# Dalmatians and fire trucks **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [September 29, 2015, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dalmatians-and-fire-trucks/732929 "2015-09-29T07:09:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stevewaclo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/edb3f5/32.png) [@stevewaclo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stevewaclo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dalmatians-and-fire-trucks/732929/1 "2015-09-29T07:09:00Z")
OK, everyone probably dislikes unsupported anecdotes as much as I, but I’m too lazy to provide supporting facts. And we know what a Homer Simpson says about them.🙂 Anyway, Dalmatians aside, I read somewhere on the interweb that dogs became associated with NY fire engines as protectors of firefighter’s _equipment_. Seems that back in the days before municipal fire departments, firefighters worked as independent contractors and whoever showed up first earned the right to fight the fire and submit a bill to the property owner. Competition was fierce and it was not unheard of for late arrivals to cut hoses, damage equipment or engage in other shenanigans to sabotage the “first responders”. Having a trained pooch standing by to deter such antics became a common occurrence, considering the rest of the crew was busy on the fire. A supporting link would be appreciated…or did I totally dream this? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dalmatians-and-fire-trucks/732929/2 "2015-09-29T07:31:44Z")
I also would love to find out the relationship between dalmatians and the fire-crew. Just talking about this a couple of days ago with my kids, and had no idea why the black spotty dogs were so iconic. Do you have a thread from Cecil to link? Cheers! ---
**Author:** ![stevewaclo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/edb3f5/32.png) [@stevewaclo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stevewaclo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dalmatians-and-fire-trucks/732929/3 "2015-09-29T07:41:39Z")
> **[Why are firehouse dogs usually dalmatians?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342590/why-are-firehouse-dogs-usually-dalmatians)** > > A STAFF REPORT FROM THE STRAIGHT DOPE SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD And more than you would ever want to know: [https://www.google.com/search?q=why+dalmatians+are+fire+dogs&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari](https://www.google.com/search?q=why+dalmatians+are+fire+dogs&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari) ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dalmatians-and-fire-trucks/732929/4 "2015-09-29T10:23:23Z")
I didn’t know there was a special association with the fire brigade, but I always understood they were used as “running dogs” by carriage folk (hence the Maoist fondness for “running dogs” as an insult). ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dalmatians-and-fire-trucks/732929/5 "2015-10-13T19:17:34Z")
Thank you for not misspelling the breed as “Dalmations.” A common and annoying mistake. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dalmatians-and-fire-trucks/732929/6 "2015-10-16T00:26:45Z")
So the factoid I learned about them usually being congenitally deaf (and not bothered by sirens) was bullshit? Dang. ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dalmatians-and-fire-trucks/732929/7 "2015-10-16T23:06:17Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > So the factoid I learned about them usually being congenitally deaf (and not bothered by sirens) was bullshit? > > Dang. Not entirely. Dalmatians are well-known for congenital deafness, but I don’t think it’s true that they’re _usually_ deaf. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dalmatians-and-fire-trucks/732929/8 "2015-10-17T14:55:21Z")
SWEET PARTIAL VINDICATION!!! That raises two questions, though. How common is congenital deafness among Dalmatians? And in the movie 101 Dalmatians, when the puppies were watching the ersatz Rin Tin Tin on the telly, why didn’t they need the volume turned up to ear-shattering levels?