The Dalmation: Trusted Firehouse Dog
Word Wizard
Dalmation at rest
The dalmation is a widely recognized dog whose breed has been traced back to Dalmatia in the Republic of Croatia. Its spotted appearance has been associated with Disney’s 101 Dalmations and Budweiser but perhaps is best known as the “firehouse dog”. Originally they found a place in American firehouses because they were intelligent and easily trained and could lead the horse-drawn fire wagon through the streets to the emergency. The dogs would clear a path for the wagon or would help to move the horses along as they pulled the fire wagon. In addition to their wagon duties the dogs have an excellent guardian instinct and would also guard the firehouse and equipment while the fire fighters were away at an emergency.
