Western NC Blue Ridge Mtns
Piebald aka recessive white spotting
Impossible!! No it's genetics :-)
Quite a few lines of GSD carry the recessive white spotting gene. When paired together the gene can cause a minute amount of white on the dog/puppy or it can cause the dog to appear much like a paint horse. To date no health issues are associated with this recessive white spotting gene. (photo to the left is 'Buster' cousin to the piebalds I have had born here at my kennel. Buster is a sable piebald GSD).
Genetic information on white spotting
There is a lot of information about white spotting and how it occurs genetically. However it is not known why some get small amounts of white and others are more extreme. There seems to be a modifier that has not been identified genetically yet. For up to date recessive white spotting information please follow this link:
http://homepage.usask.ca/~schmutz/dogspots.html
*pictured right, littermate to Buster, this piebald is also solid black. Sheila Schmutz with health gene, dna authenticated this litter with it's parents and documented these GSD pose the recessive white spotting gene. However as stated above, no way to differentiate between minute amount of white spotting vs what we call piebald spotting as the modifier has not been found to date.
Pies born at my kennel
I have had 2 true piebalds born here, they are cousins to the piebalds in the above photo's. Ironically one is sable and one is solid black, (coat color/pattern wise). I have also had puppies born with the white spotting gene that do not have the extreme amount of white on them as piebalds do. The recessive white spotting gene is apart of the original GSD gene pool, there were a few Collie type dogs used to create the GSD and that implanted the white recessive white spotting gene in the GSD gene pool. Keep in mind if you have one born in your litter it may appear to be Panda but in reality it is due to the recessive white spotting gene.
UCDavis currently has a test on the market that is available to the public now to see if what you have had born in your litter is affected by the Panda gene or the white spotting gene. My recommendation is to test for the recessive white spotting gene and the Panda gene, so that you will know which gene caused the white spotting on your dog. So when you sell your puppy you advertise it for what it is and not as something it is not (Panda). Remember all Panda's are related as they stem from one dog named Franka). The test a simple cheek swab. For more information:http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/dog/GermanShepherdPanda.php