The Dorset have been a spacefaring civilization for sometime, but do not seek Federation membership, seeking instead to prove to everyone their worth by colonizing multiple planets as a testament to their abilities then to sell these abilities to the highest bidder.

The Dorset have had repeated conflicts with their Bader neighbors since discovering them on a colony survey mission briefly before the Bader gained warp flight capabilities. The two cultures only co-exist peacefully on the shared planet Delta Sigma IV. (TNG - A Time to... novels: A Time to Love, A Time to Hate)