shed throughout the year, but their shorter fur means they only require a little to moderate amount of <a href="/all-things-pet/dog-grooming-101" title="Link to Everypaw's guide to dog grooming">grooming</a>. Aim to brush them once or twice a week.&nbsp;

While no dog is fully hypoallergenic, Dalmatians are constantly shedding and therefore wouldn&rsquo;t make a good fit with someone suffering from allergies.

Dalmatian Insurance, Care, and Health Advice | Everypaw

Get a quote for your Dalmatian's insurance

Dalmatian

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Zoomies to Senior Snoozes, We've Got Them Covered

The benefit values featured in the table may vary across the different levels of cover and will depend on the cover you choose. Please check your cover before purchasing. Be aware, for some breeds of dogs we do not provide our &pound;8k and &pound;10k Lifetime cover. 
 
All policies and features are subject to special conditions and exclusions of the insurers, please click the link to read about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Insurance Exclusions page">our policy exclusions.</a> 
 
Excess is applicable to all vet fees claims. When your pet reaches a certain age, the excess payable may change. The excess will be your set excess plus a percentage of your claim amount.

Getting your furry friend covered shouldn&#39;t just come down to cost. There&#39;s a lot more to it than that, so take the time to do a pet insurance comparison. Think about their breed, the level of cover they might need, and what would be important to you. After all, insurance is there for both of you.

One of the best ways to do that is to compare cover levels. This will give you an idea of how much your pet insurance will cost, how much you can claim against vet bills, as well as the policy benefits. It&#39;s all about finding the Lifetime Pet Insurance that works best for you and your pet.

*Based on Everypaw claims data from February 2024 to March 2025

An older dog for pet insurance for older pets

As our furry companions age, they&#39;re more likely to suffer from ailments and illnesses here and there. And we want you to be able to look after your pet well into retirement. That&#39;s why we don&#39;t have age limits on our policies. Our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-for-older-pets.html">pet insurance for older pets</a> can help you do the most important thing &ndash; looking after your pet.

What about younger pets? We also offer <a href="/cat-insurance/kitten-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Kitten Insurance page">kitten</a> and <a href="/dog-insurance/puppy-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Puppy Insurance page">puppy insurance</a>, covered by our cat and dog insurance. No matter how old or young your purr-fect pet is, our pet insurance can give you all-important peace of mind.&nbsp;

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Whether you are looking for a playmate for your pet or if your house is more like a <a href="/dog-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Dog Insurance page">dog</a>, <a href="/cat-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Cat Insurance page">cat</a> and <a href="/rabbit-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Rabbit Insurance page">rabbit</a> smallholding, you need multi-pet insurance that works for you. Everypaw&#39;s policies are just that and give you a discount on every pet too. No matter how many pets you have, from glorious <a href="/dog-insurance/dog-breed-guides/golden-retriever-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Golden Retriever Dog Breed Guide page">Golden Retrievers</a> and majestic <a href="/cat-insurance/cat-breed-guides/maine-coon-cat-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Maine Coon Cat Breed Guide page">Maine Coons</a> to lovely <a href="/rabbit-insurance/rabbit-breed-guides/lionhead-rabbit-insurance-care-and-health-advice" title="Link to Everypaw's Lionhead Rabbit Breed Guide page">Lionheads</a>, it&#39;s there for every single paw.

Link to the Everypaw Multi-pet Insurance page

How Does Pet Insurance Work: Getting a Quote

Our pet insurance quote form takes just 3 minutes to fill out. Here&#39;s how it works:

<ul>
	<li>Select which type of pet you&#39;re looking to insure and enter their age, breed and sex</li>
	<li>Enter basic personal details about yourself including your email and home addresses</li>
	<li>Select your vet fees limit</li>
	<li>We&#39;ll give you a pet insurance price! And we&#39;ll show you what the cost is for the year, plus what your monthly instalments will look like if you choose to pay that way</li>
</ul>

Will my pet insurance cover pre-existing conditions?

Ever found the urge to discover what the best dog breeds to train are or maybe you want to get to the bottom of your pet&#39;s worm problem.&nbsp;<a href="/Home/all-things-pet.html" title="Link to Everypaw's All Things Pet blog">Everypaw&#39;s All Things Pet blog</a>&nbsp;has the content to keep you informed.

Most Popular Celebrity and Royal Pet Names 2025

Link to the UK's Most Popular Celebrity and Royal Pet Names 2025

Link to Our Guide to the 2025 Everypaw Awards

The 2025 Everypaw Awards

Link to The UK's Top 15 Strangest Pet Names 2025 blog article

The UK's Top 15 Strangest Pet Names 2025

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Link to Everypaw Pet Portal information page

Everypaw Pet Portal policy management icon

For that extra peace of mind when your pets get up to mischief, there&#39;s Everypaw. Our pet insurance is for cats, dogs and rabbits, and every policy comes with unlimited 24/7 access to vet nurses and vets. So, if you ever feel a bit &#39;for pet&#39;s sake&#39;, know Everypaw is here for you and your pet when you need us most!

