At risk of unpopularity, I know many Mini-Aussies that are awesome. There must be a breeder nearby because I know of about 10 here in town, and we are not a large city.

With the exception of one, they have great dispositions, and are very “Aussie” like in temperament, energy, and bone structure. One is close to 14 years old and in great health (the rest are fairly young 2-7 with no health issues&hellip Of the ten that I can think of, seven compete in Agility, four in Fly Ball, and four herd (I went to watch a local trainer and saw those four there, surprising me. Got to talking to those owners and found out that each did all of the above events and compete.)

By virtue of the sports themselves that these specific dogs compete in, you should be aware that these dogs can be very high energy. I would almost say perhaps more Border Collie energy than Aussie energy (either would be a lot for a student that works and is planning a wedding and the building of a house) but if your lifestyle allows for a release of energy like any of the mentioned breeds, then find a breeder that you like, and enjoy!!! (Oooohh! Fly Ball can be trained in a hallway… That would be great!)

Now I also agree that trying to miniaturize any species for our vanity and pleasure is not a good thing at all. As mentioned before, you cannot keep a balanced animal in all terms if you are focusing so heavily on one thing, be it conformation, size, color, drive or anything else. I am as passionate as many others on this board about this subject…

But I have to admit (hypocrite that I am) to loving my 28” Mini (size) Paint (color) “Arabian” (very specialized type) Horse… Talk about selective breeding! But he is a certified therapy horse (stud) that regularly goes to pre-schools to be finger-painted by toddlers and has many points in conformation and jumping in hand. I guess what I am getting at, is that while it is not (AT ALL!!) a good idea to focus on one thing while breeding an animal, the result is not always a disaster…

(Ducking and hiding now&hellip

Jessica,

there are probably mini aussie breeders out there trying their damndest to do a good job, i just think that the premise of deliberatley breeding for size alone was a bad idea and there really is a wide range in size of the regular aussie to possibly accomodate an aprtment home w/o making up a new breed to fulfill one particular niche.

BUT--if all things weighed in are positive, and seem to fit the bill, then she should surely look into the breeder in your area. we are all limited by our own individual experiences or observations with any breed or line. and i think in diff areas of the country we see trends. around here, the mini aussies are just icky...the ones near you sound nice. (i have also seen some TOY aussies around here----they are awful, pitiful.)

as for mini horses--haha.... there are 10 on my property (boarders) and they are cute and sweet but have some definite genetic issues (full horse-sized teeth in a miniature-sized mouth for starters---which leads to all sorts of dental issues!), and dwarfism. there is one true dwarf and bless-his-heart he is a MESS and a half and very high maintenance with hoof care but a little DEAR. but that is another story....your boy sounds nice!


jen

They have mini Arab horses?
Weird. I guess I left the horse world too soon, LOL.

Jessica, thank you so much for posting! If you could send me the link of the breeder in your area I'd really appreciate it!

Also, I don't want a dog that was bred for just size. I don't want anyone thinking that. Yes, size is a big reason why I was initally attracted to the mini Aussies, but the fact that *some* of them are working, in many different areas gives me hope that I can find a smaller Aussie that has the genetic physical and mental capabilites of their regular sized counterparts.

Granted that may be hard to find, I'm looking at regular Aussies too now. I really never realized their was such a wide range in size with them, or I would have been looking at them from day one. Jen if you are still in touch with any of the Aussie breeders, do you care to recommend some to me, I'd really appreciate it!

Megan, next time I run into one of the Mini Aussies, I will ask about who the breeder is. Either way, I wish you luck in finding your next dog. There is nothing like raising a new puppy! And I always have respect for people who star their search early and with research. Kudos to you.

Jennifer, Jack is great! I realize the mess that happens when unscrupulous people breed without regard for the future generations. I am so sorry for the minis that you are describing, it breaks my heart. Luckily the minis that I know are healthy and happy. *Keeps fingers crossed*

Alyssa, a Mini is a Mini, but they come in two types, stock horse type and Arabian type. The body and head are stylized after one of the two types and shown in a manner that agrees with the full sized version of the type. But as this is way off topic, I bow out now…

Here is the breeder that lives near Jessica and myself.

http://www.timelessaussies.com/

I have talked to her and she seems nice. I saw her dogs at a UKC show, and they seemed healthy and happy. VERY cute too. I actually considered a mini aussie before I decided to go large...

I know someone who owns one from her, and it is 11 years old and going strong! And a sweet heart to boot. He was the reason I considered getting one.

Here ia a link to the parent club, and a breeders directory just in case you haven't seen them before:

http://www.namascusa.com/

http://www.namascusa.com/finding.htm#breeders

Good luck with which ever way you choose to go.

 Quote: MeganMcCallister

I really never realized their was such a wide range in size with them, or I would have been looking at them from day one.

In many working breeds (bred for working only, with little consideration given to appearance) there is often such a wide range of appearances and types it is often hard to tell some dogs are the same breed. This is especially true if they come in many colours.

There is much more variety in the working line Aussie than in the show lines for obvious reasons: show lines are all bred to conform to the same standard Working breeders did not care how tall their dog was, as long as it could do the work and do it well.

Have you thought about Aussie rescue? I have a friend who does aussie rescue and personally has about 5 rescue aussies that she personally owns. A couple of them are on the small side. I would say in the 20-30 pound range. I would go the ASCA route first as well as they tend to be smaller and lighter boned.

http://www.asca.org/

I'm definitely taking my time because I want to make the right decision, and find the perfect pup for me.

Shody thanks so much for posting that link!

Ingrid: I'm completely open to getting a rescue. I'd rather have a puppy, but if the right dog comes along, the right dog comes along! Would you mind sharing your friends name/email address so I could talk to someone actively involved in rescuing Aussies?

I've been looking at the ASCA in between class and work, and I really like some of the dogs/breeders that I've seen. I'm really glad I posted here, because without your alls help I would have never realized that I could find a regular sized Aussie (w/out any possible genetic flaws from downsizing) that could fit my needs.

Megan,

I'm a member of the ASCA. I get their monthly magazine which has ads for breeders. I would be happy to send you the latest copy if you'd like.

I have a Red-Tri Aussie (Ginger) who everyone asks, "Is she a 'Miniature'"? No... she's just on the small size of the breed standard. At first it was mildly annoying to answer the question... now it's completely annoying...