Mini Aussies :: Fact and Fiction
If you have been researching Mini aussies, or been involved with the breed for any length of time, you have invariably
come across a much repeated phrase. "Mini Aussies are not a real breed!" The first time I saw this I was shocked,
especially as I gazed fondly at my first mini aussie, Shyann, lying faithfully at my feet. Was this true??? She wasn't a "real"
breed. Well, obviously it didn't take me long to decide that they were a real breed, one that I had fallen in love with, and I
happily jumped into becoming a dedicated breeder over the next 5 years. I steadfastly ignored things I saw on the internet
about the validity of my beloved canines as a breed, and went about my business, trying to improve the 'breed' that I had
become involved with. If this is your philosophy, do not go onto Yahoo Answers and ask a question about Mini Aussies.
You will be flayed alive for supporting unscupulous, back yard breeders and for buying a genetically flawed puppy with a
designer label attached.
Well, for some reason, I decided that it was time to get up on my soap box and set the record straight! Not something that I
do very often. (Please do not call my husband to verify that statement, he is a shameless liar!) So, here is a concise list of
the most often spouted myths about the mini aussie.
Mini Aussie Myths:
1. Mini Aussies are not a real breed.
2. Mini Aussies are not purebred.
3. Mini Aussies are just runts and therefore the unhealthy offspring of Aussie litters.
4. Mini Aussies are unhealthy and full of genetic faults.
Quite a list huh. I will start with #1 and move on.
Mini Aussies are not a real breed.
You will also hear often that there is no size variation recognized. It is true that ASCA and USASA do not, but, whose
recognition do we need to be a size variation of an aussie? Because someone closes their eyes and tells you the sun
doesn't exist, does that make it true? Recognized by them or not, we are here and are recognized by many registries.
To tackle these aspersions, lets look at the definition of "Breed".
Breed - A relatively homogeneous group of animals within a species, developed and maintained by humans.
Ok. That's pretty straight forward. I interpret that to mean, that mini aussies are a breed if, 1 - they are homogeneous and 2
- they were developed and maintained by humans.
So, let's look at the definition of homogeneous.
Homogeneous - Composed of parts or elements that are all of the same kind.
Alright, of the same kind. Proving this will actually debunk myth #2 as well! Wow, I'm efficient.
This will be relatively easy to prove, as the Australian Shepherd and Mini Australian Shepherd have intertwined histories.
Here is a timeline.
1800's - Australian Shepherds arrive with sheep herds in America. Sometimes called the bobtailed border collie.
1858 - References to the Australian Shepherd begin showing up in print.
1905 - An Australian Shepherd appears in a dog show in Idaho.
1956 - The NSDR (known then as the IESR) forms and begins registering the first Australian Shepherds, as well as
other stock dogs.
1957 - ASCA forms and becomes the first registry dedicated to the Australian Shepherd and is today, the largest
single breed registry.
1968 - A group of breeders including Doris Cordova, selects a group of smaller sized Australian Shepherds and
begins a breeding program with the goal of producing an Australian Shepherd under 17", who still had the heart,
intelligence and drive to work stock, and yet be small enough to travel easily to stock shows and be a 'house' dog.
They were affectionately referred to as the 'Little Blue Dog' and became the Miniature Australian Shepherd.
1977 - ASCA adopts it's breed standard listing a preference for 20" to 23" males and "18 to 21" females. No size
DQ existed then, nor does one exist now. Noted is the phrase "Quality should not be sacrificed for size."
1981 - Cordova Spike is registered as the first Miniature Australian Shepherd with the NSDR. He had registered
Australian Shepherd parents. NSDR has effectively accepted a size variation of the Australian Shepherd.
1989 - Mini's are shown next to Australian Shepherds in the RBKC (Rare Breed Kennel Club)
1990 - Fanciers of the Australian Shepherd began pursuing AKC recognition. ASCA was not interested in
becoming the Parent Breed Club to the AKC, so, the USASA was formed.
1990 - MASCUSA (now known as NAMASCUSA) was formed as a single breed club for the Miniature Australian
Shepherd.
1991 - AKC accepts the Australian Shepherd into the Foundation Stock Service with the USASA as the parent
breed club.
2011 - Mini's are accepted into the AKC under the new name of the Miniature American Shepherd.