Why Choose Everypaw for Pet Insurance in the UK?

<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/multi-pet-insurance" title="Link to Everypaw's Multi-pet Insurance page">Insure multiple pets</a>&nbsp;for a multi-pet discount

99% of claims paid in 5 working days*

Unlimited 24/7 access to UK vet nurses and vets with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/petcall" title="Link to Everypaw's Petcall vet page">Petcall</a>

Manage your UK pet insurance policy online in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.everypaw.com/pet-portal-info" title="Link to Everypaw's Pet Portal Information page">Pet Portal</a>

Three animals for Everypaw's Multi-pet Insurance

Choosing the right pet health insurance isn&#39;t always easy. We know that. And we also know that a key part of deciding is knowing what&#39;s not covered. That way, at least there are no nasty surprises in terms of coughing up for bills that you thought were going to be taken care of by your policy.

So, here are a few of the main exclusions on our pet insurances:

<ul>
	<li>Treatment for any pre-existing conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment for poisoning or any accidental injury that occurs in the first 3 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment for any illness that occurs in the first 14 days of your policy*</li>
	<li>Treatment related to vaccine-preventable conditions</li>
	<li>Treatment related to breeding, pregnancy or birthing</li>
	<li>Treatment on baby teeth if your pet is over 16 weeks when your policy starts</li>
</ul>

*Switching to Everypaw Pet Insurance? If you can prove your previous insurance runs up to the policy start date, we can waive this for you.

Please see our <a href="/Home/pet-insurance-policy-exclusions.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Policy Exclusions page">exclusions page</a>&nbsp;for further details.

Fingers crossed, you never have to! We want to reassure you that claiming on your pet health insurance is as hassle-free as possible. That&rsquo;s why we have Vet Pawtal. A direct platform for vets so they can submit claims and leave you to care for your pet.

Vet Pawtal is the fastest and most efficient way to claim. There&rsquo;s no more paperwork for you, and we&rsquo;ll keep you updated every step of the way.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

If your vet can&rsquo;t submit the claim, don&rsquo;t worry; you can still submit it in the <a href="https://petportal.everypaw.com/register#login" target="_blank" title="Link to the Everypaw Pet Portal">Everypaw Pet Portal</a>. It&rsquo;s straightforward; just log in and follow the instructions. Alternatively,&nbsp;you can <a href="https://www.everypaw.com/downloads-2020/everypaw-claim-form.pdf" target="_blank" title="Link to download an Everypaw claim form">download a claim form</a>, but this can take longer.

Please refer to the guidance in your policy documents for Third Party Liability claims.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

For more information, head to our <a href="/Home/claims.html">Pet Insurance Claims information page</a>.

We know pets are just as much a part of your family as any human. So, we know how important it is to you that they&#39;re protected. Choose Everypaw for pet insurance in the UK and give yourself that priceless peace of mind.

We know things can be tough right now, with many people facing money worries. If you have such concerns, please get in touch with us, as we may be able to offer some options to help, which could include reducing your cover or increasing your excess.

If you wish to find out more and your eligibility for any options, please call <a href="tel:03445431009" title="Call Everypaw Customer Services and Claims">0344 543 1009</a>.

Two levels of our Lifetime Pet Insurance cover have been rated 5 Stars by independent financial business, Defaqto, for 8 years in a row.

Deciding which pet insurance your furry bundle of fun needs can be tricky, especially if you&#39;re a new fur-parent. That&#39;s why here at Everypaw.com, we&#39;re trying to keep things simple, we&#39;re all about&nbsp;<a href="/Home/lifetime-pet-insurance.html" title="Link to Everypaw's Lifetime Pet Insurance page">Lifetime Pet Insurance</a>.

Our Lifetime cover is available for your cats, dogs and rabbits. And if you&#39;re looking to cover your cat or dog, there&#39;s a range of cover levels to choose from. Lifetime covers your pet up to a set vet fee limit, and the limits reset for every year of cover.

A phone image of an Everypaw Petcall vet nurse

Link to the Everypaw Petcall information page

Dog Insurance

Cat Insurance

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Link to the Everypaw Rabbit Insurance page

Rabbit Insurance

Pet Insurance | UK Pet Insurance Quotes | Everypaw

Link to get an Everypaw Pet Insurance quote

Dalmatian Insurance, Care and Health Advice

Dalmatian Facts

Is a Dalmatian Right for Me?

What Are Dalmatian Puppies Like?

Life with a Dalmatian

Caring for Your Dalmatian

Dinner time

Grooming time

Training & exercise

Dalmatian Insurance

Common Dalmatian Health Problems by Vetstream

Deafness

Urolithiasis

Epilepsy

Hip Dysplasia (HD)

Quick Dalmatian Q&A

What is a Dalmatian?

When Does a Dalmatian Stop Growing?

What is the Dalmatian lifespan?

Do Dalmatians shed?

Are Dalmatians hypoallergenic?

That’s All You Need to Know About Dalmatians

References