A Spotted Swine has black and white spots with no red or brown tints, and drooping ears. The desired colour of the Spotted Swine is 50% black and 50% white. Spots have continued to improve in feed efficiency, rate of gain, and carcass quality throughout the last fifty years, as they are an intensively tested breed in the United States. Spots are popular with farmers and commercial swine producers for their ability to transmit their fast-gaining, feed efficient, meat qualities to their offspring. Testimonials from commercial men also point out that the Spotted female is under-rated as the Spotted influence in commercial sow herds adds productivity, gentleness, and durability.

The National Spotted Swine Record Inc., was formerly the National Spotted Poland China Record. At the 1960 Annual Meeting, the breed's Board of Directors and members voted to change the name of the association from the National Spotted Poland China Record to the National Spotted Swine Record, Inc. Further, it was voted to refer to the breed as Spotted Swine, or SPOTS, rather than the longer previously used name for the breed.

Three men from Putnam and Hendricks counties, in Indiana, brought boars and sows back from Ohio from time to time to cross with their own good hogs; and thus developed a breed all their own from this background which kept the characteristic colour of large black and white spots. They had no name, but it was the opinion of most men in the section that these spotted hogs were not only superior as the most profitable pork producer and all around farmer's hog to any other breed, but to another Poland as well. Farmers who had moved away without them sent back to get this rugged, easy feeding spotted hog. At this time two hogs imported from England, known as "Gloucester Old Spots," added a wonderful stimulant to the breed in the form of new bloodlines.

The present day Spots descend from the Spotted hogs which trace a part of their ancestry to the original Poland China, which consisted of six separate breeds and was referred to as the "Warren County Hog" of Ohio. One such breed imported into Ohio in the early ~1880's was a breed called the "Big China," mostly white in colour, but having some black spots. They were good feeders, matured early, were very prolific and produced these characteristics in their offspring.