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. When the horse population grew here in the New World, the number of Dalmatians grew with them for the same reason they were popular in the Old Country. They couldn’t that ruse off on a Dal, since they are very alert dogs.” “If the coachman stayed to guard, a robber would sometimes try to distract him in conversation while others pilfered the goods. “When the coach reached the inn, the coachman left the dog to guard the team as well as the luggage on the coach,” Esmeralda explains. They’d keep up with the team as far as it ran, sometimes 20 or 30 miles a day.” Back in the stagecoach days, the “Dals” would run alongside the coaches, or under the rear axle of the moving coach. Dalmatians take to horses and become companions. “Horses are gregarious and feel the need for company. “Dalmatians have always gotten along well with horses,” says Esmerelda Treen of Milwaukee, a recognized authority on the breed. 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. Once the knowledge of this trait spread, more coach drivers went to great lengths to get Dalmatians to look over their teams. When they became close with a team, no stranger would dare lay a hand on them. Why? Because it was observed that Dalmatians formed an amazingly tight bond with horses. But if the driver owned a Dalmatian, he could sleep in the house or the stagecoach hotel. 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. It all began in the days of stagecoaches. Written in 1992 by Mike Garot, LAFD RetiredĮver see a fire truck in a parade without a Dalmatian in the seat up front or in the lap of a smiling firefighter 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 Dalmatians and firehouses go together like smoke and fire? The answer is interesting and one you’ll likely recall every time you see the Dalmatian/firehouse combo from now on. are Dalmatians Firehouse Dogs? Here’s the Answer in Black and White My request is for those of you working in our LAFD fire stations to respond back to me if you have a mascot dog with a name and assignment. Now when people ask you about Dalmatians, you can give them an informed response! This article will give some of the answers, followed by a short story about the LAFD Fire Horses. Frank’s Note: Many visitors to our museums ask about fire dogs – especially about why Dalmatians were used as fire dogs and do fire stations still have dogs.
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