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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.
Appearance
Miniature Aussies ranges in height from 13 to 18 inches (35 to 46 cm) at the withers and weighs between 17 and 40 pounds (9 to 18 kg). Coat colors are the same as those for Australian Shepherds, which are blue merle, red merle, black tricolor, red tricolor, black bi-color, and red bi-color. There is even a very rare type of coat color: brown and white. The eye colors may vary; dogs may have two green eyes, one green and one blue, a blue and a brown, two browns, or two icy blue eyes. Even a green eye and a brown one is possible.
Temperament
Miniature Australian Shepherds are notoriously eager to work. 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.
 History
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
Miscellaneous
Recent studies suggest that Miniature Australian Shepherds are more likely than their full-sized counterparts to carry the mutated MDR1 gene. Read here for more information about the dangers and risk of death caused by MDR1 mutation.
The breed has shrunk even further to the smaller versions. The Toy Australian Shepherds are sized down to 14 or under. These smaller dogs are still energetic, and intelligent. Learn about the Toy Australian Shepherd at TASAA.org
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