Dalmatian vs German Shepherd – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Dalmatian vs German Shepherd" Compare Dalmatian and German Shepherd. Which is better: Dalmatian or German Shepherd?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Dalmatian	German Shepherd
Origins	Croatia	Germany
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Companion Dogs	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)
Popularity Rank	63	2
Reviews	1	1
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Other Names	Dal, Dally, Carriage Dog, Spotted Coach Dog, Firehouse Dog, Plum Pudding Dog	Alsatian, Berger Allemand, Alsatian wolf dog (UK), Deutscher Schäferhund, Schäferhund
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1888 as a Non-Sporting breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1908 as a Herding breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Scent hounds and related breeds group, in the Related breeds section.	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club German Shepherd Dog Club Of America
Price	$500-$600	$800-$2000

General Appearance - Dalmatian vs German Shepherd

Size	Large	Large
Weight	about 55 pounds (25 kg)	Male: 66-88 pounds (30-40 kg), Female: 49-71 pounds (22-32 kg)
Avg. Weight	about 55 pounds (25 kg)	Male: 77 pounds (35 kg), Female: 60 pounds (27 kg)
Height	Male: 22 - 24 inches (50 – 60 cm), Female: 20 - 22 inches (50 - 55 cm)	Male: 24-26 inches (60-65 cm), Female: 22-24 inches (55-60 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 22 - 24 inches (50 – 60 cm), Female: 20 - 22 inches (50 - 55 cm)	Male: 25 inches (62.5 cm), Female: 23 inches (57.5 cm)

Hair & Care - Dalmatian vs German Shepherd

Coat	Fine	Fuzzy
Colors	White Liver Brown Black	Silver Tan Red Black
Grooming	Effortless: The Dalmatian requires minimal grooming.	Average: The German Shepherd requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	Dalmatians are heavy shedders.	German Shepherds are heavy shedders.

Characteristics - Dalmatian vs German Shepherd

Temperament	Active Friendly Outgoing Sensitive Energetic Intelligent Playful	Alert Courageous Intelligent Obedient Confident Curious Loyal Watchful
Intelligent Rank	Smart: Dalmatian's has great intelligence.	Outstanding: German Shepherd is one of the brightest dog breeds.
Trainability	Dalmatians are quite easy to train.	German Shepherds are easy to train.
Playfulness	The Dalmatian is a highly playful breed.	German Shepherds, like any other dog breed, like playing.
Sensitivity Level	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	German Shepherds don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.
Affection Level	Dalmatians are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	German Shepherds are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Dalmatians need a lot of social interaction.	German Shepherds need for social interaction is average.
Barking	Average: The Dalmatian barks occasionally.	Low to Average: The German Shepherd rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Dalmatians are average watchdogs.	German Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.
Territorial	Dalmatians are average defenders.	German Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Low The Dalmatian has a low chance of biting somebody.	High The German Shepherd has a high chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Dalmatians have lower than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	German Shepherds have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Wanderlust potential of the Dalmatian is strong enough to escape from home.	German Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.
Prey Drive	Dalmatians have low to an average impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals.	German Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.
Apartment Friendly	Dalmatians are not apartment-friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.
Adaptability	Dalmatians adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	German Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Dalmatians tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.

Good With - Dalmatian vs German Shepherd

Stranger Friendly	Dalmatians are average friendly towards strangers.	German Shepherds are stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Dalmatians are very kid-friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Dalmatians are average friendly towards cats.	German Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.
Dog Friendly	Dalmatians are very dog-friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are not the most dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Dalmatian is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No German Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Dalmatians are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	German Shepherds are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Dalmatians are generally with other pets.	German Shepherds are generally with other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No Dalmatians are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No German Shepherds are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really Dalmatian breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really German Shepherd breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Dalmatian vs German Shepherd

Health Issues	Dalmatians are commonly healthy dogs.	German Shepherds are commonly healthy dogs.
Health Problems	Allergies Deafness Hip Dysplasia Iris Sphincter Dysplasia Skin Allergies Urolithiasis	Allergies Blindness Bloat Cancer Cataracts Cherry Eye Chronic Diarrhea Cruciate Ligament Rupture Cushing's Syndrome Degenerative Myelopathy Demodectic Mange Diabetes Digestive Problems Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency Heart Disease Hemophilia A Hemophilia B Hip Dysplasia Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy Lens Luxation Lupus Megaesophagus Myasthenia Gravis Nail Bed Disease Osteochondrosis Pannus Panosteitis Paralysis Perianal Fistula Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Retinal Dysplasia Seborrhea Vitiligo Von Willebrand's Disease Wobbler's Syndrome
Life Expectancy	12-14 years	10-13 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Dalmatians are high energy dogs.	German Shepherds are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Dalmatians need a lot of exercises.	German Shepherds need quite a lot of exercise.
Sleeping Need	Dalmatians don't need too much sleep.	German Shepherds don't need too much sleep.
Avg. daily food consumption	Recommended daily amount: 1.5 to 2 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	3 to 4 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average to High.	Low to Average.
Weather & Climate	Tolerates warm and cold weather.	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	Low The Dalmatian has a low chance of bad smell.	Medium The German Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Dalmatian is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The German Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Dalmatian vs German Shepherd

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	6-9 puppies	6-10 puppies
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