ABOUT THIS BREED:

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In the 1960's,  smaller Australian Shepherds that were working the rodeo circuit were selectively bred to reduce their size.  The breed became especially popular with the equestrian community as their loyal  "velcro" mentality and smaller size made them a great companion for tagging along to horse shows and for hopping on golf carts and utv's. The American Kennel Club made the decision to name the "Mini Aussie" as the Miniature American Shepherd to differentiate the breed from the Australian Shepherd, despite the genetic ties between both breeds.  The Miniature American Shepherd became eligible to  be recorded in the Foundation Stock Service in 2011, approved for the Miscellaneous Class in 2012 and then became able to compete in the Herding Group beginning July 1, 2015.

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They are very active and intelligent, and very eager to please. While they are not a "guard dog" they are naturally wary of strangers and are a great "alerting" dog. Please realizes this is not a big, goofy retriever that naturally jumps up and slobbers all over you; they are at first cautious of strangers and take a bit to warm up to you. They are best suited for an active family, and while they can be adapted to live in an apartment, with an active owner....it is at first a challenge! They excel at agility, fly ball, frisbee sports and are great beach and hiking compadres.

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FAQ...

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Do They Shed...Yes, we shed. I love my Dyson V8 Animal...I want to marry it!

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Do They Bark..Yes, this is a herding dog. You can take the herd away from the dog, but you can't take the dog away from the herd. I find it fascinating that, no matter what, a dog still does what it was bred to do!

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Are They Hyper...Ummmm.... no ....but, they are very active and are not for everyone... my dogs have a definite "off" button. At night, everyone comes in , gets a chewy and settles down.

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Our Miniature American Shepherds...

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We strive to raise healthy, happy puppies that make great family members and wonderful small ranch dogs.  Our parent dogs are screened for heritable genetic diseases that may be found in the Miniature Australian Shepherd breed. We have used Orivet genetics and are currently utilizing Paw Print Genetics for our testing. Our parent dogs are genetic tested and if found to be a carrier we use only an appropriate mate so as to not pass on a problem to our puppies.

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We currently test our parent dogs for:

Canine Multifocal Retinopathy CMR1

Collie Eye Anomaly/Choroidal Hypoplasia

Cone Degeneration

Hereditary Cataract

Progressive Rod Cone Degeneration (PRCD)-PRA

Degenerative Myelopathy

Ivermectin sensitivity (MDR1) Multiple Drug Resistance

Dilated Cardiomyopathy

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Our parent dogs are CERF tested  for hereditary ocular diseases by a veterinary ophthalmologist ( eye specialist).

The CERF (Companion Animal Eye Registry) is part of the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) to reduce the incidence of genetic diseases in animals.

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Our puppies receive their first set of vaccinations and physical examination at 6 weeks and then every 3-4 weeks thereafter.  We will provide the complete puppy vaccination series and deworming until the age of 16 weeks, provided you use our veterinary hospital.    We will also microchip your new puppy for his or her safety.

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Our puppies will be registered as "limited registration" ( no breeding rights) .  We do use outside sires and do not offer breeding rights at this time.

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We strongly encourage your new puppy to be enrolled in a new puppy obedience class, as soon as their vaccination series is completed.  These little guys are very intelligent and energetic and this energy and brain power needs to be focused and kept busy... if you do not provide the mental stimulation and training they need, they will find all kinds of trouble to get into! ( Our favorite momma dog Star opens doors at will!)  A tired puppy is a happy puppy!!!!

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We do raise our puppies using "Puppy Culture" and do encourage your puppy be exposed to a variety of people and places....This will ensure a well rounded new family member!

That being said, do not let your new baby around the general dog population until after they are finished with their puppy series at 16 weeks of age. At that age, their immune system is mature, and they are protected against the diseases we vaccinate for.

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Our puppies begin solids at 3 weeks, with a blended meal of Royal Canin Puppy Starter and Esbilac Puppy Milk.  They are transitioned to small breed puppy kibble and  canned food at 5 weeks. We will provide a bag of food and canned food for a good start.

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We are ALWAYS available to help you with questions about your puppy!  If you are happy , our baby is happy!

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