Does anyone know anything Mini Australian Shepherds: breeders or rescues; have or had one; etc.

I'm just looking for some general info about them, as I don't have any previous knowledge. I've done google searches, and am really just looking for people's personal experiences.

Thanks!

Meg

IMO, any time a breeder sets out to make a breed "mini", they're creating a weaker animal.

The only thing I do know about them is that they are not AKC recognized (they are, however, recognized by ARBA - American Rare Breed Association). The Aussie people are a bit miffed by them and say "there is no such thing as a mini aussie".

Since they are developed directly from the Australian Shepherd (just selectively bred) I would guess their temperament would be the same as their larger counterpart.

I drove one on a rescue transport once. She was a sweetie.

hi Megan.

i used to show regualr aussies.....

therefore, i am slightly biased b/c i dont think miniaturizing them was a good idea at all. my old boss breeds them, so i have been around some. *most* are like bob-tail merle pomeranians. the ones i have seen--*most*--are fairly skittery, very pointy faces, VERY fine bones. i dont care for them. they look very fragile to me and would be in the category of lap-dog for sure.

if i were shopping for a smaller aussie, with the traditional/original aussie look & temperment originally intended and bred for for so many years, i would search for a breeder that typically has smaller sized aussies (this would mean not the show line aussies, but the working line aussies, which tend to be smaller in general--look on the ASCA site).

i think miniaturizing any breed at all but worse yet in such a hurry as this was accomplished is a bad idea genetically and you will have no idea what you will get as far as brains and temperment...they focused on SIZE only---nothing else. when a breeder of any breed focuses on ONE thing the rest goes to H in a handbasket. in the aussie community, rumors when it began were that they DID cross the smallest aussies they could find with poms to get the size down super fast. if true, this sacrificed an awful lot.

just my 2 cents worth... (with regard to the past thread about WL vs SL in GSDS--i am pondering the irony in my own opinion on this subject which is somewhat in contrast to my less-experienced opinion of the division in the 2 GSD lines...hmmm...)

jen

I agree. I just read (on Google) that the Mini Aussie was intended to be a working dog used on smaller stock (i.e. not cattle) and that could be small enough to easily travel to trials. The "breed standard" states that "toy like features - i.e domed skull, fine bones" is a show disqualification.

However, this same page keeps talking about how important showing them was.

http://www.namascusa.com/about.htm

I don't know if the Mini Aussie is even used for working, in general.

I also don't really agree with the idea of them (mini aussies) but can't really put my finger on why.

Megan, why do you want a Miniature Aussie? Family pet? Show dog? Working dog?

I've been thinking for some time of getting a small dog for the inside. Not small as in toy, like a Chihuahua, but small as in a 25lb smart, athletic dog. Also, I'm not a fan of "toy like" features at all.

My apartment is WAY too small to keep the bloodhound or German Shepherd in, and I've really been wanting an inside dog. And one that I can easily take with me to work, once again Jake and Boss are too big to fit in my cramped office and be happy.

And I completely agree with everyone's number one concern: that minitaurizing any breed causes serious helth, genetic, and tempermant problems among many others.

I've have friends and family that have farms, and I've been around the the regular Aussies. I absouloutely love them. Then when I saw something online about miniature Aussies, I thought if I could get a half sized one that would be great!

The first few breeder websites I looked at online completely disgusted me. You could tell that they were only in the business of making money and had no regards for the dogs as being able to function properly and being healthy representatives of the breed.

Then I found some who used the dogs to work stock, were titled in working stock, did Hip certs, and some other type of health certs (I can't remember which one exactly). And on some of the rescue web sites, they test the dogs in herding. Which made me think that some of these dogs probably had strong bones, were highly trainable, and very athletic. I'd think they wouldn't be able to work if they didn't.

This really sparked my interest, and I was wanting to get the opinions of some people from here. And thanks to everyone for sharing.

Have you thought about getting a Sheltie? (Shetland Sheepdog). They excel at obedience, agility and herding. There are also other smaller herding breeds such as the Pyrenean Shepherd, Swedish Vallhund, Corgi. (And all except the Vallhund come in a merle pattern if that's what you want).

If you just want a small athletic dog, most terriers would fit that description.

Just curious - is your apartment too small for a mid-large sized breed b/c of the amount of space the dog would take up, or b/c you don't think it would have enough space to move/run around inside?

I'm just wondering, b/c I know some people who got terriers when living in condos b/c they were physically 'scaled' to the condo, but....energy-wise, they're not small dogs and not really 'energy-scaled' for the condo. I know you're looking for an athletic dog, so maybe it wouldn't be an issue if you're out a lot with your dog, but just a thought.

Myself, having a terrier mix pup....nobody told him he's a small dog. I live in a house now, but I used to have the 2 GSDs in a one bedroom plus den apartment, and that worked. The extra space of the house is nice, but in terms of activity, the larger dogs were fine in an apartment, though I was always outside with them. I think that suitability for apartments is a lot more do do with temperament than size, and what you're planning on doing with the dog to keep it occupied and exercised. A regular-sized Aussie may work really well for you, even if you are in an apartment, if you're involved and active.

i agree w/the above---shelties might be an option, they are nice and i would seriously look into a Corgi---they are NEAT dogs!!!
: )
goodluck!

I've thought about Corgis, Shelties, and JRTs, but am really stuck on the Aussie breed for some reason.

The GSD and/or the bloodhound simply won't fit in the apartment. I barely have enough room for me, the b/f, and our stuff. I've downsized SO much, so many times. Alot of our stuff is in storage, and tucked away in totes. Next spring we are going to start building a house *YAY* and get married, so the space issue will be resolved in the next year, hopefully.

I am actively involved as much as I can be with the dogs. I'm always outside, I bike/run/walk alot, and I camp and spend weekends in the WV mountains frequently. I do go to college and work though, so that takes up a good deal of time. I'm fortunate enough though to be able to make my own hours at work, meaning as long as I get my stuff done I can leave whenever I want.

Thank you Jennifer K. for the info that working lines were smaller, I didn't know that. Thats made me think of trying to find a smaller regular sized Aussie. Working lines are a must for me, unless the dog comes from a rescue. I think that the showlines of the majority of dog breeds are causing detrimental effects on the different breeds. This has been a discussion time and time again on this board, and I think the majority of people will agree with me.