SEEING SPOTS: `101 DALMATIONS" BREEDS CONCERN FOR DAY CUDDLY PUPPIES GROW UP

Although the Christmas holidays are not a good time to bring a puppy -- any puppy -- into the household, animal groups are predicting a lot of spots beneath the Christmas tree this year.

The new live-action `101 Dalmations' arrived at West Park 4 Cine Wednesday night, and with it comes some concern by the American Dalmatian Association (ADA), Dalmatian lovers and veterinarians.

The fear is that all those adorable Dalmatians on the big screen will tug on moviegoers' heart strings and many fans may give in to the temptation to treat themselves or their children to a cute, cuddly Dalmatian puppy without knowing exactly what they're getting into.

Like cute, cuddly ducks and Easter bunnies, the cuddly little Dalmatian puppies soon will "grow up."

Whereas the ducks and bunnies wind up on farms and in the wild, the ADA is concerned that many of the Dalmatians may be rejected, abandoned, abused and wind up in humane societies, which are ready filled to over-capacity.

"The dogs get to 50 or 60 pounds in a hurry," said Jhan White, manager of the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri in Cape Girardeau.

"We already see a lot of Dalmatians at the humane society shelter here," said White. "During the past few months, we've had four pure-bred Dalmatians."

White is a Dalmatian owner.

Trae, who White obtained from the humane society, is her "pride and joy."

She admits she wasn't a big Dalmation fan when Trae came to the shelter in poor health. With rehabilitation, he has become an affectionate, gorgeous dog, she says.

However, White and some local veterinarians point to some of the breed's traits that should be considered by prospective owners.

"They're not couch potatoes," said White. "They're very active and energetic. And because of their short, thin coats, they are not an outside dog."

And they shed a lot. Dalmatians are also very protective of their owners, said White. This can lead to some aggression toward other dogs and people.

On the positive side, the dogs' tendency to bond with their owners is one of their most endearing qualities.

"They're very vocal, too," said White. "And they're intelligent."

Overall, most Dalmatians do make good pets, says Dr. John Koch of Cape Small Animal Clinic.

"They are a little shy and skittish, but not that much," he said.

Koch, who also worries about the epidemic of puppy love that "101 Dalmatians" may generate, said the biggest problem with the breed is not its temperament as much as its health problems.

"Many Dalmatians have skin allergies and urinary problems," said Koch. "And in many cases they have to be on special diets."

Koch suggests that potential owners insist on seeing a pup's mom and dad to help determine quality. .

Veterinarian Gwenn Freitag agrees.

"Dalmatians are not noted for having the most wonderful personality," said Freitag. "They have a tendency to be hyper, and they don't hear well.

Freitag agrees that the dogs have skin problems and become one-family dogs.

"They're beautiful dogs, but if I was looking for a pet I would look to some other breeds," she said.

This is not the first time Dalmatians have been in the dog spotlight. The re-release of the animated movie "101 Dalmatians" in 1991 helped boost the Dalmatian into the nation's Top 10 list.

Now they're number nine. An ADA spokesperson recently addressed the annual meeting of the Missouri Humane Society and noted a 500 percent increase in litter requests.

"Litter requests have shot sky high," said White. Before 1991, the Dalmatian was number 40 on the dogs-for-pets list.

A lot of spots have also appeared in items in retail stores, due to the marketing wizards at Disney and its 130 Dalmatians licenses, which have been promoting the movie with everything from clothing to candy and toys.

Along with all the hype about the "live-action" remake of "101 Dalmatians" has come some concern about the puppies used in the movie as well.

Jim Moore of the American Humane Association, which monitors the entertainment industry's use of animals, put these fears to rest.

No animals were harmed during the filming, and Dalmatians were not over-bred to shoot the film. The film used only 230 dogs -- seven adults to play the lead dogs, Pongo and Perdy, and 220 puppies to play the 99 puppies. All all had homes to go to.