Dalmatians have minds of their own, and like children, they tend to see how much they can get away with, while testing the boundaries of behavior. Basic obedience training will allow you and your dog to bond together and will assist you in setting house rules. It will also make your walks with your dog much more enjoyable. Most breeders and dog clubs will be able to recommend a good trainer. Large pet stores and community education organizations also run training classes that are reasonably priced.
Many people think it is cruel to keep a dog in a crate even for reasonable amounts of time.
However, when properly trained, a Dal sees his crate as his space, his own room. Due to the highly active and easily bored nature of the typical Dalmatian, it is not a good idea to give your Dal free run of the house in your absence. Most breeders recommend that your Dal be crate trained in order to protect your valuables and to protect your dog. Crate training is also an excellent beginning to house training. Refer to the crate training FAQ in Rec.pets.dogs.info to obtain recommended crate training methodologies.