About Us

In this case, the puppy in the window is a Miniature American Shepherd.  So what exactly is that you say.   Well just like politics... the answer to that question raises a lot of emotions and responses.

It all started with a group of Miniature Australian Shepherd fanciers who wanted the miniature australian shepherd to be recognized by the American Kennel Club.   The Miniature American Shepherd Club of the USA, Inc. ("Mascusa") was the breed club who lobbied for this introduction into AKC.  You go to their website and read for yourself about the Journey into the AKC.    In 2011, they were sucessful except for one thing.  

They had to change the name.

And this is where the drama starts. 

When it became apparant that a name change would be required to move forward into AKC, the members of Mascusa at the time were able to vote on the name that our breed would become known as Miniature American Shepherd.

So what exactly is a Miniature American Shepherd.  Well it a breed that is still evolving and will be for a few more years.    The United States Australian Shepherd Association (USASA) allowed AKC Australian Shepherds who wanted to move to the new breed to do so for a number of years.  This option has now ended.

To me the breed is still developing.  Who knows what the future will hold.

The Miniature American Shepherd  is a good-natured breed and is known for being extremely devoted to its owners. They are a small size with females between 13" and 17" and males 14" and 18"  tall and are great herders even at such a small size.   Extremely motivated and loyal, they are great around horses and serve as a great companion to anyone.

Like with Miniature Australian Shepherds, the beautiful coloring of this herding dog breed can be black, red, red merle, or blue merle and you’ll notice that no matter their size they are extremely agile dogs. Great runners, even in the roughest of terrain, they are extremely energetic and smart as well as being rugged. They’re ideal for herding do quite well in most households, as long as there is plenty of space for them to run and play.

They are even moderately friendly with strangers and don’t get too territorial, which can be important if you have other animals in the house. If you’re looking for a watchdog, they’re also great for this purpose, though you may find that they want to play with most everyone that comes through the door.

The fact that the Miniature American Shepherd has a double coat means that it can shed quite a bit depending on the care they receive.  The wooly undercoat and the long outer coat definitely make this a problem during the shedding season, which occurs twice a year. By brushing their coat at least weekly of this herding dog breed, you’ll be able to cut down on some of the shedding and get rid of dirt. Brushing both the overcoat and the undercoat is extremely important as matting can occur on the underside of the coat. A stiff brush or possibly a pin brush are best for this.

 Overall, you’re going to have a great companion in a Miniature American Shepherd. They are fun and playful dogs that really want to spend time with you and really enjoy your company. If you get them trained right from the start they’re going to do very well as companions and they make good emotional support dogs. The smaller size of this breed makes them great for traveling with you and the compassionate nature definitely helps with the emotional support you’re looking for. It’s all about how much energy you’re able to devote to your new dog because they’re definitely going to want to spend a lot of time with you. 

Click here to find out more about the Miniature American Shepherd and it's versatility.