See Spot Smile Dalmatian Rescue

06/02/2026

⚠️ We apologize for any inconvenience we are unable to take any fosters at this time. We are still accepting applications for foster care as we have not received any new applications. We still need foster homes without children. I know fostering can be difficult but it can be very rewarding. There is no way of telling how long a dog will be in foster care but we are able to help with funding. In August of 2026 we will have a meeting to discuss whether we are able to continue.

05/25/2026

These dogs can “give in” instead of growl.
And because of that, there’s no obvious conflict, but there can be discomfort.
“They’re OK together.”
“Let them work it out.”
“They’ll get used to each other.”

Tolerating something happening is not always the same as feeling safe with it.

Some dogs become very good at avoiding conflict instead of resolving it or escalating.
Some will just simply endure social pressure.

Being aloof can work for them too.

A quieter dog, that doesn’t move too much or isn’t vocal around others has sometimes worked out how to “fly under the radar”
Now there really isn’t anything wrong with that, but we need to be mindful.
Some freeze as a dog approaches.
Some repeatedly roll over and just stay there until the other dog loses interest.

But sometimes they can escalate only after ‘tolerating’ things for too long.

Unfortunately, these quieter dogs are often the ones people can miss completely.
They can also be put into social situations they don’t want to be in at all.

That quietness is mistaken for calmness, acceptance.

Not every struggling dog is loud.

05/24/2026

🙏🏻 Thank you everyone and for those who have responded in wanting to help see SSSDR continue. We have some new people interested in fostering and becoming directors. I am grateful for every little way everyone has helped.
🫶🏻 For those who are serious about helping with foster I have shared our foster agreement form with a link below... This is how we keep track of people wanting to help. 🙏🏻 Fostering can be challenging please read through the form carefully. We never know when we are going to need help or how long the dogs will have to stay in foster care. https://www.seespotsmile.org/_files/ugd/055ef6_8c69383e01c748a1a7d427efc711502c.pdf

05/23/2026

🫶🏻 Love Dr Dunbar! So often we focus on the negatives instead we need to be telling our dogs when they are good even in a neutral situation so that they are clear on what is expected.
I challenged myself the other day to count how many times I told Kindle she was good, it was 39 times!
Examples: "Just looking" I use this when she is looking out the window at someone walking past, good girl for no barking or quiet woofs.
Waiting for her breakfast, after bathroom breaks, waiting to go through the door, not barking at dogs while in the car, even just relaxing in the sun, or during our evening snuggles.

Your voice is one of the most powerful tools you have in dog training.

And one of the best ways to use it is simple:
Praise your dog like you mean it.

Dogs are incredibly good at reading human emotion. They notice your tone of voice, your facial expressions, your energy, your enthusiasm, and how you make them feel.

That means joyful praise can become incredibly powerful reinforcement.

Smile.
Add some warmth.
Add some excitement.
Let your dog know when they’re getting it right.

Because honestly, a lot of people praise their dogs like they’re reading a grocery list.
“Good dog.”
😐

Same words. Completely different meaning.

And remember:
most dogs are actually good most of the time.

But many owners accidentally ignore good behavior and only pay attention when the dog is doing something wrong.

That’s no fun for the dog — and it’s a huge missed training opportunity.

Don’t take good behavior for granted.

Catch your dog doing things right.

Praise often.

Praise sincerely.

Make training enjoyable.

That’s a huge part of what Ian’s new course is all about.

And right now, you can save 50% on your first year of Top Dog Academy membership, where Ian's new course will be included when it launches this week.

Learn more here:
https://dunbar.info/tda-sale

Woofs & Wags,
Jamie & Ian Dunbar

05/22/2026

💔 It is with a heavy heart that I write this today. After much deliberation & discussion with my directors I have decided to step back from rescue for a while... Maybe permanently and possibly even dissolve the rescue forever.

🇨🇦 I have been involved with Dalmatians since my first one in 1981. That is where my love and dedication for the breed began. SSSDR has been operating since 2003 and we received and have maintained our non-profit status since 2008. There are unfortunately only two registered non-profit Dalmatian rescues in Canada. We are the only one in Western Canada and I would hate to see it go away just because we can't get enough help.

