Developed in California from the Australian Shepherd, the Miniature American Shepherd or Mini American as they are affectionately called. They make excellent companions but can also work on a farm and herd cattle. They do still need a lot of exercise. Keep reading to see if the Mini American is the right dog for you.
What is the Miniature American Shepherd?
The Miniature American Shepherd was developed in California as an alternative to the Australian Shepherd. The Mini American Shepherd was created to be the perfect companion for either farm life or the suburban family. They are small enough to enjoy homes with smaller yards and also tenacious enough to still work on a farm. They still need plenty of exercise as they are a herding dog with a lot of energy, just in a smaller package than his larger counterpart. The Miniature American Shepherd excels at many dog sports including obedience, rally, agility, and herding. They love children and get along well with other dogs.
Common Health Tests
The Mini American Shepherd must have several health tests done to ensure their overall health is sound. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals or OFA offers testing on hips, elbows, heart, knees, and thyroid. The Canine Eye Registration Foundation requires that Miniature American Shepherds be tested for CEA and PRA. Test results are made available in their database.
In the past several years researchers have developed genetic testing for CEA, PRA, MDR1, and vWD. Mini American Shepherd breeders and owners are encouraged to test their dogs for these genetic diseases and help eradicate them from the breed. Color testing can also be performed to determine if they carry certain merle genes.
History of the Miniature American Shepherd
Just like the Australian Shepherd, the Miniature American Shepherd originated in California. In the 1960s, people began working towards developing the Mini American Shepherd by taking undersized Australian Shepherds and breeding them together to produce smaller-sized dogs. Some people claim that breeders also used small dogs that resembled the Australian Shepherd bred to the undersized Aussies to create the smaller breed.
The goal of these breeders was to create a breed that had the same intelligence and activity levels as the Aussie but in a much smaller size. The original name of these dogs was Miniature Australian Shepherds but several Aussie breeders and the Australian Shepherd Club of America objected to this name and the direct association with this new breed. The name was changed to the North American Shepherd and then was finally renamed to Miniature American Shepherd.Mini
Not all breeders of these new, smaller versions of the Australian Shepherd wanted the breed’s name changed from Miniature Australian Shepherd. Therefore, some breeders continued to work towards developing the Mini American Shepherd and other breeders kept calling their smaller dogs Miniature Australian Shepherd. There is only one difference between the Mini American Shepherd and the Mini Australian Shepherd: the Mini American can be registered with the AKC, but the Mini Aussie cannot.
By 1980, many breeders started listing their Mini American Shepherds with the National Stock Dog Registry. In 1990 the Miniature American Shepherd Club of the USA was founded. The American Kennel Club began registering Miniature American Shepherds in their Foundation Stock Service in 2011. The American Kennel Club officially recognized the Miniature American Shepherd as a part of the Herding Group in July 2015.
What Does the Mini American Shepherd Look Like
The Miniature American Shepherd looks like a smaller version of the Australian Shepherd. Their body is slightly longer than their legs. They are agile, sturdy, and very active and alert. Their eyes are almond in shape and can be brown, amber, or blue. Their ears are set high on their head and folded into a triangular shape.
Blue merles and black tricolors have black noses, but red merles and red tricolors have a liver-colored nose. While they do not have a long coat, it is a dense coat. This undercoat will shed out, usually in the spring or summer.
How to Maintain the Mini American?
The Miniature American Shepherd has a double coat that is medium long. Usually, their coat is straight, but it can have a slight wave. The topcoat is thick and slightly coarse. The undercoat is soft and downy. The Mini American will shed year-round; however, they will also shed seasonally and have heavy shedding in the spring and fall. During light shedding, they can be brushed weekly. When there is heavily shedding, they will need to be thoroughly brushed daily to remove the loose hair and prevent matting. Clumps of hair will appear around your home if you do not regularly brush your Mini American Shepherd.
The Miniature American Shepherd does not require constant bathing, and you can clean their ears weekly and trim their nails as needed, usually every 2-3 weeks. Dental care should include regular teeth brushing and scaling to remove any built-up tartar and prevent dental disease.
Temperament of the Miniature American Shepherd
The MAS is a fun-loving, highly intelligent, all-around great children’s dog. They are gentle with other pets, especially when raised with them. They can easily learn games and tricks.
Because of their strong herding instincts, the Mini American should be kept contained in a fenced yard if not working on a farm or ranch. Although not shy, they can be reserved toward strangers, making them excellent watchdogs.
