ABOUT AUSSIES
Thanks for enquiring about Australian Shepherds.

From a reputable breeder, the only difference between Australian Shepherds, Miniature Australian
Shepherds and Toy Australian Shepherds is size.
PERIOD!

Historical pictures from the 50's 60's and even the 70's show that Australian Shepherds under 18
inches at the shoulders were a naturally occurring size variety within the breed. The Australian
Shepherd Breed Standard was written to "prefer" dogs that were over 18 inches but with no height
disqualification.
In the 60's a select few breeders decided they actually "preferred" their dogs under 18 inch for
working purposes. A smaller Aussie is more agile when working in close contact with livestock. A
smaller Aussie is compact enough to fit on the saddle of a horse with the cowboy he was working
with.  
These breeders decided that they would intentionally select the smallest Aussies they could find that
were of true Aussie quality and they used those small Aussies as the foundation of the Miniature
Size Variety of the Australian Shepherd.   

No other breeds were mixed in to get smaller dogs. Reputable breeders selectively choose the
smallest Aussies for our breeding programs over several years, the result is smaller size dogs.

The preferred height for each size is as follows....

Toy Australian Shepherds are up to but not including 14 inches at the withers.
Miniature Australian Shepherds are between 14 and 18 inches at the withers.
Australian Shepherds are 18 inches and taller at the withers.

It is possible to breed two large size parents together and get miniature size dogs, just as it is
possible to breed two mini size parents together to get either larger or toy size dogs depending on
how genetics fall into play.  
None of our dogs are EVER bred to any other breed of dog except an Australian Shepherd, EVER!

Any puppy who has both parents registered with an Australian Shepherd registry such as
CKC/AKC/UKC/ASCA, are eligible for registration with the same registry regardless of the puppies
adult height.
These organizations DO NOT recognize size varieties of the Australian Shepherd.

Any litter that has even one parent who is only registered as a Miniature with MASCA or
NAMASCUSA, is only eligible for registration as a Miniature regardless of their size as an adult.

PLEASE BEWARE OF BREEDERS ONLY USING THE NSDR or ASDR REGISTRY FOR MINI
and TOY AUSSIES.
NSDR is short form for National Stock Dog Registry.
NSDR was put in place to keep track of people breeding dogs for stock dog purposes. They do not
require the dogs registered to have any pedigree, without a pedigree you can not prove the dog is
pure bred.
ASDR was formed recently as a place to register Aussies with out health testing, and of
unrecognized colors, and with questionable backgrounds. Breeders who had dogs which are not
eligible for registration in MASCA or NAMASCUSA got around that by creating their own
organization.
If your looking at a breeder and they only use NSDR or ASDR as a registry, you may not be getting
a pure bred dog. Please look for a breeder who used either MASCA or NAMASCUSA which are
the breeds parents clubs and they ONLY deal with dogs who have generations of proven ancestry to
ensure the dogs are pure bred.  
COLOR AND MARKINGS
Aussies come in a variety of colors. Black, red, blue merle and red merle. All with our without white and copper markings. Some
Aussies will have the full white collar, white blaze, white chest and 4 white feet as in the cartoon graphics below, and others will be
minimal white, even to the point of being 100% coloured with no white or copper markings. This is all very common and acceptable
in Aussies. While their flashy coat colour often make them extremely popular, coat colour should be the last thing you look for when
choosing a puppy. No matter how pretty your puppy is on the outside, if the personality isn't a match, you will not be happy with your
puppy. If you are set on a certain colour or gender, then you should be prepared to wait as long as 2-3 years for that perfect puppy
to come around. A good responsible breeder will match you based on personality first and colour and gender second. Any breeder
that lets YOU choose a puppy is not a good breeder. Any breeder who tells you which puppy is your PRIOR to 7 weeks old, is also
not a good breeder.
BLACK TRI                          RED TRI                       BLUE MERLE                   RED MERLE     
   
HEALTH
Aussies are generally a healthy breed of dog. However certain things should be discussed with your breeder prior to your
purchase.

EYES:
Aussies who are breeding should have their eyes tested yearly by a CERF certified K9 Ophthalmologist. We test eyes
every 12-18 months to make sure that the dog is not prone to developing an eye disorder at a young age. Just because
the eyes were fine last year doesn't mean they will be fine this year.
ALL puppies MUST be tested prior to 8 weeks old. If you are looking at a breeder who is not testing your puppies eyes,
then you should find a new breeder. Puppies in this breed are prone to a disorder called Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA).
CEA can only be seen prior to 8 weeks old before the pigment in the eyes fills in completely. After 8 weeks old you must
then do a DNA blood panel instead of an eye exam.
On top of CEA, we check to make sure the eye is formed properly and there are no abnormalities that are not visible to
the naked eye. If a puppy has a problem, often they learn to compensate for it and you won't know there is a problem until
your dog looses his eye sight completely.
Always ask to see CERF certificate on both parents and puppies prior to agreeing to the purchase.

