The minature & toy 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, agility, and many other activities.

Appearance

Miniature Aussies ranges in height from 13 to 18 inches at the withers and weigh between 17 and 40 pounds. Toy Aussies are under 13 inches. Coat colors are the same as those for Australian Shepherds, which are blue merle, red merle, black tricolor, red tricolor, black bicolor, and red bicolor.  There is even a very rare type of coat color: Brown & white. The eye colors may vary. Dogs may have two green eyes, one green and one blue, a blue & a brown, two browns, or two icy blue eyes.  Even a dog with a green eye & a brown eye is possible.

Temperament

Miniature & Toy 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 or Toy Aussies function well as family dogs, 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 forbearers.

History

The history of the miniature & toy Austrilian 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 & Toy Australian Shepherds can be registered with the National Stock Dog Registry (NSDR), MASCA, NAMASCUSA, ASDR, and a variety of other registeries.

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