Do a little research and you will find that before dalmations were fire house dogs, they were carriage dogs. They would trot along side the horse drawn carriages of the rich and wealthy in Europe. Before that, guess what they were used for - yep, upland hunting. If you can find a Dalmation that has true to hunting bloodlines, then they can hunt well. The problem is that they began to be bred for color ( spot patterns), not hunting ability so it is rare to find them that can hunt worth a damn. I am glad to hear that yours can/ does. A dog with a job is a happy dog, and you can see it in everything that they do.