My favorite breed is a Dalmatian. I've owned 3 and grew up with them. I grew up watching 101 Dalmatians and have always had a thing for them. At age 5 I suffered some sexual abuse and shortly after my father got me my first liver spotted Dalmatian. I named her Cinnamon and she taught me that not all in life is bad. She was my secret keeper, my best friend, my diary.. She slept with me in bed every night under the covers and always made me feel safe.

I love how stubborn they are. How smart they are. How misunderstood the breed is. Part of me always felt misunderstood and so I bonded with the breed over that. Much like bully breeds, Dalmatians are often criticised for being "aggressive towards children and other small animals" but the opposite is the truth. Mine have always loved children and have never harmed a person or animal. They are unique breeds physically and I just adore all those spots! They are awesome guard dogs and even better companions. I had Cinnamon from age 5 to age 18 and she shaped my life in so many ways. I will never forget her and I now have her spot patterns tattooed on my arm. (:

They are much like a person. I remember laughing at her when she tripped trying to chase a ball I threw. She ignored me for an hour afterwards! She would groan at me when she wanted attention or if I was in bed and hadn't lifted the covers up for her to get underneath with me. One evening we had placed our dinner plates on the kitchen counter and on our way outside to enjoy the evening, I glanced over at Cinnamon sitting under the counter waiting for us to leave so she could eat the food left on the plates. She looked so innocent yet so guilty at the same time. You could see that she had planned this all night long. They are far too smart.