The Dalmatian Heritage project started in 2005 and aims to “breed out” the various health defects that plague Dalmatians by only breeding dogs with normal hearing, normal urinary metabolism, and dogs who are friendly and confident. At least until fire departments saw the tremendous marketing potential of the spotted dogs. That tradition holds across America. In Britain, Dalmatians are sometimes called “English coach dogs” or “plum pudding dogs”. This may be called “Tools” or ... Dalmatians in the firehouse. the Old Country. The Dalmation is a strong, muscular, active dog capable of great endurance and considerable speed.” “Dalmations not only look aristrocratic but behave like gentlemen. Today the Dalmatian serves as a fire house mascot, but back in the days of horse drawn fire carts, they provided a valuable service. Dalmatians and horses are very compatible, so the dogs were easily trained to run in front of the engines to help clear a path and guide the horses and the firefighters to the fires quickly. Viewed 783 Times Dalmatians have shared the barns and the hunt courses with horses for centuries, so when fire-apparatus was horse-drawn, nearly every firehouse had its resident Dalmatian to help direct the horses, keep the horses company, and guard the firehouse. A Dalmatian will get bored if he isn’t exercised enough—and a bored dog can be a destructive dog. A word of warning in case you’re thinking of getting a Dalmatian as a pet; yes, they have wonderful qualities (strong, loyal, good protectors, and loving to their families), but they are a very active dog. The horses are gone from fire today, but the Dalmatians aren’t! TIL that Dalmatians are the official firehouse dog because, in the 1700's, they would run alongside horse-drawn carriages keeping pace, even at full sprint, and protect the horses from other dogs or animals that could spook them. The Dalmatian dog is a large dog breed that is widely known for its white coat that comes with distinctive black or liver spots. Dalmatians and horses are very compatible, so the dogs were easily trained to run in front of the engines to help clear a path and guide … Since Dalmatians and horses are very compatible, the dogs were easily trained to run in front of the carriages to help clear a path and quickly guide the horses and firefighters to the fires. Firehouse dogs nearly… It was bred in the past for being used as a carriage dog and this is why it is also called “Carriage Dog”. (The way my neighbor’s dalmatian’s bark wakes me up at night, I’ve no doubt the dalmatian made a great siren.) Dalmatians are perhaps best known for their role as fire-fighting apparatus escorts and firehouse mascots. The carriage dog is now bred by many dog lovers as a pet at their homes. Even today, where there’s smoke, there’s likely fire…and where there’s a firehouse, there’s likely a Dalmatian. Again, the spotted dogs not only guarded the firehouse horses, they kept them company during their long, boring waits between fires. When gasoline-powered fire engines and trucks came upon the scene with their electric sirens, the dalmatian was silenced. And, since every firehouse back then had a set of fast horses to pull the pumper wagon, it became common for each group of firemen to keep a Dalmatian. Why is the Dalmatian called the Firehouse Dog?