Dalmatian dogs are the mascots of fire trucks and fire halls, but I have never really thought about why. We learned that is that Dalmatians were originally trained run alongside horse drawn carriages, and act as companions to the horses. When horses began to be used to pull fire engines, Dalmations were a natural choice to be the companion of those horses' as well. They were trained to run in front of the fire cart, clear a path, and guide the horses toward the fire. They also acted as guard dogs at the firehouse, protecting the valuable horses and equipment from thieves, and served as companions to the firefighters.
Although horse drawn fire equipment was phased out, Dalmations continued to serve as the mascots and chief pets of fire departments. They provide happiness and friendship to firefighters, and encourage firefighters to exercise. They are also excellent at teaching kids to "stop, drop, and roll," and are often used for fire safety demonstrations.
Try the great fire house pet craft below & act out your own fire dog rescue!
momstown Hamilton had loads of fun at Art & Play with this craft and created a slightly different version of these great pets with paper cups instead of toilet rolls.