⌛ Since the founding the rescue, I, Jennifer Winder (on Vancouver Island) and Sheryl (in the interior BC) have been the ONLY foster homes. Since 2018 I have been the only long term foster home. With the exception of one on early 2000's. Together we have taken in and assisted in rehoming 38 Dalmatians. I myself have taken in 17, and successfully assisted in rehoming 5 more. Sheryl took in and assisted in rehoming 16.

😓 But then there are several others who we assisted with that were unfortunately not successful. It may not seem like a lot, but for for myself working full-time in a stressful job, as an RVT and live alone, this is A LOT. Needless to say I'm burnt out! I have put my heart & soul into this rescue building it up from nothing (including a few eye rolls in the beginning of people who had no faith in me) to what it is today. To say I'm proud of it isn't understatement, but I'm done! I'm not only the founder/president but the foster, the trainer, the educator, the liaison, the grief counselor, the transport, the fundraiser, the auctioneer, the web & FB designer /maintenance, etc...

♻️ And don't forget EVERY dog that comes in I am responsible for the rest of its life with an open door policy. They can come back to us at any time, which weighs on me because, well, it's me because we have little - no permanent foster homes. This breaks my heart and definitely limits what we can do.

🚫 Don't get me wrong I LOVE doing rescue and I LOVE my breed more than anything and would go up above AND beyond for them. But I need to take care of myself and be "selfish" for once. I am NOT looking for apologies or sympathy this is a quest for HELP. Before I choose to close this rescue down forever.

🌈 Over the last few years we have taken in some great dogs who we have worked with and successfully rehomed. But we don't always talk about the ones that were NOT successful. The ones that society has failed. The ones who we were not able to get in time who got pregnant and had Dalmatian cross puppies contributing to the overpopulation problem, or intact male dogs who went on to breed more poorly breed Dalmatians contributing to the breed "looking bad" due to medical or temperament issues, or the ones who had medical or behavioral issues resulting in a very sad outcome. This not only makes the breed look bad but myself and rescue and this weighs very heavy on my heart.

🙏🏻 There are lots of people on our list to foster which we are forever grateful but most of the dogs that we get in are not able to go to those homes for certain reasons. For example, they have a cat or they have kids, or they are not able to commit to the daily retraining regime that they need including a behaviorist or training classes. Or they can only foster temporarily causing the dog to be bounced around from home to home.

🫂 Everyone tries to help in little ways, where they can and we are forever grateful for this! Our rescue is in a good financial standing at this time. We have worked very very hard to get to this place. We are able to pay for all our fosters to have gold standard Veterinary care, surgery, food, treats, transport, training, supplies, basically anything they need! We have worked VERY hard to get to this place and we are grateful for EVERYONE who has helped. But we need people to take dogs in across the country! My dream would be to have chapters of See Spot Smile Dalmatian Rescue across the country so that we could all collaborate and come together and help each other and these dogs! The more people who say no and cannot help, the more strain is put on rescue.

⚠️ I need Dalmatian savvy owners who have experience (ideally) who are able to help take in dogs to be rehabilitated and rehomed.

💌 Obviously these rescue Dalmatians are in rescue for our reason. This usually always involves behavior issues, vices and/or medical issues. Perfect dogs do NOT come into rescue. Dalmatians are a very special breed requiring a very special unique home. They are NOT for everyone. That is why we reach out to Dalmatian experienced people who understand this special breed.

🙏🏻 Please let us know if you think you can help across Canada.

05/12/2026

Their world completely changed.
And they don’t know why.

We see their quietness as coping or relaxing so we can accidentally expect too much, far too soon.

One of the hardest parts with newly rehomed dogs is their stress doesn’t always look dramatic.
We would recognise that easily, but some dogs become extremely still and quiet.

Some follow people constantly.
Some sleep more.
Some avoid all interactions.
Others become busy, mouthy, overexcited or unsettled.

We have a job to do from the second they arrive and it’s not about training.
It should be far more about observation.

We should be watching.
Learning who they are.
Recognising patterns.
Seeing what changes their emotional state.

What startles them?
What helps them relax?
What environments suddenly change their body language?
When do they seek distance?
What happens around food, visitors, handling or rest?

They are telling us who they are and how they are coping, often as clearly as they can and we have a duty to listen.

One thing nearly all rehomed dogs share? It’s incredibly easy to unintentionally overwhelm them.

And it’s usually done with the very best of intentions.