What do you think of when someone says, "DALMATIAN." Spots, of course! More so than any other dog breed, the Dalmatian is famous for their spots.
The exact origin of the Dalmatian's spots is unknown, just as where the breed began is not known. It is thought the spots are a result of a genetic mutation that some ancient grandparents of dog breeders of the future liked and bred specific individual dogs to keep the spots.
Did you know that Dalmatians are born snow white? They stay white until about four weeks of age and only then do their signature spots start to appear. By the time a Dalmatian is eight weeks or so old they should have most of their spots. Spots continue to appear throughout the life of your Dalmatian, but at a very slow rate.
While the majority of Dalmatians are the traditional white with black spots, their spots can also be more colors than the classic back. Liver (reddish brown, and sometimes blue/grey spots. There are occasionally puppies born with bigger patches of color, but they are not that common. That coloration is also not acceptable for show, but they can make great pets.
Look inside your Dalmatian's mouth...yep, there are spots inside their mouth! Plus, if you shaved a Dalmatian, for whatever random reason, their skin has spots!
So, while many other dogs sport spots, the Dalmatian is the breed that OWNS the SPOTS!