. . . So like every kid in the 90s, I saw 101 Dalmatians in theatres. . ."
Puh-leez, son! I saw the OG 101 Dalmatians in 1961. My first movie, ever, and I, too, begged my parents for a Dalmatian.
Unlike the OP, I was not told that they were "bad dogs" because so little was known about the breed at the time. In particular, my parents did not know that they can go a bit psychotic when they whelp.
It says something about my childhood that -- even though I was bitten on the face-- I am not afraid of dogs and I am not plagued by recurring nightmares of sharp teeth and a fleshy mouth closing over me. The physical scars are minimal, as well, fortunately. I do sometimes joke that my parents still owe me a "real" 4th birthday present, since the dog-- not being stupid-- chose my mother over a four year old to be her primary person.
Because of the original Disney film, the breed was popular at the time, and my parents had her bred. I can only guess that the puppies brought in some decent money, but our dog never had another litter.
Just writing about it now, I am assuming it was because of the attack on me, or at least, I hope so. The dog stayed with us for 14 years and she was a good dog other than the incident after her pups were born. So, it's nice to think that I mattered more than the money.
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