The Australian Shepherd, a lean, tough ranch dog, is one of those “only in America” stories: a European breed perfected in California by way of Australia. Fixtures on the rodeo circuit, are closely associated with the cowboy life. These pets were bred to maintain their small size, activity, and intelligence.
Herding
The Miniature Australian Shepherd (North American Miniature Australian Shepherd) is a very good-looking breed with a relaxed, playful personality. It has a medium-length coat that you most often find in blue or red merle or red and black tricolor, both with white and/or tan markings. The coat varies from straight to slightly wavy. This breed is highly intelligent and known for having a sort of sixth sense about what its owner is thinking. This also makes them easy to train. Australian Shepherds really do well when you give them a job to do, as they are active and can get bored quite easily. They can also show signs of nervousness and destruction if left alone for too long with no physical or mental stimulation. Overall, this will make a devoted family pet and does super well around children.
The breed is not large, so it doesn't require a whole lot of living space; therefore, it can be suited for an apartment, but it will need proper exercise to burn off energy. This dog is not aggressive and does great with kids of all ages, but keep in mind that this is a herding breed, so some puppies will try to nip at your heels as they think it is their job to herd you. You need to teach them that herding humans is not acceptable. As a responsible owner of this breed, you must establish that you are the pack leader to avoid Small Dog Syndrome, a human-induced behavior issue in small dogs leads them to think they are the leader if/when undesirable behaviors are not fixed at a young age.
Miniature Australian Shepherd Club of America National Stock Dog Registry America's Pet Registry, Inc. American Stock Dog Registry Dog Registry of America
Smart, Work-Oriented, Exuberant
