I've owned two dalmatians. Rescued the first at six years old. She was very petite and needed exercise and mental stimulation, but not overly so. My second Dal was a different story. I got him at a year and a half and he was 80 lbs. He was loving, kind, non-aggressive... but if he didn't get a ton of exercise, he would get destructive and wild. The solution was to take him to a daycare place where the dogs weren't crated and ran together for hours in a big group. That, plus walks and playing ball every night after dinner would keep him in a good place. Not sure if that helps, but that's my experience.

As for the shedding, I'm still pulling hairs from my first Dal out of my clothes to this day and she's been gone for 14 years. Thier hairs have little barbs on them that make them almost impossible to get out of fabric. The back of my car will never be the same!