They looked terrified, their claws were skittering on the polished surface and they quite clearly were trying their best to leave the floor.

Not necessary to use live animals in this situation IMHO and I've a mind to complain to the BBC. It contributed nothing to the dance because of their unwillingness to cooperate and actually would leave a distinctly uneasy feeling with any animal-lover.

Did they end up in a coat?

Even a theatre trained dog would have found the noise and lights in that studio too much.
I don't know what they were meant to do, but it was unnecessary.

No more dog-ography please

I agree. It was completely unnecessary to use live animals for this show. It upset me to see them being dragged across the floor. They were obviously scared to death and I don't see the point of them being there in the first place. I am going to complain to the BBC and I have never done that before (I'm not a serial complainer!) because it made me feel uncomfortable during what is usually a feel-good show.

Dalmatians on the other hand were the fireman's dog, trained to run along with the heavy wagon, bells ringing, horses clattering, men shouting... They're an obstinate and stoic breed. They'll get over Anton. I bet they were licking their bits and snoring two minutes later

After the Vincent-TotoGate i thought they would never use dogs again

Toto was fab!

I like how they rehearsed it in an empty studio with no audience , silly billys

I phoned BBC complaints last night and the guy told me there were getting complaints. Followed it up with an email. It was not only horrendous, it was a really stupid thing to do. No animal, however well trained, is going to be able to cope with the heat, noise and lights in that studio.

Lol I'm really surprised it took this long for someone to start a thread about this !!!

I'd agree if they were Shelties, say, who are very sound-sensitive. But Dalmatians are a characteristically untroubled beast. They might have been momentarily unsettled but balance will have restored itself quite quickly in their dotty heads, I betcha

I read they had to be put down they were so traumatised after seeing Judy dance.

We said this at the time - cruel and unnecessary.

Even if they were only momentarily unsettled, it was completely unecessary.

I'm assuming if Judy had been in the dance off, the dogs would not have made a second appearance

I wonder if they included the dogs in the dress rehearsal... Would have helped them to get used to the setting, noise, and the feel of the floor.

Dunno why I'm quibbling really. Those two individual dogs looked steady enough to me, but on the other hand I'd ban the use of fireworks as an unnecessary, dangerous, pointless, scary menace for dogs, moggies and wildlife. Don't know why we can't celebrate the bombing of parliament with a simple bonfire, guy, chestnuts and sparklers.

What I mean is those two spotty dogs will be OK and they don't need our worry. They'll be lying in their baskets farting, right now

I didn't see the point of putting the dogs through what was clearly a stressful situation for them (as anyone who can read canine body language could see that they were tense, stressed and unhappy) for the sake of a brief gimmick. It wasn't RSPCA-level cruelty and it probably wouldn't leave the dogs permanently traumatised, but it could only have been a negative experience for them at that particular moment. It was completely unnecessary to have them there and, therefore, causing them even temporary stress was unjustified. Given that Anton is far from averse to hamming up the comedy element with his inept partners, a cuddly toy dog would have worked perfectly well (or even better, James Jordan in Anton's dalmation onesie).

In the results show, it showed the dogs happily walking out onto the floor with Anton.

Yes, without the music, lights or audience noise. Completely different atmosphere.

One of the elements of dog training which sometimes surprises people is that dogs don't extrapolate. If you teach them to do something in one situation, it doesn't automatically follow that they will replicate it in any other scenario without gradual exposure to and repeat training in those other environments.

Good idea. Toy dogs or Brendan and Aljaz in dalmation outfits would have been much funnier.

Don't forget to complain to OFCOM and start a petition to No 10

It's easy to take the pee but animals have no voice, and rely on humans who care to be their advocates.

I was talking to Pudsey the other night and he said he is terrified of the heat, noise and lights of TV studios and theatres.

I agree with Pet Monkey. Dogs have been bred to tolerate or even enjoy all manner of specific environments. I'm no expert on which breeds are well adapted to which environments or can be trained to do tasks but I wouldn't assume it to be an act of cruelty for a dog to do something other than being a cossetted family pet.

I did think if they had to have the dogs, perhaps starting with the dogs on the floor running off/away from Cruella could have been better - certainly something they may have been more likely to do. I don't think they were really needed though.

Didn't see what the dogs added, and the fact that Anton was "fahffing abaht" with them at the start of the dance was a distraction both for the audience and for Judy.

ETA I was expecting them to do one of their famous special effects and have puppies projected onto the floor or something like that.

Emergency debate at the United Nations surely?

Something must have gone wrong. They were not a couple of dogs borrowed from someone, they would be supplied by an animal trainer who works regularly with TV and film so they would know what to expect. Something unexpected must have happened, as someone has written they got over it by the time of the results programme.