"The late Mr. Thomas Walker, of Manchester, was the owner of a Dalmatian dog, accustomed to live in the stables with his horses, and to lie in the stall with one in particular, to which he was much attached. The groom who looked after the horses had orders to go on an errand to Stockport, about seven miles' distance, and he rode the horse above mentioned - the favourite companion of the dog - leaving the dog in the stable for fear of his being lost on the road. After the man on horseback had been gone about an hour some one, going into the stable, let the dog out, and he set off at once after his comrade. The groom had finished his business, and was just leaving Stockport for his return journey, when he was much surprised to meet the dog coming at a great pace down the hill into the town, and he seemed rejoiced to meet his friend and companion the horse."

From [an old newspaper is taken the following account of a dog long known as the Brighton Coach-dog: -

"For a long period a Dalmatian dog accompanied the only coach which, in 1851, ran between Brighton and London. He belonged to the ostler at the Newcastle Place stables, Edgware Road. He went to the yard when quite young, and the ostler took care of him. Being always amongst horses, he was never happy unless with them, at home or travelling about. His chief delight was to travel up and down with the Brighton coach. He has been known this last spring to travel for eight successive days to and from Brighton, Sunday intervening.

The distance from London to Brighton by way of Henfield, Horsham, Dorking, and Leatherhead, the road which the 'Age' coach travelled, was seventy-four miles. It was with great difficulty he could be kept on the coach, always choosing to run by the side of it; and it was his being placed on the top of the coach, from feelings of humanity on the part of Clarke, the coachman, which cost him his life.

On one occasion the guard placed the dog inside the coach, where there was no passenger, but in a few minutes he was surprised to see him running beside it, having jumped through the glass window. During the early part of the summer he went with a strange coach to Tunbridge Wells. Not liking his berth, he did not return to London with the same conveyance, but found his way across country to Brighton, and went up to London with his favourite coach and horses.

He was well known to many on the road from London to Brighton, and in some places on the journey met with hospitable friends.

Clarke informs us that he would kill a goose in his travels by the roadside, throw it over his back, like a fox, and run for miles; and Clarke had offered a wager that he would accompany the coach between London and Brighton daily for a month, Sundays excepted, and kill a goose by the roadside each day of his travels, provided birds were put within his reach.

On June 24th, 1851, he was placed on the back of the coach, when he jumped off at Henfield, and fell between the wheels, one of which passed over his neck and killed him. He was just five years old. His skin is preserved, and has been stuffed. The 'Brighton Coach-dog' is still to be seen, in the attitude of life, in the bar of a tavern in the Edgware Road, London."

The following story, related by Dibdin in his "Tour through England," shows how a Dalmatian was cured of a troublesome habit: -

One summer he took with him on his wanderings through Cumberland and Scotland a Dalmatian, whose great delight was to chase the sheep, even to the summits of the most rugged steeps. In one of his gambols a black lamb took a fancy to her spotted playfellow. The dog never attempted to injure it, but seemed rather astonished at the lamb's growing familiarity, for it commenced to paw and play with him. At length the shepherd's boy appeared, and a long chase ensued, the boy wishing to reclaim the lamb to its fold, and the creature being as fully determined not to be parted from the dog. Towards the close of day, however, the lamb was firmly secured, but never again did the Dalmatian follow sheep; for, as Dibdin adds in his quaint way, "the unexpected offer of amity to the Dalmatian seemed ever after to operate as a friendly admonition."

The Messrs. Hale, of Brierly Hill and Burton-on-Trent, were the principal winners at early shows, and Mr. Rowland Davies, of Swan Village, West Bromwich, owned some good ones that won at Birmingham and London ; and then followed Mr. R. J. LI. Price's Crib, bred by Mr. Rowland Hale, that took all before him until, in his declining years, he had to give way to Mr. Fawdry's celebrated Captain - a dog considered by some the best coloured of the breed ever seen. Other judges thought Dr. James's Spotted Dick, though not so good in contrast of colour, was superior in formation. Since the foregoing, some of the best specimens that can be called to mind have been Mr. Fawdry's Treasure and Leaho; Mr. Newby-Wilson's Acrobat, Berezina, Coming Still, Moujik (Fig. 83) (all champions), and Chance; Mr. Mercer's Charles Dickens; Mr. Foster's Flirt; Mrs. H. Carthew's Rugby Beauty; the writer's Lurth, Leah, Leof, Lizette, and Lieutenant; Mrs. Bedwell's Rugby Bridget and Rugby Bath Brick; Dr. Wheeler O'Bryen's Florrie (all black spotted); Mr. Newby-Wilson's Prince IV.; Mr. Herman's Fauntleroy; Mr. Droesse's Doncaster Beauty (the best three liver-spotted specimens seen for very many years, and all champions, who had to win these honours almost always in competition in classes with mixed colours), and Dr. Wheeler O'Bryen's Melton (Fig. 84). Dalmatians are not often very high priced, the largest sums paid for them being £120 for Champion Acrobat, and £40 for Champion Doncaster Beauty, but the generality do not exceed £25. The writer had about £50 for his Lurth and Lizette when they were exported to India some years since.

Fig. 83. - Mr. Newby-Wilson's Black-Spotted Dalmatian Champion Moujik.