Miniature Australian Shepherds

[angelas]

What does anyone know about Mini Aussies?

My sister supposedly got one a few weeks ago. According to her it's not going to get more than 15 pounds (not according to what I have read) and it is pure white (totally against standard). I had a couple of poor quality cell phone photos emailed to me (sucks I already deleted them or I'd post them) and the dog in them is tiny and looks more like a Pomeranian mix than any Aussie Shepherd I've ever seen.

Supposedly she has "papers" that it is purebred but considering her that might just be a vaccination record. I can't find a legitimate club that registers them in Canada (they are not a CKC registered or even listed breed) and I'm not sure if the AKC will registered litters of FSS breeds born in Canada. Does anyone know where it could be registered? I'm thinking the only possibility is a scam registry like the ConKC.

This one supposedly comes from Alberta but I don't know who she got it from though the breeder did insist on keeping it until it was 10 weeks old.

I wouldn't be surprised if sis got ripped off. She thinks she knows everything there is to know and the member of the family that trained the family dogs and cares for them, that studies training and is on the board of a national club knows absolutely nothing about dogs. She would never come to me for advise on getting the dog, I wouldn't be surprised if she bought from a pet store just to annoy me. She may not come to me for help when she has problems but if she does she's going to want instant fix, no effort fixes. Too bad for her the only thing I'll do is give her the name of a really good trainer I know from Saskatoon. Though according to my mom who just got back on Sunday, this 13 week old puppy is perfectly trained.

I'm just worried about this little pup once sis gets bored with it. If something she wants doesn't work the way she expects it to in her fairytale land she ignores it. This puppy will hit the teens and the fairytale will fall apart and sis will want it fixed instantly without any effort on her part or will dump the problem.

[onyx'girl]

The only thing I ever hear is that most responsible Aussie breeders are opposed to the "down-sizing" of them. They have enough genetic issues as it is.

[GusGus]

Miniature Australian Shepherd Information and Pictures, Miniature Australian Shepherds

This is what I could find for you. Hope it helps

[angelas]

Originally Posted by onyx'girl

The only thing I ever hear is that most responsible Aussie breeders are opposed to the "down-sizing" of them. They have enough genetic issues as it is.

Exactly, and the Canadian Miniature Aussie Shepherd Association has NOTHING in their COE or bylaws about mandatory health testing so that says a lot about that association.

[I_LOVE_MY_MIKKO]

I seem them in agility. Aren't the all white Aussies deaf?

[GusGus]

Originally Posted by angelas

Exactly, and the Canadian Miniature Aussie Shepherd Association has NOTHING in their COE or bylaws about mandatory health testing so that says a lot about that association.

I checked out some breeders and some do guarantee health in the contracts. However; I'm in America and don't know much about Canadian breeder/association laws or anything.

[ShelbyCD]

We started puppy class last night and there is a mini Australian shepherd in the class. She is 10 weeks. She's tiny. She fits in her owners two hands. She is a red Merle. Very timid, but considering she was in a class with our GSD and an Akita, I wasn't surprised she seemed nervous.


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[msvette2u]

Originally Posted by onyx'girl

The only thing I ever hear is that most responsible Aussie breeders are opposed to the "down-sizing" of them. They have enough genetic issues as it is.

This.
The ones I've heard of are nervous messes.
They only bred the smallest of the small to get "mini" Aussies, there is no such thing as per AKC.
Another "fad" dog, IMO.
Any time you breed the runts you're going to see increased health issues; here, we see dogs bred as "toys" and what not (Chis spring to mind) and then you start seeing issues like liver shunts, defective and non-existent kneecaps, heart murmurs and the like.

[Whiteshepherds]

Weren't the Miniature American Shepherds that are now in the AKC Foundation Stock Service originally called Miniature Australian Shepherds? Same dogs but not quite as small as what people are now calling the MAS?

[JakodaCD OA]

I have aussies, and one day I will get a mini I DO know alot of reputable mini breeder who health test, show their dogs and as with any breed there are alot of unreputable ones who will breed to anything to get that small size.

15 pounds, is a little light even for a mini, are you sure she didn't get a TOY aussie, and yes unfortunately those are out there A friend got one at, of all places a flea market Cute little thing, didn't get over 12 lbs, but looked pomeranianish..

If the puppy is all white, I would have it checked for deafness

My rescue came out of a merle/merle breeding (frowned on), two of his litter mates were lethal whites (deaf), two were fine, two 'iffy', health issues.

The mini's are usually shown in ARBA (Rare breed) and registered with them.

The majority of mini's my friends have , range in weight from 22-30lbs.