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Miniature Australian Shepherd Dog Breed Facts
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Photo courtesy of Phylis Caruso.
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Breed: Miniature Australian Shepherd
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Also Called: North American Miniature Australian Shepherd
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Height: The Miniature Australian Shepherd is about 14-18 inches tall.
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Weight: The Miniature Australian Shepherd weighs between 20-40 lbs.
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Colors: The Miniature Australian Shepherd can be blue merle, red (liver) merle, solid black and solid red (liver) and with or without white markings and/or tan (copper) points.
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Physical Appearance: The Miniature Australian Shepherd is a well-balanced dog of medium size and bone structure. He is attentive and animated, showing strength and stamina combined with unusual agility. Slightly longer than tall, he has a coat of moderate length and coarseness with coloring that offers variety and individuality in each specimen. An identifying characteristic is his natural or docked bobtail. In each sex, masculinity or feminity is well-defined. Bone is moderate and clean with coarseness, heaviness or lightness being undesirable. Overall type, balance of conformation and movement are valued more highly than individual structural perfections because it is balance which enables him to fulfill his purpose.
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Temperament/Personality: The Miniature Australian Shepherd has beauty, intelligence and instinct wrapped in a compact package. It is an energetic and clever dog that is good with children and other animals.
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Care: The Miniature Australian Shepherd needs regular brushing once or twice a week.
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Health Concerns/Problems: Merle colored Miniature Australian Shepherds need to be checked for blindness and deafness. Hip and eye problems can also occur in the Miniature Australian Shepherd dog breed.
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Training: The Miniature Australian Shepherd is a highly trainable breed of dog. This dog needs early socialization as a puppy.
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Activity: The Miniature Australian Shepherd needs a fenced yard to play in.
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Life Span: The Miniature Australian Shepherd lives an average life of 12-13 years.
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Litter Size:
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Country of Origin: The Miniature Australian Shepherd originated in the USA.
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Brief History: The Australian Shepherd arrived in the United States by the late 19th century where the dogs qualities became recognized by local ranchers, who used the dogs to work cattle, sheep and other livestock. The North American Miniature Australian Shepherd was developed in 1968, when two small Australian Shepherds were bred. They were a scaled down version of the Australian Shepherd. The goal was to develop a small herder and guardian who had the qualities of the larger Australian Shepherd but was smaller in size.
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