HIPS:
Breeding dogs should also have their hips x-rayed and rated prior to breeding. This is a simple x-ray that your vet can
take, but the x-ray MUST be sent away to either OFA or PennHIP for an official rating. If the dog doesn't pass the hip
rating, then it should be altered and never bred. No exceptions. If the parents of the litter you are looking at do not have
their hips tested, then you should not even consider getting a puppy from that litter.
Always ask to see written proof of hip

MDR1:
Aussies now have tests for the MDR1 mutated gene. This gene has been around a long time but we just now have a test
for it. The MDR1 gene ( multi drug resistance 1) causes herding breeds to be unable to process "certain" drugs properly.
The drugs build up to a toxic level in the dogs brain and it CAN KILL them. Many dogs have died from having this gene
and no one knowing they shouldn't have certain drugs. It's similar to an allergy to medication. It doesn't mean the dog
should be removed from a breeding program, neither does it mean that it will not be a wonderful pet who lives for 15
years. It just means there are a list of drugs the dogs should never have if he has a copy of this gene.
All responsible breeders are testing their breeding dogs and are providing owners with the information of whether their
puppy needs to be tested or not. If both parents are Normal/Normal, the puppies can not have the gene. If one of the
parents have even one copy of the gene, then the puppies could have received a copy of the gene and should be tested.
A responsible breeder will provide you with the test kit when you pick up your puppy if it is needed as well written copies
of both parents test results.   

***Aussies also have a DNA test available for the eye disorders PRA and CEA. These are a new test and are just being
adopted by breeders. By 2009 this will be the next mandatory test for reputable breeders to be doing.

EPILEPSY:
This is a growing concern in our breed. There is no test for epilepsy and no way to know 100% if your dog is effected or
a carrier. A responsible breeder does many hours of research on pedigrees to find out if any of the ancestors in a
pedigree have ever produced it and if so how far back and with what mate. By doing this we are at least able to assess
the epilepsy risk with each cross. No cross is 100% epilepsy free. A good breeder should know the risks and be able to
explain them to you so you are not in the dark.
Epilepsy will pop up unexpectedly even from the best of breeders. A good breeder stands behind you and supports you if
this happens.
HERDING INSTINCT
BARKING AND RESERVE
GOOD WITH CHILDREN
GOOD WITH CATS
NEED TO BE INCLUDED
NOT COUCH POTATO DOGS
ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES
SWIMMING
DISC
AGILITY
FLYBALL
Australian Shepherds are a herding breed. They were bred
to work long hours in the field with farmers tending herds of
cattle, sheep and even fowl. Aussies were not bred to be
hyper. A true Aussie is "ready" to work at a seconds notice,
but is also content to sit back and relax when there is no job
to do. Farmers did not move their flock around just to
amuse their dogs. Their dog had to be capable of working
when needed and had to be calm enough to have around
when he wasn't needed. Due to the nature of the Aussies
job and the need for him to take direction from his owners,
Aussies bond quickly to their family and make good
companions and watch dogs. The eager working attitude of
an Aussie makes them easy to work with, but their high
level of intelligence also means that obedience classes are
a must. As with any dog, early socialization to people,
noises, and surrounding is of the utmost importance. Even
more so with Aussies.

