Australian Shepherds Versus Miniature Australian Shepherds Breeds and Information available at http://australianshepherdreviews.com

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Australian Shepherd tips, information and secrets to raising this wonderful dog available at
http://australianshepherdreviews.com
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There exists quite a bit of contention and debate around the status of the Miniature Australian
Shepherds (and the even smaller Toy and Teacup Aussies) as a breed. In fact, the Mini Aussie is
sometimes perceived as an inferior dog and some Aussie dog lovers refuse to acknowledge that
Miniatures are even dogs at all.
Are Miniature Aussies Inferior?
Miniature Aussies as a breed are not at all inferior. Reviews have shown that Minis don't suffer
from greater health issues than the standard Aussie. Both groups do have health issues such as
hip dysplasia, but these are equally prominent in either group.
Unfortunately, some of the bad press for Minis has been fuelled by unscrupulous breeders who
have mixed breeds and bred without due regard to the quality of the dogs but simply with the aim
of breeding small dogs. Some of these dogs may have had genetically related health issues and
given all Mini Aussies a bad name. In addition, because of the increasing popularity of the Mini,
backyard breeders have popped up and breed dogs that are inferior.
Reputable breeders of the Miniature Aussie are then looked at with suspicion and all breeders of
these dogs given a bad name. This contributes to the Aussie versus Mini Aussie debates.
Australian Shepherds and Miniatures: A Shared History
However, it is clear that Minis and standard Aussies have a closely related history. Both breeds
originated in the American West as ranching became a way of life from the 1800s onwards. The
breeds are relatively new and come from a melting pot of different bloodlines and lineages,
including possibly the Australian Koolie dog and the Pyrenean Shepherd Dog. The latter were
brought by the Basque Shepherds who immigrated to the USA. The genetic influences of all these
varied breeds resulted in litters with different size varieties of puppies. Since dogs in those early
days of ranching were chosen for their herding skills, not for size or conformation. There was no
breed standard and different owners would breed for the dogs that worked best as herders.
Breed Recognition for the Miniature Australian Shepherd
Today, the Australian Shepherd Dog is recognized by the American Kennel Club as one size dog
only. They do not recognize the Miniature Aussie as a variety of the larger Aussie. The American
Stock Dog Association on the other hand, recognizes three size varieties of the Australian
Shepherd: standard, miniature and toy.
Enthusiasts of Miniature Aussies established their own club, originally known as the Miniature

2. Australian Shepherd Club of the USA, its name was later changed to the North American
Miniature Australian Shepherd Club with the ultimate aim of getting the Miniature Aussie declared
its own breed, the North American Shepherd.
How Does this Affect Your Dog?
Ultimately, if you want to have an Australian Shepherd, either a "standard" one or you choose a
Mini- you need to properly research the breed and the breeder that you choose. Whatever type of
dog you choose, make sure that you buy a dog from a breeder with ethics who is committed to the
breed.
Kendall Rowsby is a committed dog lover. If you'd like more great information on Mini Australian
Shepherds then please visit http://www.australianshepherdsinfo.com/miniature-australian-
shepherds/
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kendall_Rowsby
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Australian Shepherd tips, information and secrets to raising this wonderful dog available at
http://australianshepherdreviews.com
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