It was a different time, a gentler time.

There was a time when couples and families strolled or rode their carriages on a public walkways either to “take air,” or to see and be seen. People of refinement, of course, had their lap dogs, but others had dogs that followed the carriage. You see where this is going, right?

Early descriptions of the Dalmatian made note of the fact that these dogs followed their masters constantly, whether the owner was on foot or riding a bicycle (we’d add “on horseback”), and for that reason, the breed was known as the Promenade Dog in the 1800s.

 Dalmatians with Horse and Carriage by Vic Granger. This print is available here.