Miniature Australian Shepherds vs Miniature American Shepherds

Mini Aussies and Mini Americans are the exact same dog, the name you use is solely based on which registry the dog is registered with. The American Stock Dog Registry (ASDR) calls them Mini Aussies. The American Kennel Club (AKC) calls them Mini Americans.

Mini Aussies came first some 40 years ago. When AKC decided to accept them they had to pick a new name for the breed because the Australian Shepherd parent breed club would not allow them to be added as a size variety of Australian Shepherd. So it was voted to call them Miniature American Shepherds.

The AKC Miniature American Shepherd stud book is currently still open to ASDR registered Mini Aussies that meet certain requirements. Almost all of our dogs meet those requirements and are dual registered with both ASDR as Mini Aussies and AKC as Mini Americans. However, our dogs AKC registration is used only for our own program and all puppies are sold as ASDR registered only.

ASDR Breed Standard

You can read the ASDR breed standard for the Australian Shepherd by following the link below.

https://www.americanstockdog.org/page/australian-shepherd

AKC Breed Standard

You can read the AKC breed standard for the Miniature American Shepherd by following the link below.

Click to access MiniatureAmericanShepherd.pdf

General Temperament/Energy Information

Mini Aussies are a well rounded breed that can fit into many different homes. They have the energy to play ball, go on a hike or do agility but should also have an “off button”, meaning they can just as easily lay around inside while you watch tv.

They absolutely worship their people and want nothing more than to please you and be with you. They’re lovingly called “velcro dogs” because they’re generally attached at the hip to their favorite person. Because of their loyalty and willingness to please they generally do very well off leash and have an excellent recall, if they even go very far from you to begin with!

Mini Aussies are generally great with kids and and make fantastic family dogs. Some can be wary of strangers but they should never exhibit true fearfulness. A well socialized Mini Aussie typically never meets a stranger.

They’re very easy to train and can learn a plethora of tricks and commands. Their intelligence can be a double edged sword though. They can very easily learn bad habits just as quickly as the good habits if they’re left unchecked, so staying on top of their training is vital.

Grooming Requirements

Mini Aussies are a fairly easy breed to take care of when it comes to grooming. They’re a very wash and wear kind of dog. A good brushing once a week will generally keep shedding at a minimum. They do not require baths very often at all because their coats naturally repel dirt and water and doesn’t get oily. They dry fairly quickly and dirt and mud typically falls off the coat easily. They have a double coat that should NEVER be shaved. The only cutting of hair that is needed is to trim up the feet and ears.

The brushes you’ll need to take care of your Aussies coat are below.

One brush to NEVER use on your Aussie is a Furminator. It will absolutely destroy your dog’s coat. It cuts the longer guard hairs as well as pulls out the undercoat and will leave your dog with a short, damaged coat.