Pokadot: French Bulldog X Dalmatian; You Can, But Should You?

Hemming, a 41-year-old from Edinburgh, Scotland, said the creation from his “Pokadot” factory is the future of his new breed: Pokadot Frenchie. 

 Just because you can create a new dog breed or variety, should you? I have trained a lot of French Bulldogs. I’ve trained a lot of Dalmatians. I don’t see how these two breeds mesh. The temperaments are a clash, and my guess is that this dog will not only have health problems, but it will also have temperament problems. 

 

AKC Breed Standards:

 

French Bulldog: “Temperament: Well behaved, adaptable, and comfortable companions with an affectionate nature and even disposition; generally active, alert, and playful, but not unduly boisterous.”

 

Dalmatian: “Temperament: Temperament is stable and outgoing, yet dignified. Shyness is a major fault.”

 

What is the benefit of this cross? FB’s were bred to be companion dogs. Dals were bred to do a variety of tasks, but never specialized in any specific field: guard dog; ratter; hunter; and to fight dogs that would attack carriage horses, such as horses pulling a fire truck. They are supposed to be aloof with strangers, but I find Dals tend towards being shy, and that must be carefully weeded out in every litter used for breeding. What is the resulting cross going to be like? I don't think people will want a FB that has the traits of a Dal. And can you trust the creator of this breed to have done a good job?

 

Regarding the resulting color… Breed standards are there to weed out problems. Color and coat type can be linked to temperament and health, good or bad. We don’t know what this cross will do either. 

 

Breed creation should be good for the dog and good for the owner. I’m not convinced that this cross will accomplish either. Time will tell. I would not be the first person to own this cross; I would not want to be burned, and I wouldn’t want to encourage something that might be harmful to a dog.