When you think of a Dalmatian, a black and white spotted dog comes to mind, but there are other colors that occur from time to time. While black or liver spotted coats are the breed standard, the other shades and variations can be just as beautiful.
Black or Liver
Black and liver spotted dogs are the colors that we are all accustomed to. Black spotted dogs are, obviously, covered in black spots while the spots of liver Dalmatians are brown in color. These are the only colors that are permitted to compete in dog shows.
Orange
Orange spotted Dalmatians are very similar in color to liver Dalmatians, but their spots have a more distinctive orange shade rather than chocolate brown. Also, the noses of orange Dalmatians are black while liver spotted dogs have brown noses. The orange is more pronounced in some dogs than in others.
Lemon
Lemon colored Dalmatians are covered in spots that range from very pale yellow to bright orange. The base color of their coat may be a shade of cream rather than the typical snow white of the breed. The dogs usually have black or liver noses.
Blue
The spots of blue Dalmatians are actually a gorgeous shade of soft gray. This dog usually has a dark gray nose and grayish-gold eyes. This shade is fairly uncommon, but is very attractive.
White
Believe it or not, a few Dalmatians seem to never get their spots. This variation is actually considered a pale yellow and sometimes very light spots can be seen upon closer inspection.
Brindle
If you look closely at the spots on these Dalmatians they have a striped or brindle look, much like a cat. The brindle stripes can't be seen on black or liver spotted Dalmatians but on those with lighter spots it is easily recognizable.
Tri-Color
These dogs are a bit of an unusual sight. They have spots of black and tan and liver and tan on the typical white coat background. Basically, they look like normal Dalmatians with some tan spots thrown in.
Brindled Tri-Colors
Brindled tri-colored Dalmatians are also very unusual looking. The black spots on these dogs show no sign of brindle but the lighter colored spots have a striped appearance. This variation is fairly common which has led many breeders to the conclusion that brindles occur more often in standard black and liver variations than originally thought since the brindle color can't be detected in black or liver spotted dogs.
Mosaics
These dogs are unusual in that they have one single spot of a different color. A liver colored spot on a black spotted dog is the most common mosaic seen, but there are other color combinations in this variation.
Although they don't have the typical appearance of the breed, each one of the color variations listed occur in purebred Dalmatians. While these Dalmatians will never be able to compete at show, they are some of the most beautiful and unusual looking dogs that you will ever see.
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