Firehouse Dogs

[J3ebrules]

I know this is a REALLY random topic, but I was having a discussion with some people - all fellow Jersey-born and raised folks like myself (South Jersey, though - I am from North Jersey), and we were talking about dog breeds, intelligence between the breeds, and their various sometimes stereotypical uses.

Long story short, I was the only one who remembered there being a strong correlation, sure I'd seen in some childhood trip to the local firehouse, between Dalmatians and fire dogs.

My boyfriend was baffled, saying that had to just be a Hoboken, NJ thing. Others speculated maybe a book had included it? I did distinctly recall the memorial for a fire dog isn't the center of town at Church Square Park, where I spent the large majority of my childhood days.

So, since this forum is populated with folks across the United States (and some from outside of them!): Is the Dalmatian the usual choice of Fire Dog? What is/was it in your town, or what do you recall growing up?

[Scott5114]

I seem to remember dogs associated with firehouses always being depicted as Dalmatians in media I'd consumed as a kid. Also I'm pretty sure the pattern on the tables in the Firehouse Subs near my house is meant to be a Dalmatian print.

That being said I don't think any of the fire departments around here keep dogs. As such, I never learned what the purpose of a firehouse having a dog would be, other than dogs generally being nice to have around.

[jakeroot]

Engine House 9 in Tacoma has great hot d...

Oh, actual dogs.

I've never associated actual dogs with emergency services beyond police, but that's likely because most of the incidents in my area involve the police rather than search and rescue. Day to day fire response, I can't recall seeing a dog in a long time.

That said, dalmatians would definitely be the first breed I would associate with fire. I haven't actually seen a dalmatian in years, firehouse dog or not, but that's the breed I would associate with search and rescue for sure.

[kevinb1994]

I seem to remember dogs associated with firehouses always being depicted as Dalmatians in media I'd consumed as a kid. Also I'm pretty sure the pattern on the tables in the Firehouse Subs near my house is meant to be a Dalmatian print.

That being said I don't think any of the fire departments around here keep dogs. As such, I never learned what the purpose of a firehouse having a dog would be, other than dogs generally being nice to have around.

Firehouse Subs is from here and I thought of that chain when I saw this thread.

[formulanone]

I've heard they were a breed that was good around horses, in the days before motorized fire tenders. It turns out that Dalmatians had excellent endurance and speed to keep up with horse-drawn carriages.

Here's the American Kennel Club's take on it.

[Rothman]

Dalmatians are definitely associated with fire departments.

They also have a stronger urge to bite than other breeds, however.

[Duke87]

That said, dalmatians would definitely be the first breed I would associate with fire. I haven't actually seen a dalmatian in years, firehouse dog or not, but that's the breed I would associate with search and rescue for sure.

I don't explicitly recall seeing a dalmatian, or any sort of dog for that matter, in a firehouse or otherwise among firefighters IRL ever. But then this is also the sort of detail I would not likely think noteworthy and thus would not necessarily remember.

And if you said "dalmatian" to me out of context the first thing I'd think of is a group of 101 of them, not fire rescue.

[GaryV]

That said, dalmatians would definitely be the first breed I would associate with fire. I haven't actually seen a dalmatian in years, firehouse dog or not, but that's the breed I would associate with search and rescue for sure.

I don't explicitly recall seeing a dalmatian, or any sort of dog for that matter, in a firehouse or otherwise among firefighters IRL ever. But then this is also the sort of detail I would not likely think noteworthy and thus would not necessarily remember.

And if you said "dalmatian" to me out of context the first thing I'd think of is a group of 101 of them, not fire rescue.

From my personal experience I wouldn't associate horse-drawn wagons with any firehouse or firefighters either.  But I know it happened in the past.

[J3ebrules]

Thanks for the input, everyone! What I'm gathering from the responses is that they are indeed stereotypical fire dogs - with perhaps some historical precedent - but probably not so common anymore.

It's interesting; I was looking into the search and rescue dog teams of 9/11, and nary a Dalmatian in sight. Nor what I'd think of as trackers - bloodhounds. Pretty diverse array of breeds, including a Keeshond, which I would consider more of a show dog than a working breed.

Welp, back to watching my town tear its collective hairs  out over Turnpike tolls. Thanks!