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Why do firemen use Dalmatians to help them? And what do the Dalmatians do?

Why don't they use a different dog? And what the heck can a Dalmatian do to help the firemen?

Public Comments

1. The history of the firedog is intertwined with the oral traditions and isolated documents of fire departments worldwide. The earliest notions of firedogs are linked to the most popular and traditional firedog: the Dalmatian. In order to understand why dogs came to have significant roles in firehouses, one must go back hundreds of years when Dalmatians ran alongside coach horses in Great Britain.
2. Dalmations were bred to run under the carriage. The dog does not do anything to help the firemen it is just a mascot for them. Dalmations have been tought of a the firemans dog for many years and it just stuck.
3. I found this: Ever see a fire truck in a parade without a Dalmatian in the seat up front or in the lap of a smiling fireman riding in back? Ever visit a firehouse without having one of those black and white spotted dogs come wagging up to you? Why is that? Why do Dalmations and firehouses go together like smoke and fire? The answer is interesting, and one you'll likely recall every time you see the Dalmation/firehouse combo from now on. It all began in the days of stagecoaches. Horse theft was so common back then that many stagecoach drivers strung a hammock between two stalls at night, then slept behind their horses to guard against thieves. But, if the driver owned a Dalmatian, he could sleep in the house or the stagecoach hotel. Why? Because it was observed that Dalmatians formed an amazingly tight bond with horses. When they became close as with a team, no stranger would dare lay a hand on them. Once the knowledge of this trait spread, more coach drivers went to great lengths to get Dalmatians to watch their teams. In fact, this practice became so common that Dalmatians were first called "coach dogs". They were used by coach drivers centuries ago in England, Scotland and Wales.
4. Dalmatians are brought along to find the fire hydrants for them, of course! XP j/k
5. The Dalmatian has been the fire dog since the fire department used horses. Dalmatians were breed for endurance and stamina. Dalmatians are not fast dogs but are able to run for long periods of time without rest. Dalmatians were trained to escort the horse drawn engine to the fire scene and prevent stray dogs from interfering. The spotted Dalmatians were easy for the horses to distinguish from the other dogs. Once at the fire scene Dalmatians would continue to protect the horses from other animals.
6. because dalmations have black spots to put out the fires... the firemen take off the spots and throw them