Mini Aussies

[Bahamutt99]

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

The minis I meet around here are snippy, snarky, weird dogs. I can't say I meet too many standard size aussies I fancy either though.

This has been roughly my experience as well. I've met one Mini Aussie that I liked, only that she had the squeakiest bark that made my hair stand on end. And while I don't see many full-size OR mini Aussies overall, I can also only think of one Aussie that I've liked. I suppose that my line of work doesn't generally lend itself to good experiences with herding breeds. I'm 50/50 on Border Collies, about the same on Shelties, could name one or two Corgis I find tolerable, don't generally get along with heelers, and mostly fed up with German Shepherds. LOL! (All because of my experiences with them as boarders or groom/bath dogs.)

ETA: I did think of another pair that looked to be Aussie and mini Aussie. The big Aussie was awesome, and the mini... not so much. I got to bathe both of them. Was an interesting experiment.

[Laurelin]

Originally Posted by faustus

This is how I see it as well. If only aussies were involved in the making of the miniature variety, then why would they be radically different from aussies?

Does anyone here have first hand experience with both well-bred mini aussies and aussies? Is there a noticeable difference in temperament?

The ones I've known have been very similar- the well bred ones. My favorite Aussie dog was a tri mini aussie that was fast, drivey, and just all around awesome.

Originally Posted by Zoom

Those would go into the "shoddy hacks in it for the money" category.



FWIW, my opinion (which reflects a vast portion of the ASCA Aussie world, you know, the original parent club of the Aussie) isn't for you to decide either. You'll be hard pressed to find someone who has been in the breed for a long time who is "ok" with the whole Mini Aussie thing. A lot more respect has been given to those who recognize that what are they working towards producing is no longer an Aussie in the standardized sense and have renamed their dogs accordingly. There are always outliers to the standard; a woman who is well known in the Aussie breed has a Slash V bitch that falls an inch or two under the minimum height, but she calls her what she is--an undersized Aussie. She bred to a typical working male and all the pups in the litter fall within the written ASCA standard. Conversely, there have been those random dogs that exceed the maximum height and weight, but they've not been selected for nor marketed as "Giant Aussies".

Maybe this should go in the "unpopular opinion" thread, but I personally hate size categories in breeds. When you start deviating that drastically from "the norm", you will always end up changing more than just the size--typically temperament. It's been stated countless times over, no one breeds in a vacuum. Change one thing, you'll change something else too. The best programs are the ones that have figured out how to match and balance. So, if you're set on changing a breed, let's say, breeding Shelties to the size of Collies, then you have not just created a category of "Giant Shelties", you have created a new breed. Or poodles. There is nothing about a toy--and most minis--poodle that resembles it's standard counterpart beyond general physical appearance and I feel should be called something else entirely. But phenotype alone does not make a breed. Otherwise, the weim that is built like a dobe could just be called a solid blue dobe. Taking a Groendal, downsizing it and docking it does not make it a Schipperke.

Hell, look at Phalenes. They are basically just a drop-eared category of Papillions, but they've got their own breed.

Phalenes and papillons are one breed and are interbred and shown together. The phalene is the original breed type with the papillon developing at a later date (probably some cross breeding there).

Interestingly enough when shelties were first being refined they were called Shetland Collies. The collie people pitched a fit and the breed name was changed to sheepdog. I still think collie was a more apt descriptor, but I think that shows the same issues were present then as now. People were not welcoming of a 'bred down' version of the collie. Although I do think shelties and collies are obviously two different breeds with different temperaments.

However poodles are all the same breed and I believe the two sizes of dachshund and beagles are considered the same breed.

I enjoy Miniature Australian Shepherds. I know many people who own them here. They show, sport, and work them ... alot remind me exactly of Bounty in personality, just smaller. I for one, believe them to be a breed and respect people who breed and work them.

[SunnyNJazzy]

I don't know much about the history of the breed other than that they are an older breed than what many people believe. I do have personal experience with them though, and I adore them as long as they are properly bred (as with any breed in my opinion).

I own two, and my mom owns two. I was in a similar situation, considering Papillions but decided they were too small/dainty for my liking and ended up with my first mini aussie, Jazz. She is a drivey, extremely intelligent, stable, friendly and overall wonderful dog. She got me addicted to the breed. My second mini aussie is a rescue, idk what her breeding is but she is also drivey (even more so than Jazz, and I love it) super intelligent and constantly attentive and wanting to work, mostly friendly but can be standoffish, and a constant challenge (she's a 1 yr old independent pup). I love her but she is alot of work to keep her mind and body happy. My mother's mini aussies are kind of nut cases, extremely nervous and have SA. But 1 is a rescue that was literally taken out of the TRUNK of the car when she was picked up, and the other is from a backyard breeder.

If you go about it the right way, mini aussies are amazing dogs, I don't see any problem with them as a breed as long as they are bred properly, and maintain the herding instinct and drive that aussies have. They are great sport dogs, mine love to swim, kick butt at agility, and are awesome at obedience/rally. I will always have atleast one in my life.

Every breed has it's bad breeders and bad representations of the breed, you just have to be careful how you choose your breeder or be prepared to deal with the consequences of a poorly bred dog. Just my two cents.

Good luck finding your pup!! :-)