Carriage dogs look cool, keep the horses calm, and guard them. They were like car alarms, only you had to feed them. Oh, and they could attack the horse thieves, which my car alarm will not yet do. (I want the one from, what was it ... Robocop?)

That one dog looks so thin... poor thing

Actually, they all do...

Dalmations have a high incendence of deafness, and other auditory issues. I'd always heard that they were less disturbed that other dogs by the constant clamor of a firehouse, and therefore made better guard dogs for the station. tradition and momentum also having a part in it.

Now this guy knows how to relax....

A friend of mine's dalmation, Ax (yes, daddy was a fireman, their other dal was named Smokey) was deaf. They agreed to have him neutered so the breeder gave him to them free.

His owners had to teach him sign language for obedience commands. Instead of calling him they stamp their feet on the floor to get his attention. One of the first things he was taught was to always keep an eye on master and mistress.

The fewer the spots the higher the incidence of deafness. This is a common problem in dals, apparently 1 in 12 is born deaf. That is not, however, why they are firedogs. Debunking from the Toledo Fire Museum.