Why Is there a Dalmation on 'Wheel of Fortune'? Here's What We Know About the Spotted Canine

Throughout the years, Wheel of Fortune has worked its way into our homes and our hearts. One of America's staple game shows, the broadcast show airs a unique vertical game-board version of the traditional "hangman" game and pits contestants against one another in a race to identify the words and phrases on the board.

There are a number of traditions and inside jokes that long-time fans of the show will recognize, including one very specific little statuette of a dog: a Dalmation named "Sheldon." So why is there a Dalmation on Wheel of Fortune? His presence hearkens all the way back to the early years of the show.

If you've been watching the show for decades, you probably already know about little Sheldon and all his spotted glory.

But for those who may know just enough Wheel of Fortune lore to know that Sheldon exists but not enough to know where he came from, here's what we know about his past.

Wheel of Fortune first aired in 1975 and has continuously aired since then, although it has changed location and time more than a few times. Originally, contestants would be awarded a certain amount of money for their win. They would then be able to "shop" from an on-stage "Shopper's Bazaar," which allowed them to spend up to their winnings and take home the remainder in cash.

Joining these on-stage shopping displays was a several-foot-high ceramic statuette of a Dalmation, eventually dubbed "Sheldon."

By 1980, contestants would get down to their last few hundred dollars and jokingly offer to buy Sheldon with their winnings, usually tossing in the catchphrase, "I’ll take the ceramic Dalmatian for $154!"

Although the Bazaar was retired in 1989 in order to streamline the show and limit the taxes contestants would have to pay, Sheldon's reputation endured.

Of course, the Shopper's Bazaar and Sheldon's central role on the show aren't the only changes that have occurred since 1989.

Hosts throughout the years have included Chuck Woolery, Pat Sajak, Rolf Benirschke, and Bob Goen. Pat is perhaps the best-known of the bunch, having taken over for Chuck and then returning after Bob left. Pat's run on the show spanned an impressive 41 years.

In addition, the beloved Vanna White was not the original tile turner. She replaced Susan Stafford, who served as hostess from 1975 to 1982.

The advent of new technology and the transition of the board from individual turnable tiles to a digital display came in 1997, much to the chagrin of many long-time fans who were scandalized by the departure from tradition.

While the format of the show in 2025 may not look exactly like it did in the '70s and '80s, there are many core traditions that have remained. And although Sheldon is no longer the center of the winner's traditions, he will forever remain a part of Wheel of Fortune lore and fan culture.