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I saw this while browsing a classified site online:

 

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Rare Imported Toy & Mini Australian Shepherd pup forsale

 

Blue eyed blue merle 2 males and 1 female

Black Tri's with lots of copper

3 males and 2 females

Toys are 12" and 10 -15lbs priced at $1500.00

Mini's are 13"-16"and are 15-25lbs and are priced at $1200.00

 

All are vet checked, 1st needles,

dewormed, and reg'd pups are 5 & 7 wks old and will be flown to Canada in 2 weeks $500.00 Deposits can email pic.

 

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Ugh.

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Ryan - If they are "bug-eyed", that's probably evidence of the Cavalier Spaniel in them. The ones I've seen that were bred strictly from smaller Aussies (I'm assuming - I hope to see the lady sometime and ask but I think that's what she said) look just like smaller versions of real Aussies. They aren't teeny-tiny either, just smaller. I'm don't believe that anyone is justified in breeding for size, just that that's what I've seen in my one experience with them.

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Guest herbertholmes

I tried a bunch of mini aussies on sheep, all for the same lady, about 12 years ago, in BC. I was MOST impressed with them, work ethic and looks (for an aussie style, of course). Their temperments seemed really solid and they looked and acted, as Sue says, just like small aussies. I have always remembered them and almost even wanted one (okay, slap my wrist). I always have a regular aussie around, by the way.

 

Since then I have seen a few of the bulgy headed/eyed type and have been repulsed by them -a different breed altogether I would say, and I wouldn't touch one.

 

Anyhow, with the sports market it is no surprise that there are mini border collies out there. I expect they will become more and more popular and will also in reality become a totally separate breed. If only they would name them something else.....

 

Alison

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North of 49 - That's an interesting website and certainly gives a lot of information. Did you notice that "bulging eyes/forehead" is a disqualification? Obviously, crossing outside of purebred Australian Shepherd lines produces a dog not accepted by this group (if breeding with "traditional" but small Aussies is even allowed).

 

Since there is a "breed standard", working abilities will be compromised by breeding for other "qualities" including size. In addition, while the "breed" also allows conformation showing through the Rare Breed Registry (don't remember the correct name), the "breed's" abilities for dog sports seem of more importance than working ability. The "breed's" suitability for folks to have an "Aussie mentality" in a little "house dog" package is mentioned as an asset.

 

I would hope the Border Collie breed doesn't face a similar challenge, although I think the above posts indicate that the challenge is already upon us. This is just another thing that responsible breeders will avoid, and those out to make a buck will take advantage of.

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I can't figure out why anyone would use Cavs to downsize a dog meant for sports. I can't think of many breeds with less drive than Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (as cute as they are). Also, the ears are all wrong.

 

Really, there are a lot of oversized freakazoid Papillons available in rescue who end up there because they are too energetic for their owners. Skeeter is not oversized, but this is essentially why he ended up with me. Why people who want small dogs can't just buy dogs that are meant to be small in the first place is beyond me.

 

P.S. -- Laura, Zippy is gorgeous!

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Good point about using Cav's for sports... apart from the drive issues, they have an extremely high rate of cardiac disease, which doesn't really make a lot of sense to include in a breeding program for sport dogs. And you're right about there being plenty of dogs that are SUPPOSED to be small in the first place.

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Thanks Melanie and Jennifer - he's quite the spunky little guy.

 

The few miniature Aussies I have seen didn't really resemble Aussies to me. I too, for the life of me, cannot figure out where the Cav's would come in. Truly a Papillon would make much more sense - but then why not just get a Papillon if one wants a dog that small??

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What Alison said about being impressed with the mini aussies work ethic reminded me of the fact that Aussies, when they were still being bred for working ability, were not large dogs at all. Could it be that the mini Aussies, without the Cav in them, are simply closer to their working heritage?

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I have a lot of people ask if my little Laura girl is a mini BC, or a mini Aussie x BC cross, or a Sheltie. She's 16 1/2" and ranges from 26-28#. I just tell them she's not a mini - just vertically challenged. I've also had people argue with me that she has to be a puppy because she's so small.

 

The mini Aussies I have met in flyball or agility I haven't been impressed with. The temperaments on several were really bad. I'm sure there are some nice ones out there though.

 

That's interesting about using Cav's, but kind of weird. I thought they were just bred down from smaller Aussies.

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"That's interesting about using Cav's, but kind of weird. I thought they were just bred down from smaller Aussies."- Quote from Kerrigan

 

When they were first being bred, i believe they were straight from Smaller aussies, I suppose the just decided "see what would happen" when a cav was added to the equation

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People area also breeding mini acd's. There is an actual mutation in a gene that causes some to be mini's without breeding for it but then some find the minis and are not breeding to get mini acd's...

 

A breeder I once knew had a female acd that would threw a couple minis when bred to a certain sire. This breeder was not happy about the minis and spayed the female even though she was a great working dog. The breeder just did not want to take the chance again since she was not sure which mix of genes was causing it and she did not want minis to be bred. She actually speutered all the offspring at very young ages so there was no chance they could be bred. I call that a good breeder.

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I have a puppy who was suppose to be registered NASDS. Unfortunately the breeder dropped the ball and we didn't get our papers (a long story), even tho the contract stated that the pups would be registered. Fortunately the person at NASDS let us submit the paperwork, with just one signature, rather than 2. We are told that we won't get papers until probably this coming Fall. I don't know when NASDS fell apart, but someone needs to get their act together.

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