Andy Hines, age 8, of Camden, N.J., for his question:

HOW DID THE DALMATIAN GET ITS NAME?

Dalmatian is a very popular medium sized dog that looks life a pointer. It is usually white and it is covered with many black or liver colored spots. The handsome dog received its name from Dalmatia, a district of Yugoslavia located on the Adriatic Sea.

Even though the dog was named for Dalmatia, the experts aren’t sure where the dogs were first raised.

Dalmatians are also called coach dogs. These dogs used to run along between the wheels of coaches or carriages and were companions to the horses. Dalmatian pups are pure white when they are born. The spots appear after about three or four weeks. Dalmatians make good watchdogs and they are also excellent pets. They are alert, curious, clean and useful. They can also be taught to hunt. The district of Dalmatia is a narrow strip of land which extends for more than 200 miles along the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Tourism is Dalmatia’s main industry. Each year millions of people flock to the warm, sunny coast for boating, swimming and sunbathing.