What do you think of these guys...

[~Tucker&Me~]

http://members.shaw.ca/hitide/

I would like some opinions of what you think of this breeder...

My mom really has taken a liking to this breed...

Our friend owns the dog Jake on the front page, LOL.

~Tucker

 

[toniaxp]

Sorry but the page wont load check your URL and I would be happy to take a look.

 

[musky hunter]

link works fine for me....

looks like a small kennel that breeds pure breeds as pets / work dogs.

 

[pitbulliest]

There aren't alot of details on the site per say...
Question: Are miniature australian shepherds an actual breed? If not then don't bother....its just another mutt breeder that doesn't deserve the support..

If it is however purebred, I am quite happy with the fact that the dogs are health tested, and I really like the spay/neuter contracts and health guarantee.
I would like to see some confirmation titles if she has any...I think those are important..also maybe some references and an outline of what is under the contract...whether she takes back dogs that buyers can't keep for whatever reason...history of the parents and parent's parents....just more background info.

Other than that...well I dunno how to grade her...6 out of 10?
lol

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

They actually look good. It's awesome that they are involved in agility, obediance, etc, and that they are tested. I didn't see the contract/guarentee like posted before, but maybe i just missed it. My sister is really into the "mini" aussies. They're cute!

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

I was hoping someone could tell me that Pitbulliest... LOL
We just had one join our agility class. AMAZING little dog! Superdog material .

~Tucker

 

[Boemy]

The fact that she obtains obedience titles for her dogs, has their hips checked, offers a health guarantee, and has a S/N contract is good.

HOWEVER, this is not an AKC registered breed. Therefore, before buying from this person, I would ask her what she's breeding towards. If she's trying to breed towards a specific standard that the Miniature Aussie Club is trying to get the AKC to accept, that would be acceptable to me. If her reason is "Because everyone LOVES Miniature Austrailian Shepherds!", then I'd avoid her.

 

[LabBreeder]

They have a parent club and must be registered with a kennel club somewhere due to the CH's in the pedigree's. At least, this is what I would assume. I don't know about "mini" anythings, other than they are usually a scaled down, non-AKC recognized dog.
They are cute pups, but I don't really like the smaller versions of a bigger breed. JMO though.

 

[Cheetah]

I didn't think the AKC listed any "Miniature Australian Shepherds"...

 

[Boemy]

I think all the champions were probably normal (non-mini) AKC Australian Shepherds.

Look at this pedigree, for example . . .

http://members.shaw.ca/s.keats/pedigree-Clay.htm

Most of the females in the fourth generation are listed as being 17" high . . . The AKC standard lists the height of the female Aussie as being between 18" and 21". So 17" isn't extremely short, just one inch under standard. The third generation has a dog that's 15" tall. No heights listed for any other dog, so who knows about them.

But given that the fourth generation back was only an inch under standard, my guess would be that these people just bred runty dogs together for a few generations and that the champions in the pedigrees were champion Australian Shepherds, not champion Miniature Australian Shepherds.

I agree, LabBreeder, I don't like dog breeds that are "just like the original, only TINY!" And it seems to be more and more "fashionable" to do this to breeds for a quick buck . . .

 

[lakotasong]

Australian Shepherd Club of America's Statement:

Those who oppose the promotion of Miniatures feel that breeding a smaller size is unnecessary when a smaller dog can be found among the general population. They are concerned that the act of breeding selectively for size comes at the possible expense of health and structure. The final concern is that by breeding smaller dogs, the Mini breeders are targeting urban pet owners who have little space (small yards, apartment dwellers) and misrepresenting the true nature of a herding dog.

The Australian Shepherd Club of America (ASCA) has taken the position that they do not wish to recognize distinct variations in sizes because there is already an accomodation for that in their breed standard. ASCA will not allow the registration of any dog who is also registered under another breed name or size variation. Naturally, there is the occasional unethical breeder who attempts to ride both sides of the fence by intermingling modern Australian Shepherd lines with Miniature Australian Shepherd bloodlines. This behavior only adds fuel to the arguement that there is no need for a size variations under a different name and those breeders who are caught registering their dogs with both ASCA and a Mini registry are subject to having their registry rights suspended if caught.

United State's Australian Shepherd Association and AKC's Statement:

Recently there has been a rise in the movement to breed miniature and toy versions of the Australian Shepherd.

The Miniature Australian Shepherd and the Toy Australian Shepherd are not recognized or considered varieties of the Australian Shepherd by this organization, the United States Australian Shepherd Association, Inc. (USASA), or by the American Kennel Club (AKC). Since these dogs are not AKC registered, they cannot be verified by USASA as purebred, and therefore are not considered Australian Shepherds by this organization.

The USASA does not support the purposeful breeding of Miniature Australian Shepherds and Toy Australian Shepherds, and expects all members who have breeding programs to breed to the USASA/AKC recognized standard of excellence. The USASA further expects all members to be ever vigilant in the preservation and protection of the Australian Shepherd.

