D almatians are one of the few breeds smart enough to lie. They quickly learn to fake a low pitched 'danger in the back yard' bark whenever you're on an important phone call and really need them to be quiet. If you reward a Dalmatian for barking whenever strangers appear in the yard, it will quickly learn to mimic this distinctive warning bark whenever it is hungry and wants something tasty out of the refrigerator. I'm always surprised when I hear someone tell me that their Dalmatian isn't very smart. I think people often get intelligence and obedience confused.
Dalmatians are smart, but it's their stubborn streak that gets remembered.
When other dogs are learning to heel and lie still at their master's feet, the inquisitive and irrepressible Dalmatian is learning how to get longer walks in the park, tastier food in his bowl and a more comfortable place to sleep. Sometimes when I watch Spot sitting in his favorite chair, I see this look in his eye that tells me he is once again contemplating the physics of locking and unlocking doors or perhaps mentally memorizing the location of every dead fish in the lakeside park near our house. M y dog understands exactly what door locks are. I see this gleam in his eye whenever the housekeys are inadvertently left at dog level. He'll grab the keys in his teeth and gleefully run around the house with them, knowing that he now has possession the most powerful object in the universe.