Like a Dalmation dog, a Dalmation rat is a white body covered with spots. In rats, these spots can be any color, as it is a marking and not a color standard. Dalmation is an overmarking, and like most markings, it is very difficult to breed to show standards; like most markings, two well-marked parents do not necessarily throw offspring with the same quality of marking.

A modification of the H/Hooded locus, Dalmation seems to be an overmarked Berkshire, much like Varigated. Unlike Varigated, a Dalmation rat shouldn't have a solidly colored head - it should be completely white with spotting all over the body and not concentrated in any one area.

AFRMA

"Dalmatian rats may be shown in any recognized color. Markings will be similar to the Variegated mice with color splashes/spots on a white background, and free from any solid clear-cut markings. The splashes should be numerous and ragged in outline, but approximately equal in size, and well distributed over the entire body."

RSA

"Color splashes/spots over a white background, free from any solid clear-cut markings.  The splashes should be numerous and ragged in outline, but approximately equal in size and well distributed over the entire body.  The tail shall have spots of color as well.  The color shall conform to a recognized color."

RatsPacNW

"Numerous non-symmetrical color spots on a white body.  May not have full colored head but may have spots on head."

URS

"A clean white background splashed with spots of any recognized color variety. Spots should be numerous, similar in size and evenly distributed throughout.

Faults: Any other marking in addition to spots. Clumped spotting. Sparsely spotted."