Why firemen have Dalmatians (and why most families probably shouldn’t)

Opening joke

When a fire truck zoomed past with a Dalmatian dog in the front seat, three children started discussing the dog’s duties.

'They use him to keep crowds back,' said one child. 'No,' said another, 'he's just for good luck.' A third child brought the argument to a close. 'They use the dogs,' she said firmly, 'to find the fire hydrants.’

The history

When the horse and carriage were the primary means of transportation, Dalmatians were used to protect horses by barking away other dogs on the roads and preventing the horses from being stolen from the stables.

They were able to run long distances. Their distinctive spotted coat made them stand out.

The Dalmatian became the dog of choice to run along the horse-drawn fire wagons and to protect the firehouse and the horses. Just like the Budweiser commercials, the horses and Dalmatians formed strong bonds.

At one time most fire companies were volunteer or were operated as a private business. Often the company that got to the scene first to put out the fire was the one paid by the property owner or insurance company. People were not always on duty at the stations as they are today. The dogs worked well in protecting the horses and the equipment from thieves.

Through the history of the Dalmatian as fire dog, there have been many stories of the dogs rescuing victims and trapped firefighters. Like many traditions there is also an element of superstition in the use of the Dalmatian as mascot.

But as many people found out after falling in love with the 101 cute puppies in those movies, they are not usually the best pet for the typical family. Following the success of the movies, many puppies were produced by unscrupulous breeders and Dalmatian rescue organizations were overwhelmed.

Some Dalmatians may like children, but don’t count on it. They have been bred as working dogs and guard dogs. They need a lot of activity and training. Because they don’t handle weather extremes well, they shouldn’t be outside-only dogs. They are not easy to house break. About 30% are partially or totally deaf and they are prone to various health problems. Source

And they shed. A lot. The white hair sticks to dark colored things and the black hair gravitates to light things.

Comments

[Sling]

I always heard that Dalmations were used on firetrucks because they were prone to deafness,and the bells and sirens wouldn't spook them.

[jackie]

asshole #1 was a fireman.and after we were divorced he got a dalmation...i ran into it a few times...it was the only person i ever met that was as big an asshole and the x was..i swear..he was dumb, a pain in the ass and peed on everything..made me happy to know he had the dog and not me.

[Lynne]

When my husband and I got married we thought we might like a Dalmation as a friend of ours had one and it was adorable. After much research we realized he was probably a fluke and we didn't want to take a chance on having a dog we couldn't take care of properly or wouldn't get along with future children. I still have the cute plastic canvas Dalmation grocery list holder I made back then on my fridge to this day. We found out we're poodle people.

[Steve Bartlett]

For a few years I lived two doors down from a woman who had a Dalmatian -- he was the coolest dog on the street. He was elderly, but he was the quietest and most well-behaved dog in the neighbourhood.

[pam]

"The white hair sticks to dark colored things and the black hair gravitates to light things."

I KNEW IT!

[Clive]

Fascinating facts about Dalmations! Think we'll stick to Doodles!

[BunGirl]

I gotta say though, if you get a properly bred dalmation and train him properly he can be a wonderful family pet. I used to baby sit now and then for a couple who had a dalmation named lucky. Sweetest dog in the world. He loved the kids too -- practically did my job for me! BUT these people were responsible about selecting a good dog and training him well. Too many families today are not willing to do that.

[MJ]

Years ago I had a dalmation. Must admit part of my love of the breed was from 101 Dalmations, but the book, not the movie. I got Daisy from a long time responsible breeder and everything Jan says above is true. The energy part was fine - i'm an active person, so Daisy fit in with my lifestyle. But housebreaking was a nightmare! And she HATED kids! And kids always wanted to pet her. I would hear "Look, it's Pongo!" all the time. I would have Daisy sit facing me and let the kids pet her back, but no way could they get near her face. Other dalmation owners told me the same thing, and a co-worker had to find a new home for his dalmation after his first child came along. Normally I hate the "we have to get rid of (insert pet here) because we're having a baby". But this couple had no choice, and they really tried to make it work. I still love the breed to this day though, what a beautiful, graceful dog!

[MJ]

Oh, and Jackie - were we married to the same guy? I refer to my ex as asshole #1! LOL! He did end up with Daisy when we divorced. Hmmm... He had the room, I didn't when I moved, plus - she was really his dog almost from the start. They also seem to be a 1-person dog. Plus, just remembered this little tid-bit about her - she attacked and almost killed the neighbors Yorkie.

[Sue]

I think pop culture, and movies make it easy for people to go out, and get a breed without any prior research into the actual traits of the dog, and this usually ends up badly. Very informative write-up!

[mb.]

back when I used to help match people to dogs, I was ALWAYS on the look-out for female marathoners: they were virtually the only urban home a rescue dalmation was likely to be successful in. Funny thing was that for the really serious runners, this was almost the only dog that worked for them, too. & they were perfect for each other: a big enough dog to scare off any almost any weirdo that is happy to pace with you mile after mile.

[cube]

It never ever occurred to me to get a dalmation and, after reading your post, I'm glad about that.

[Jaime]

Interesting, I never knew that. Thanks for sharing Jan...intriguing as always on this blog :)

Jaime

[Jimmy]

I knew the breed was famous for deafness and just assumed they made good Fire Sation dogs because they couldn't hear the darn siren and the firemen didn't have to worry about it hurting their ears?

[Tony]

I thought it was to keep their trousers up...
Oh no, sorry, that's why firemen wear red braces