Well, what does all of that tell us about whether the Mini is a real breed? The mini's surely qualify under the 'developed
and maintained by humans'. They have been in development since 1968, with the intention to create an Australian
Shepherd in a dog under 17". They have been tracked and maintained by a breed registry since 1981 and the first
Miniature Aussie dedicated breed registry was formed in 1990. The Mini Aussie has been a registered purebreed for 30
years.
Are they a homogeneous group? The first group of dogs that were used as the foundation stock of the Mini Aussies were
registered Australian Shepherds. Every Mini Aussie that I own is registered with NSDR. Is it a possibility that some
breeders outcrossed to different small breeds to quickly bring down the size of their dogs? Absolutely it is possible.
Unscrupulous breeders plague our breed just like they do every breed known to man. The AKC and the USASA agree that
the Australian Shepherd and the Miniature Australian Shepherd are so genetically linked that it is impossible to separate
them genetically. So, clearly the Mini is as purebred as the Australian Shepherd.
Now, all that being said... It does not take a registries creation or recognition to create a breed. The Mini's have now been
accepted into AKC. So, are we a breed now, created in 2011 due to our AKC status? No.... the mini's became a breed
when a group of conscientious breeders set out with the goal to produce a dog of a specific size, temperament, and
functionality, bred for a job and a purpose. All the milestones along the way were just a part of this breeds evolution.
So that answers myth's 1 and 2. Lets move on to 3.
Mini Aussies are just runts and therefore unhealthy offspring of Aussie litters.
Well, you would think that common sense would tell us that this isn't the case, but, strangely enough, common sense
seems to elude a lot of people when they get fired up about something. Mini Aussies are surely a hot button topic for a lot
of people.
A population of dogs that are primarily made up of genetically compromised individuals, would eventually collapse under
the weight of their own health problems. The Mini Australian Shepherds could never have survived, let alone have such a
large population, if the foundation dogs were weak, unhealthy animals. Another fact to consider, is that the runt of a litter
who is small due to poor health, in an otherwise large sized litter, is not genetically smaller. It would carry the same genes
for size that it's littermate's carried. So, subsequent breedings would throwback to a larger sized dog, and would not be
effective in a breeding program trying to produce smaller dogs.
What most people don't understand is that prior to the 60's and 70's, when Aussies began gaining popularity as show dogs,
there was very little conformity of size in the Australian Shepherd. In any litter, there could be a wide range of sizes, not
due to any health issues, but because the gene pool was so diverse. When Ms. Cordova, and the group of breeders she
worked with, began their breeding program in 1968 they simply selected the Aussies that fit into the parameters they had
set.
Mini Aussies are unhealthy and full of genetic faults.
Part of this myth has already been addressed above. The Mini Aussie breed is thriving, which would be hard to do with a
group of unhealthy, weak dogs. Need more proof... ok.
A review of CERF and OFA data reveals that the Mini does not suffer any more from any health conditions then the
Australian Shepherd does. So, if the aussie is cleared as a genetically sound breed, then so is the mini aussie. I'm not
saying that there are not genetic issues with aussies, obviously careful screening and breeding is needed to maintain a
healthy breeding pool!
So, to sum it up. Mini aussies were bred with the intention of being an Australian Shepherd in a smaller package. Are
there puppy mills and BYB's out there producing sick and unsound puppies? Are there breeders trying to continually
produce a smaller and smaller 'teacup' dog, with no thought or care to how it affects the breed as a whole? Yes, there are.
Are there also responsible breeders that spend a lot of time, effort, blood, sweat and tears to produce the best dogs that
we can. Yes! There are! Some minis and standards that I have seen do not deserve the name 'Aussie" but I have also
seen dogs that look exactly like an Aussie but are only 17", 15" or 13" tall. Have some of them become too small for the
function of herding. Possibly, depending on what you want to herd. We first became interested in minis to herd our Boer
meat goats. They were the perfect size to get the job done, big enough to get them moving, enough instinct and natural
ability to be highly trainable and easy to work with, but not big enough to cause damage to the goats. Some have become
too heavy boned, or light boned, or have too long of a coat to be functional as a herding dog. This is also happening in the
show lines of the Aussies, and happens in many working breeds when the show ring starts showing preference to a certain
'type'. But, just like the aussies, we have some fantastic little working dogs, and we have breeders that are dedicated to
preserving the working aspects of this little dog. Can a 13" dog take on a bull? It sure would try, and it might succeed! To
be honest though, I wouldn't let mine, although they are so quick and agile it would probably be fine. Cattle are not the only
animal that needs herding, and there is a place on our ranches, homes and hearts for this little dog. The popularity and the
demand for them certainly proves that.
