PUPS MAKE A SPOTTY XMAS GIFT.

Byline: Lydia Martin Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

The country is in the grips of spot fever and your kids are not immune. By now you've heard, no matter how much they plead for a Dalmatian, don't bring one home for the holiday unless you're sure you can handle it.

They look adorable, but they bite more readily than some breeds, and they need lots of exercise or they can be destructive.

Rosa and Landon Thomas, owners of Thomas' Promises kennel in the Redland area of South Florida and the breeders of Gloria Estefan's five Dalmatians, blame inbreeding at puppy mills for Dalmatian problems.

``Our Dalmatian saved our son from drowning, acting just like Lassie, running back and forth between the pond he had fallen in and us until we figured out

what was happening,'' says Rosa.

Dalmatians are not the only breed that may not be a good match for your family. We checked with vets, trainers and breeders to offer a list of other breeds you should be sure you can deal with before you stick that red bow around their neck:

American Eskimos: They're smart, but they tend to be nippy and nervous around kids.

Beagles and basset hounds: They're super sweet, and a little silly (we know one beagle who spent Thanksgiving night in the emergency room after fracturing her hind leg leaping at a plate of leftover turkey). Their inner hound makes them stubbornly go wherever their noses lead, which means they can roam and get lost. And they howl if they don't get enough attention.

Chihuahuas: It's not that they like to challenge authority, it's that they think they are the authority. They might bite kids.

Golden and Labrador retrievers: The experts will tell you they are among the very best dogs you can share your home with - loving, smart, even-tempered. But they caution that the dogs can be rambunctious in their first two years, bowling over your kids out of sheer happy-go-luckiness. ``They can be hyper, but I tell people with labs and goldens to be patient - they do calm down,'' says Brian Sans, owner of Pet Parade, a pet shop in North Dade County, Fla.

Lhasa apsos: They may look cuddly, but they can have all kinds of attitude. And they don't suffer kids easily.

St. Bernards: Yes, they're known as gentle giants. But don't miss the point on the ``giant'' part. They can weigh more than you, up to 175 pounds. They drool like crazy. And they need wide expanses to, uh, fertilize.

Shar-peis: ``They're not like other dogs,'' says Mary Crimi, president of the American Animal Hospital Association. ``When they get mad at you, they don't growl. They just bite.'' Gallo thinks shar-peis and chow chows are less than user-friendly because ``they're still angry at humans because humans used to eat them.''