Would you say the dog in this painting is speckled, flecked, ticked or spotted?

Actually, all the terms are appropriate when referring to the small coat markings of irregular shapes seen on a breed like the German Shorthaired Pointer (though the breed standard specifically uses “ticked” or “patched). The only appropriate term for the Dalmatian’s coat, however, is spotted, given that it’s the only true spotted breed (spots can even be found in their mouths), and “patches” (a solid mass of black or liver hair containing no white hair) are a disqualification.

German Shorthaired Pointer by LA Shepherd 
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