Enough said! Stepping off my soapbox.
come across a much repeated phrase. "Mini Aussies are not a real breed!" The first time I saw this I was shocked,
especially as I gazed fondly at my first mini aussie, Shyann, lying faithfully at my feet. Was this true??? She wasn't a "real"
breed. Well, obviously it didn't take me long to decide that they were a real breed, one that I had fallen in love with, and I
happily jumped into becoming a dedicated breeder over the next 5 years. I steadfastly ignored things I saw on the internet
about the validity of my beloved canines as a breed, and went about my business, trying to improve the 'breed' that I had
become involved with. If this is your philosophy, do not go onto Yahoo Answers and ask a question about Mini Aussies.
You will be flayed alive for supporting unscupulous, back yard breeders and for buying a genetically flawed puppy with a
designer label attached.
Well, for some reason, I decided that it was time to get up on my soap box and set the record straight! Not something that I
do very often. (Please do not call my husband to verify that statement, he is a shameless liar!) So, here is a concise list of
the most often spouted myths about the mini aussie.
Mini Aussie Myths:
1. Mini Aussies are not a real breed.
2. Mini Aussies are not purebred.
3. Mini Aussies are just runts and therefore the unhealthy offspring of Aussie litters.
4. Mini Aussies are unhealthy and full of genetic faults.
Quite a list huh. I will start with #1 and move on.
Mini Aussies are not a real breed.
You will also hear often that there is no size variation recognized. It is true that ASCA and USASA do not, but, whose
recognition do we need to be a size variation of an aussie? Because someone closes their eyes and tells you the sun
doesn't exist, does that make it true? Recognized by them or not, we are here and are recognized by many registries.
To tackle these aspersions, lets look at the definition of "Breed".
Breed - A relatively homogeneous group of animals within a species, developed and maintained by humans.
Ok. That's pretty straight forward. I interpret that to mean, that mini aussies are a breed if, 1 - they are homogeneous and 2
- they were developed and maintained by humans.
So, let's look at the definition of homogeneous.
Homogeneous - Composed of parts or elements that are all of the same kind.
Alright, of the same kind. Proving this will actually debunk myth #2 as well! Wow, I'm efficient.
This will be relatively easy to prove, as the Australian Shepherd and Mini Australian Shepherd have intertwined histories.
Here is a timeline.
1800's - Australian Shepherds arrive with sheep herds in America. Sometimes called the bobtailed border collie.
1858 - References to the Australian Shepherd begin showing up in print.
1905 - An Australian Shepherd appears in a dog show in Idaho.
1956 - The NSDR (known then as the IESR) forms and begins registering the first Australian Shepherds, as well as
other stock dogs.
1957 - ASCA forms and becomes the first registry dedicated to the Australian Shepherd and is today, the largest
single breed registry.
1968 - A group of breeders including Doris Cordova, selects a group of smaller sized Australian Shepherds and
begins a breeding program with the goal of producing an Australian Shepherd under 17", who still had the heart,
intelligence and drive to work stock, and yet be small enough to travel easily to stock shows and be a 'house' dog.
They were affectionately referred to as the 'Little Blue Dog' and became the Miniature Australian Shepherd.
1977 - ASCA adopts it's breed standard listing a preference for 20" to 23" males and "18 to 21" females. No size
DQ existed then, nor does one exist now. Noted is the phrase "Quality should not be sacrificed for size."
1981 - Cordova Spike is registered as the first Miniature Australian Shepherd with the NSDR. He had registered
Australian Shepherd parents. NSDR has effectively accepted a size variation of the Australian Shepherd.
1989 - Mini's are shown next to Australian Shepherds in the RBKC (Rare Breed Kennel Club)
1990 - Fanciers of the Australian Shepherd began pursuing AKC recognition. ASCA was not interested in
becoming the Parent Breed Club to the AKC, so, the USASA was formed.
1990 - MASCUSA (now known as NAMASCUSA) was formed as a single breed club for the Miniature Australian
Shepherd.
1991 - AKC accepts the Australian Shepherd into the Foundation Stock Service with the USASA as the parent
breed club.
2011 - Mini's are accepted into the AKC under the new name of the Miniature American Shepherd.
Well, what does all of that tell us about whether the Mini is a real breed? The mini's surely qualify under the 'developed
and maintained by humans'. They have been in development since 1968, with the intention to create an Australian
Shepherd in a dog under 17". They have been tracked and maintained by a breed registry since 1981 and the first
Miniature Aussie dedicated breed registry was formed in 1990. The Mini Aussie has been a registered purebreed for 30
years.
