Question

We just got a dalmatian and I have heard they are in the nonsporting group. Does this mean our dog won’t hunt? And how do you teach a dog to hunt?

Answer

No, it does not mean that the dog will not hunt; the name nonsporting is very misleading. There should be a new name for this Group 6 of the show groups.

Many dalmatians will hunt: they have a good nose although they hold their head rather high when hunting.

Originally they had some connection with the pointer thru ancestry in Spain about 300 years ago. lt is our belief that if they were trained greatly for outdoor work, they could develop into an excellent hunting breed as a Whole.

To teach a dog to hunt, that’s a big order. Of course, you have to take him out in the field and see what he can do of his own accord.

There must be a lot of work at home also in the way of commands and getting him to stop when ordered, to move left or right or come or go upon signal. All this is in a book and there have been about 500 books published on this subject during the last 50 years. 

Keep in mind that the dalmatian is a smart dog, and you must be smarter than the dog to teach him. So, look forward to a challenge from your spotted friend.