Panda shepherd - Page 1

Hi,
I bred my purebred black and silver shepherd with a purebred black and tan, 8 beautiful puppies were born 7 normal colours and 1 special panda colouring! I know for a fact this is not a mix and we were extremely careful not leaving the female out anywhere alone EVER. We decided to keep the little panda one despite a ton of interest in her, she has the personality of a shepherd and the look (besides the colours). She  is now 9 weeks old, and she doesn't look like any panda I have ever seen (she is cuter of course!) She is 85% white with 2 symmetrical black patches over her eyes, 3 small distinct spots on her right side close together, and 3 spots a bit bigger than a tooney along her bum and tail. It wont let me post pictures of her though!
I have done some research on the net and at school (I am a biology/genetics student) and nobody really understands it very well, I believe that the gene is carried by the father and it occur in males that have a black and silver colour. Double pandas or homozygotes I don't exist (i think!) because the allele to produce this colouring is lethal in the homozygous state (just like bob tails for cats)
If anyone knows anything more about these little guys i would appreciate it!
 

 Im not sure if these links will work but here are pictures of her from 2 days - 8 weeks!
 

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=8914279&id=502620610
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/photo.php?pid=9131163&id=502620610
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=317083&id=502620610&page=2#/photo.php?pid=9614221&id=502620610
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=317083&id=502620610&page=2#/photo.php?pid=9513942&id=564115590
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=317083&id=502620610&page=2#/photo.php?pid=9513945&id=564115590

I don't do facebook so I can't see the photos.... 

Would very much like to see the photos silverish.... this is unusual.  Unlikely to be a Panda though, as this was a new mutation and is specific to that line.  Also panda is dominant so you would have seen it one of the parents.

By description you have what sounds to be an extreme white, a recessive on the S locus, which of course would have to be carried by both parents.  The only thing is that carriers do also typically show white markings, though less extensive than you have described in the puppy.  A flashily marked Boxer is typical of this... a heterozygous carrier of extreme white S s ^W

Not correct that black & silver has any association with white or any particular gender.  All colour genes in canids are autosomal as far as is known.

You are correct in that no homozygote pandas have been reported, at least that's what I was told by the reasercher working on DNA identification of this gene.  It is possible that you could have a new mutation... another panda or something new altogether.

No facebook here either.  Could you pm me and I'll post for you.

Here ya go!!  COOL!!!

       

can you send the pedigrees ?
Josef

TRY compare DNA with parents

I would not doubt that your male has some solid whites in his background,

I breed labs and I had a complete litter of yellow pups one time, and one of the pups had a big black spot behind her ear,

it was really neat looking, but she would not be a good breeding prospect, unless you were looking for funky marking on a lab.

I have also seen chocolate labs with rust eye brows and rust coloring on the legs & chest.....

Your pup just couldn't decide to be all black or all white!Cute!!!

A new mutation :)   The genes suprise us every now and again.  Is she healthy?
Always,
Cee

Here's mom & dad I guess...

let me know if I'm correct...