**It is our personal opinion and experience that the Aussie
that is more true in herding instinct is a better family pet.**
As a herding breed it is important to know your dog is not going to let a stranger walk away with your livestock or with your
dog for that matter. When anything out of the ordinary is happening on your property, your Aussie will bark to alert you. This is
what they were bred to do. In the city this can end up being the mail man, the stray cat, the garbage man, the UPS driver, a
squirrel etc. Anyone or anything which the Aussie feels doesn't belong that close to his property and family, will result in the
family being alerted to a possible danger. So some Aussies may be less suited to apartment lifestyles. I find my girls are
more alert barkers than my males, although there are exceptions to that rule. Some of my dogs are also very vocal during
play. So if barking may be an issue for your family, you should let your breeder help you choose a puppy who barks less than
the others.
This also means that Aussies are not everyone's best friend. They are bred to be reserved with strangers in order to protect
the farmers livestock and family. They are not golden retrievers who love anyone with a friendly smile and a cookie. Most
Aussies stand back when anyone they do not know approaches. They do not want to walk down the street and have a dozen
strange people pet them. They watch their owners body language, and will often stand in between the stranger and the family.
Often the Aussie will stand beside the family looking very uninterested in the stranger. If the stranger approaches the dog, the
dog may either back away, or crouch down in an unsure posture. People must earn the trust and respect of an Aussie.
Aussies do not give their trust freely. If you are wanting a dog to love everyone you meet. Then an Aussie is not for you.
Aussies can be wonderful with children. This requires both children and dogs to be well trained and supervised
at all times. Both kids and dogs have big hearts and may forget to be as gentle as required. Adult supervision
will make their relationship a safer one. Always remember that dogs need their space. When a dog has had
enough play, remove the children from the situation. Remember that Aussies are a herding breed. This means
they WILL have a strong desire to chase and even nip small moving objects including children. This is not biting
and is not aggression. This is a natural herding instinct and should be expected. If you need advise on this
behaviour, please talk to your breeder. When Aussies and Children are raised together they develop a very
strong bond and are often best friends. When they have this type of bond the Aussie is usually a natural
guardian to the children in the home. We hear many stories of Aussies babysitting children out on the farm not
letting them wander where they were not supposed to go.  
Being a herding breed, Aussies were never allowed to be rough with other animals. They had to be able to have
the power to move a herd of cattle and the gentle finesse to round up a herd of ducks. An Aussie which was rough
or aggressive with other animals was of little use to a farmer and was never included in the gene pool. This
history of gentle behavior makes them safe to live with cats and other animals. They may try and entice the cat to
play and as puppies may even chase the cat, but with supervision and training, they can become best of friends.
All of our Aussies are raised with our rag doll cat named Cashew. So they have early exposure. Cashew plays
with our puppies, so our puppies do not learn a chase habit because cashew does not run away.
Aussies thrive on being with their family as often as possible. For this reason Aussies do not make good pets for non active
families. They also do not make good pets for families who are active in a lot of areas where the Aussie is not welcome, such
as hockey, ballet, church, etc. They do not accept being left out. If you expect to have BBQ's outdoors and lock the Aussie
indoors because some people do not like dogs, the Aussie will likely destroy furniture in protest. Likewise if you plan to have
indoor gatherings and lock your Aussie outdoors away from the activity, expect him to bark, dig and cause a real commotion.
Aussies are family dogs who need to be included in what their family does. If you do not have the time to dedicate to your
Aussie, you will not have a good relationship with your dog.   
Aussies are very athletic. This makes them great companions for the outdoor enthusiast. They do well when included in
activities such as sailing, boating, hiking, swimming, skiing and camping.
Aussies require a fair bit of exercise. A walk just isn't going to cut it for an Aussie. Your Aussie, regardless of size, will require
a large area to run in. A full out run off lead to chase a ball or a Frisbee, several times a week is necessary to keep your
Aussie physically stimulated. If you are the type of family who isn't looking forward to walks in the rain, and playing in the snow
in our cold Canadian winters, then an Aussie isn't for you. You don't have to be a marathon runner, but you do have to be
willing to get out every day and interact with your dog out of doors. Tossing him in the back yard because your to tired, or you
don't like the weather is going to lead to a bored Aussie. A bored Aussie is often a bad Aussie :)
Aussies excel in many activities. Many owners have had much pleasure working with their Aussies in Obedience,
Herding, Agility, Flyball, Frisbee, Tracking and K9 Freestyle. Some Aussies have even gone on to be therapy
dogs, search and rescue dogs or working dogs for the visually or hearing impaired. Being a herding breed that is
supposed to be reserved with strangers, some puppies within a litter will be more suitable to these lifestyles than
others. A good breeder will be able to help you narrow down your selection to only the most suitable puppies.
Flyball is a fast paced, high energy, relay race. There are 6 dogs on each team. 4 of those
dogs are allowed to run at each heat. One at a time, the dogs have to run over 4 jumps, hit a
pressure triggered box that projects a tennis ball, the dog must catch the tennis ball, and return
OVER all four jumps. When that dog has crossed the start/finish line, the next dog may go.
When all four dogs on your team have run the course with no mistakes, you are finished. If a
dog misses a jump, or fails to bring back the ball, he gets a red flag and must go to the back
of the line and run as a 5th dog. The first of the two teams to complete the course with no
mistakes wins the heat. The first team to win four heats wins that race.
Agility is a one on one sport with just you and your dog. You send your dog away from you to go
over many different obstacles in a course. Your dog must learn to listen to you and you must learn
to communicate with your dog in a timely fashion. With your dog running rather fast, it is in his
instinct to take the obstacle closest to him, if you do not get your command out soon enough, he
may take the wrong piece of equipment and loose points. It is a game of speed, accuracy, timing
and communication. It is a lot of fun and great exercise.  
Disc is one of the easiest sports to do with your dog, All you need is a yard and a Frisbee and a
dog which is reliable off lead. You can teach your dog to do some amazing catches and some
cool flips. You can do it just for the pure fun of working with your dog, to keep your dog well
exercised and mentally stimulated or you can enter competitions. Either way your dog will love
playing Disc with you.
Want a water dog? An Aussie may be that perfect breed. As long as they are introduced to it young and have a
good experience with it. Aussies LOVE the water and you'll find yourself tired out long before your Aussie. What a
better way to exercise your tog than to toss a ball, stick or other floating toy out for him to retrieve. Not only do they
get the exercise of swimming, they get the mental stimulation of retrieving. It's a fabulous sport to take up with an
Aussie.