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.

They have repeated butted heads with their Bader neighbors since discovering them on a colony survey mission briefly before the Bader gained warp flight capabilities. the two cultures only really came face to face on what they both viewed as an idyllic planet for their respective species, this planet was Delta Sigma IV. (TNG - A Time to... novels: A Time to Love, A Time to Hate)