I felt such a strong connection with the concept because pandas and dogs are such a big part of me — pandas especially, because you know. That's where it started. 🐼 I hope ya'll like himb 🧡
"Panda German Shepherds" is a term coined for German Shepherd Dogs that exhibit a rare genetic mutation that causes white spotting in the traditionally non-white marked breed of German Shepherd Dogs. This frequently debated color is often dismissed as a result of crossbreeding.
The first ever recorded Panda was a result of breeding two German Shepherd dogs by Cindy Whitaker. Lewcinka's Franka von Phenom was born with white markings, and was the sole puppy in the litter to have such markings. Repeat breedings did not create any more panda puppies. Her breeder had the puppy DNA Tested to see if she was mixed bred. Surprisingly enough, her results came back as full offspring to both dam and sire. A study published by UCDavis in 2016 found that the panda marking is the result of dominant mutation of the KIT gene, or the CD117 gene. DNA tested conducted by the American Kennel Club proved her lineage to be, for a fact, a pure German Shepherd Dog.
Panda is a dominant gene.Therefore, the gene must be expressed if a dog has it. It cannot be "carried" or be passed on without being visible on a dog's pattern/body.
A mutation in the KIT gene has been found to be the source of the dominant white spotting pattern known as Panda that occurs in a line of German Shepherd dogs. This mutation is very recent as it appeared spontaneously in a female born in 2000. The Panda pattern is characterized by symmetrical markings of white forelock, muzzle, chest, ventral abdomen, collar and tip of the tail. The amount of white can vary from dog to dog. In the homozygous state, the Panda mutation is considered an early embryonic lethal as no live dogs with the pattern and with 2 copies of the mutation have been observed. Heterozygous (1 copy of the mutation) dogs do not have any health defects associated with this pattern.