Miniature Australian Shepherd BasicsSometimes you want an athletic working dog that isn’t big enough to qualify as a roommate. Thankfully, they are widely available. So, if you are looking for a small and compact dog with the strong work ethic of a much larger breed, consider the Miniature Australian Shepherd. This breed is a smaller form of the Australian Shepherd that is rapidly increasing in popularity. So, you’ll get everything that you could possibly want out of an Australian Shepard, without having to sacrifice the space that you’d need for that big boy. Owing to the place of origin, these dogs are recognized by the AKC under the name Miniature American Shepherd.Not only are Miniature Australian Shepherds small in size, but these dogs are incredibly intelligent and easy to train. It may sound too good to be true, but trust us – these dogs are truly fabulous! They really live up to all that hype. Miniature Australian Shepherds can be trained for a wide variety of dog sports including agility, herding, obedience, disc dog, fly ball, and many more, as they excel in them just as the original Australian Shepherd dog does. If you are on the lookout for a smart, trainable, and family friendly dog, look no further than the Miniature Australian Shepherd. This breed will provide everything that you are looking for. And then some!While looking cute and being smart is more than enough to win over any potential owner, it’s not the only thing these dogs can offer. The Miniature Australian Shepherd – or Miniature American Shepherd, if you want to get technical about it – is also quite friendly, affectionate, and fiercely loyal to their family. One could say that these dogs are really the whole package! Not only is the Miniature Australian Shepherd small in size, but these dogs are incredibly intelligent and easy to train.OriginThe Miniature Australian Shepherd is a fairly new breed. Believe it or not, this breed was actually developed in 1968. Back then, Doris Cordova of Norco, California began a breeding program with the dream of developing a smaller version of the Australian Shepherd. By using small Australian Shepherds, Cordova and a handful of other breeders were successful in creating a miniature version of the Australian Shepherd. Yet, throughout the short history of the breed, there has been a great deal of controversy. The National Stock Dog Registry (NSDR) considered the Miniature Australian Shepherd a size variant of the Australian Shepherd, while the Australian Shepherd Club of America considered it an entirely separate breed. For many years, it was impossible to get these two organizations on the same page. Both the AKC and the UKC grouped the Miniature Australian Shepherd and the Australian Shepherd together. Things finally changed in 2011. That’s when the AKC at long last admitted the Miniature Australian Shepherd to the Foundation Stock Service (under the name Miniature American Shepherd). Then in 2015, they granted full recognition to the breed. It took a while, but it happened. Still, no matter how you look at it, the Miniature Australian Shepherd is a truly wonderful dog, whether they consider it a new breed or not.Pedigree