Australian Shepherd Miniature Australian Shepherd Dog Breed

The Aussie-Mini Aussie is a hard mixed breed to classify, as some may argue that these "hybrids" are really just the offspring of two variants of the same breed. Whatever the case, both the Australian Shepherd and its Miniature counterpart are members of the Herding group in most clubs, so Aussie-MiniAussies will certainly fit into that category. And these two types have likely been bred together for a long time for sizing purposes. These dogs will be great general purpose farm dogs, and they'll also make good pets for active families willing to give them the exercise and training they need.

A few Australian Shepherd-Mini Australian Shepherds facts: they're medium-sized, averaging 18 inches at the shoulders in height and 40 pounds; they have medium-length, thick, double-layered coats that shed seasonally; and they're very energetic, and will need a lot of exercise.

Some advantages and drawbacks to owning an Aussie-Mini Aussie mix:

Are the Australian Shepherd and the Mini Australian Shepherd the same breed of dog? Yes and no. Mini Aussies were developed starting in the 1960s by selectively breeding small Australian Shepherds to further reduce their size; the two breeds are the same in every aspect but their size. Even so, as of 2020 the Aussie and Mini Aussie are recognized by the AKC and other clubs as separate breeds.

Regardless, the Aussie-Mini Aussie is a smart, complex animal--and these dogs know it. They're unusual because they have both strong herding instincts (so they instinctively nip or nudge moving objects) and high prey drives (meaning they instinctively chase small animals). So these dogs will be enthusiastic, bordering on pushy! They'll need some obedience training and socialization, starting when they're puppies if possible, to help curb these controlling behaviors. A well-trained Aussie-Mini Aussie, though, will be a friendly, animated addition to families, regardless of size.

Perhaps the most important characteristics of the Aussie-Mini Aussie: agility and endurance. Because of their history as herders, these dogs will have tons of energy, and will need plenty of daily exercise; without it they'll quickly become bored, frustrated, and destructive.

The offspring of mixes of Australian Shepherds and Mini Australian Shepherds, like their parents, don't see a lot of variety in specific physical features. Neither does the coat vary much in length or texture: medium-length and thick is standard.

The one true variation within these dogs is in their size--which can be affected by selective breeding techniques. Breeders can mate differently sized Aussies--Miniature Australian Shepherds with Aussie-Mini Aussie crosses, for example--to create a "medium-small" Australian Shepherd. They can also breed smaller Miniature Australian Shepherds to eventually create what can be called "Toy Aussies" (though the Toy Australian Shepherd is not an official breed sub-type).

Breeders use the terms F1, F1b, F2, and so on to determine a crossbred dog's genetic makeup. For these dogs, the following applies:

• P: Purebred Australian Shepherd, or purebred Miniature Australian Shepherd
• F1: P x P (Aussie x Mini Aussie); 50% of each parent's genes
• F1b: P x F1; 75% of the purebred parent's genes
• F2: F1 x F1; again, 50% of each parent's genes

Australian Shepherds average 50 pounds or so, and Mini Aussies 30 pounds. So F1b Aussie Shepherd-Mini Aussie Shepherds with Miniature Aussies as the purebred parent will be about 35 pounds; an F1b with an Australian Shepherd parent will be about 45 pounds.

Hard-working, intelligent, friendly, protective, and at times pushy, the Australian Shepherd-Mini Australian Shepherd temperament is one of activity and determination. These dogs are loyal and affectionate with their human families, and are great playmates for kids--but their history as livestock herders and guardians means they'll try to control people and situations more often than other dog breeds. They also have pretty high prey drives, so they might chase cats and other small pets (though they probably won't injure them). It's best if these dogs are raised alongside any children or household pets; early training and socialization is a good idea, too, to help minimize any attempts at dominance once the Aussie matures.

Speaking of training: these dogs will usually take very well to it, and can learn tasks, tricks, and commands with few repetitions. As with any dog, firm, consistent, reward-based training methods are best.

Another positive aspect of the Aussie-Mini Aussie temperament is that they have good watchdog skills. Their years of guarding livestock have made these dogs alert and protective, and they'll usually sound a vocal alarm if they see or hear anything unusual.

Though fairly healthy, the Australian Shepherd-Miniature Australian Shepherd can suffer issues including hip and elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, allergies, and epilepsy. Aussie Shepherds also seem to have more frequent eye problems than do other breeds; the most serious of these is Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), which causes blindness.

Potential owners are advised to ask breeders for health screenings (especially for the aforementioned eye issues) for the dog and/or its parents, or they can have their own veterinarians do the screenings.

Life expectancy for these dogs is 12-15 years.