My mum was attacked by a Dally as a child, so she thinks they are all mean. Tar....brush....

I wouldn't class a dally as mean, hyper and full of energy maybe but not mean.

Aw that's awful

I'm wondering if these people have only ever met completely under-stimulated dallies who haven't been trained and don't know how to express themselves or let off steam...

my boyf & i were watching a film a few weeks back and it had a agressive dalmatian in it, and my boyf was really shocked!
i wouldnt of thought of any dog as mean, just the way there brought up i guess!

(if you notice dalmatians are now 2nd on the boyf & I's fav dog list!!!)

lol knottybabe - no I wouldn't have, but because it's a common misconception amongst the (ignorant bulk of the) public that rotties, staffs, dobes etc. are 'mean' - I thought dallies must have somehow tagged onto the list!

To be honest - I wouldn't have had T around kids as a pup - not because she was 'mean' but because she was just so hyper and very nippy.

I can understand how a dally could be brought up badly enough to make it aggressive - they are highly strung dogs and need the correct diet and exercise regime as well as a lot of training - without that I suppose some could have aggressive tendancies, although I think the usual result of under stimulation is just a mad, hyper dog with little or no obedience skills!!

I have never heard this, to me they are very rear as we have not got many around here, can't remember the last time i saw one.
But i love to see them.

There are loads of Dallies here (falmouth cornwall) along with stuiped owners. Like all dogs it's owners to blame. I know of a rescue Dallie that killed A JRT, but the woman knew it didn't like other dogs and she still let it off the lead!!!! I also know a taxi driver that bought one for his daughter because she liked the film he didn't train it and it was left at home for hours at a time, and you can guess what it did? So he got rid of it I tell you some people. I've also met some really beautiful ones who's owners have taken a lot of pride in training them. There are no mean dogs just mean or stuiped owners!!!!

But Dallies are well known in the US as fire station dogs, the mascot of all firefighters.

They wouldn't get that position if they were mean.

Dalmatians had a "natural calming effect on horses." The dogs escorted the horse-drawn carriage in order to quiet the horses. Once on the scene, however, the dog had other duties as well, including safeguarding the fire equipment from vandalism and theft.
So it appears that Dalmatians have a variety of admirable traits that have endeared them to firefighters and secured them a permanent position in fire-house history.

hyper or loopy or possibly even highly strung but never mean. I wonder where people have got that idea from. I've certainly never heard anyone say it before?

That's very true.
I have heard this rumour and unfortunately I have come across a couple via rescue, but as I say to the critics, if you kick any dog around it will turn, regardless of breed.