Miniature Australian Shepherd

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Miniature Australian Shepherd

Red tricolor Miniature Aussie

Other names

none

Country of origin

United States

Nicknames

Mini Aussie

Traits

Classification & standards
Not recognized by any major kennel club

The miniature Australian Shepherd was developed by selectively breeding small Australian Shepherds.

The dogs are rapidly increasing in popularity among those interested in a compact dog with a strong work ethic. They are especially popular in dog agility, and do well in other dog sports including herding, obedience, disc dog, and many other activities.

1 Description
2 History
3 External links

[edit] Description

[edit] Appearance

Miniature Aussies range in height from 14 to 18 inches (35 to 46 cm) at the withers and weigh between 17 and 30 pounds (9 to 14 kg). Coat colors are the same as those for Australian Shepherds; blue merle, red merle, black, and red, all with or without copper and white trim. Eyes may be any combination of brown, amber, hazel, blue, or marbled.

Mini Aussie dressed up and showing off its agility contact-zone skills

[edit] Temperament

Miniature Australian Shepherds are notoriously eager to work. They are very fun to play with. They can be easily trained, but their intelligence and drive require obedience training and plenty of interesting activity. Once given a clear job to do, like guarding or companionship, they will thrive in a variety of environments, provided they have an adequate outlet for both physical and mental energy. If they are not allowed adequate room to play, they may become destructive. They are social dogs and form close attachments to their owner. As a result, some may suffer separation anxiety even if you are only gone for a few minutes. Mini Aussie's function well as a family dog, but their excessive energy may need to be checked around small children. Since these dogs are the purebred result of selective standard Australian Shepherd breeding and not the result of a cross-breed with a toy, they have retained the temperament of their standard forebears.

[edit] MDR1 Gene

Mutant MDR1 Gene mutation has been found in a variety of herding dogs: Australian Shepherds (both miniature and full sized), Shetland Sheepdogs, Old English Sheepdogs and German Shepherds. Testing is the only way to determine if an individual dog has the mutant gene - provided by the Washington State University - http://www.vetmed.wsu.edu/depts-VCPL/.

Dogs with the gene mutation, commonly referred to as "mutants", may have adverse reactions when given certain drugs. The documented list includes drug types for: antiparasitic agents, antaparasitic agents, antidiarrheal agents, tranquilizer, pre-anesthetic agents and chemotherapy agents.

Documented problematic drugs include: Ivermectin, Selamectin, Milbemycin, Moxidectin, Loperamide, Acepromazine, Butorphanol, Vincristine, Vinblastine and Doxorubicin

Please refer to Washington State University's website for detailed information on the MDR1 Gene.

[edit] History

A 5- month-- old dillute cryptic merle Mini Aussie teething

The history of the miniature Australian Shepherd is the same as that of the Australian Shepherd until approximately the 1960s. Thereafter, fanciers formed member clubs and registries to promote the smaller dogs in particular. While there were at one point in the past a few enthusiasts who wanted to pursue recognition as a separate breed, the fancy as a whole and the clubs that focus on the smaller sized Aussies consider the dogs merely a size variety of the Australian Shepherd. The parent clubs of the Australian Shepherd however do not recognize a size variety of the Australian Shepherd.

Miniature Australian Shepherds can be registered with the National Stock Dog Registry (NSDR), MASCA, NAMASCUSA and a variety of other registeries. Toy Australian Shepherds can also be registered with TASAA.org