A type of dog or a patterned coloring in dog coats where colors are blended together in small spots or flecks.
Origin uncertain; possibly from Belton, a place name, or from an old dog-breeding family associated with the pattern. The term became standardized in dog-breeding vocabulary in the 18th-19th centuries.
Belton coloring in dogs like English Setters creates an almost speckled appearance—it's called 'ticking' and comes from having pigmented hairs scattered individually through a lighter-colored coat, creating a freckled effect that breeders have specifically selected for over centuries.
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