Are they a homogeneous group? The first group of dogs that were used as the foundation stock of the Mini Aussies were
registered Australian Shepherds. Every Mini Aussie that I own is registered with NSDR. Is it a possibility that some
breeders outcrossed to different small breeds to quickly bring down the size of their dogs? Absolutely it is possible.
Unscrupulous breeders plague our breed just like they do every breed known to man. The AKC and the USASA agree that
the Australian Shepherd and the Miniature Australian Shepherd are so genetically linked that it is impossible to separate
them genetically. So, clearly the Mini is as purebred as the Australian Shepherd.
Now, all that being said... It does not take a registries creation or recognition to create a breed. The Mini's have now been
accepted into AKC. So, are we a breed now, created in 2011 due to our AKC status? No.... the mini's became a breed
when a group of conscientious breeders set out with the goal to produce a dog of a specific size, temperament, and
functionality, bred for a job and a purpose. All the milestones along the way were just a part of this breeds evolution.
So that answers myth's 1 and 2. Lets move on to 3.
Mini Aussies are just runts and therefore unhealthy offspring of Aussie litters.
Well, you would think that common sense would tell us that this isn't the case, but, strangely enough, common sense
seems to elude a lot of people when they get fired up about something. Mini Aussies are surely a hot button topic for a lot
of people.
A population of dogs that are primarily made up of genetically compromised individuals, would eventually collapse under
the weight of their own health problems. The Mini Australian Shepherds could never have survived, let alone have such a
large population, if the foundation dogs were weak, unhealthy animals. Another fact to consider, is that the runt of a litter
who is small due to poor health, in an otherwise large sized litter, is not genetically smaller. It would carry the same genes
for size that it's littermate's carried. So, subsequent breedings would throwback to a larger sized dog, and would not be
effective in a breeding program trying to produce smaller dogs.
What most people don't understand is that prior to the 60's and 70's, when Aussies began gaining popularity as show dogs,
there was very little conformity of size in the Australian Shepherd. In any litter, there could be a wide range of sizes, not
due to any health issues, but because the gene pool was so diverse. When Ms. Cordova, and the group of breeders she
worked with, began their breeding program in 1968 they simply selected the Aussies that fit into the parameters they had
set.
Mini Aussies are unhealthy and full of genetic faults.
Part of this myth has already been addressed above. The Mini Aussie breed is thriving, which would be hard to do with a
group of unhealthy, weak dogs. Need more proof... ok.
A review of CERF and OFA data reveals that the Mini does not suffer any more from any health conditions then the
Australian Shepherd does. So, if the aussie is cleared as a genetically sound breed, then so is the mini aussie. I'm not
saying that there are not genetic issues with aussies, obviously careful screening and breeding is needed to maintain a
healthy breeding pool!
So, to sum it up. Mini aussies were bred with the intention of being an Australian Shepherd in a smaller package. Are
there puppy mills and BYB's out there producing sick and unsound puppies? Are there breeders trying to continually
produce a smaller and smaller 'teacup' dog, with no thought or care to how it affects the breed as a whole? Yes, there are.
Are there also responsible breeders that spend a lot of time, effort, blood, sweat and tears to produce the best dogs that
we can. Yes! There are! Some minis and standards that I have seen do not deserve the name 'Aussie" but I have also
seen dogs that look exactly like an Aussie but are only 17", 15" or 13" tall. Have some of them become too small for the
function of herding. Possibly, depending on what you want to herd. We first became interested in minis to herd our Boer
meat goats. They were the perfect size to get the job done, big enough to get them moving, enough instinct and natural
ability to be highly trainable and easy to work with, but not big enough to cause damage to the goats. Some have become
too heavy boned, or light boned, or have too long of a coat to be functional as a herding dog. This is also happening in the
show lines of the Aussies, and happens in many working breeds when the show ring starts showing preference to a certain
'type'. But, just like the aussies, we have some fantastic little working dogs, and we have breeders that are dedicated to
preserving the working aspects of this little dog. Can a 13" dog take on a bull? It sure would try, and it might succeed! To
be honest though, I wouldn't let mine, although they are so quick and agile it would probably be fine. Cattle are not the only
animal that needs herding, and there is a place on our ranches, homes and hearts for this little dog. The popularity and the
demand for them certainly proves that.
Enough said! Stepping off my soapbox.
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