Dalmation ‘Fire Dog’

Originally said to have been used by the frontier guards of Dalmatia as a guard dog, the Republic of Croatia is recognized as the country of origin, yet most development has occurred in England since 1862.

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 with a natural affinity for horses, making them perfect as carriage dogs.  Dalmatians were trained to escort the horse drawn engine to the fire scenes, clearing the way, and preventing stray dogs from interfering.  The spotted Dalmatians were easy for the horses to distinguish from the other dogs and in all weather and lighting conditions.  Once at the fire scene, the Dalmatians would continue to protect the horses from interference and other animals. 

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