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

Okay .
Trust me guys, I already own a relatively large-sized dog, and am not AT ALL interested in them because they are some fad, or 'fashionable' to have.
As I said before, we have one in our agility class and she is a beautiful, intelligent young girl.
I knew that poodles have different sizes, so I was wondering if it was the same case with these.
Obviously not .
Ah well... Maybe one'll pop in the nearby shelter .

~Tucker

 

[showpug]

Mini Aussies are a breed, just not an AKC registerable breed. I see them all the time being shown at the International Dog shows.

 

[~Tucker&Me~]

^^ So it would'nt be like a 'mini rottweiler' or some fad made up thing? They are a proper breed? Isn't that kind of like the JRT? I belive they arent registered with the AKC... Is that correct?

~Tucker

 

[Toller_08]

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the Miniature Australian Shepherd. It still is an Aussie, just a bit smaller than what you'd be used to seeing. A lot of BYBs have started breeding them as they attract tons of attention, but there are also good breeders who are breeding mini Aussies for sport and working homes. Toy Aussies are the ones you have to look out for, in my opinion. I don't really see anything wrong with the mini Aussie, as it is exactly the same as the regular Aussie..just smaller. Lots of times you can can end with a litter of full sized and mini Aussies together. Of course, this is all just my opinion.

 

[SunnyNJazzy]

Hey,

I own a Mini Aussie from Rafter Bottle Ranch in Oregon, they are actually BYB we didnt really know much at the time butI love the breed. They are just smaller versions of the Australian Shepherd, they are not recognized by AKC but they ARE recognized by the UKC which is where Im thinking most or all of their titles are from. They also have MASCA which does some things. I understand many people dislike the miniaturizing fad, which I do agree, some breeders are doing toys that look like merled chihuahuas or something, but I think if bred properly they are amazing dogs that can do the same as a ful size aussie and be just as versatile and enjoyable. I think they are here to stay not part of the 'toy' fad, JMO. If you are thinking now that you would rather rescue one, they do have MARS, Mini Aussie Rescue and Support and this is the website:

http://www.miniaussierescue.org/whatIsMA/whatIsMA.html

I also have to say, Jake is GORGEOUS!!!

If you have any questions about the breed PM me!

Lindsey

 

[lakotasong]

What I don't understand is why people feel the need to breed the mini Aussie? The regular Aussie standard has no size disqualification.

 

[SunnyNJazzy]

Some say they are a better size to herd certain livestock I dont know exactly I think cows, because if they kick out they are less likely to be kicked... I think part of it is also the Agility world, I compete alot and I have noticed border collies are also getting smaller out there as well, smaller dogs that still ahve the speed of the aussie or border are super dogs lol. I dont know the exact reasons but I know, if properly bred, they are still bred with working instinct and such... as far as size disqualifications I am not sure... it may just be they want a "new" herding breed or something... I dont do akc showing lol but rarely see registered akc aussies too far under the size suggestions...

 

[Muggie'sMum]

I own a Miniature Australian Shepherd - actually, we have three. My boy, Morrie, actually is slightly "above" the standard height limit for Mini Aussies at about 19". He has his puppy championship in conformation with NAMASCUSA ( http://www.namascusa.com/ ), acquired in Denver, CO from his breeder before he came to us. NAMASCUSA supports the outcrossing of miniature aussies to standards to "define" the conformation, etc.

I have seen my share of BAD mini aussies and my share of REALLY GOOD ones. The bad ones generally are bred for size, but I think the permission to outcross to standard aussies to improve conformation really sets them apart from other "mini" breeds. They are not a fad breed, they've been around for ages. The toys are really the ones to watch out for, they often get crossed with poms and are just rotten looking - an ideal mini aussie should be an exact replica, except smaller.

I don't know the reasons behind it, but I do know that, as with every breed, you get the good and the bad. Generally watch out if, when looking for this breed, you come across a site selling them with pics of them as young puppies, when you can see absolutely nothing about conformation and only color - THOSE are the ones I worry about. We have had experiences with both ends of things - our two girls came from what appeared to be a reputable kennel, but the experience there turned out to be horrific - dogs arrived with kennel cough, tape worm, were eating their own feces, had no discretion about where they expelled waste... and then when we got Morrie, it was a completely different experience. We're glad to be a part of the breed.

I don't know about the different size for different animals to herd, but I know our guys can do a number on goats, sheep, etc - they try with the horses, lol, but just a teeny bit too small! They're also fantastic agility dogs - Zoey will be wonderful as she'll be in the 12" - 16" height class but Morrie will be a bit more difficult in the more competitive 22" category.

 

[Muggie'sMum]

As a sidenote, the website says that they were bred smaller for portability, and to make them better housedogs. I am just wondering what you all think of miniature poodles and the like? Does everyone have the same view of every miniature breed, even if they're recognized by AKC??

This is my boy: