Miniature American Shepherd

Quick to learn; may try to round up children.
A Miniature American Shepherd
Photo: TanSinVic
Adult weight
9.1–18 kg
20–40 lb
Lifespan
12–13 yrs
Class · Sport
also Companion, Family

What it's like

The breed learns quickly, is keen to work and is closely attached to its family. It can be reserved with strangers and is watchful at home. Its herding instinct can show in attempts to round up children or other animals.

Day to day
Activity
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Needs daily brain work
Handler demand
Needs steady training
With people
Affection
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Sticks close to its people
Independence
Keen to work with you
Around the home
Sensitivity
Average
Voice
Very vocal
Prey drive
Chases; needs managing
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour1. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home2,3.
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Living with one

It has a coat of medium length. Most of the shedding comes when the seasons change. Plan on brushing a few times a week, plus daily brushing through the seasonal moult. It needs plenty of exercise compared with other breeds.

Size and growth

A Miniature American Shepherd is a small dog, about the weight of a grown Cocker Spaniel. It is one of the heaviest small breeds.

It is slightly longer than it is tall, sturdy and agile, with high-set triangular ears that tip forward or to the side. The double coat is of medium length, straight to wavy, and comes in black, blue merle, red and red merle, with or without white markings and copper points. Some dogs are born with a naturally short tail. The eyes may be brown, blue, hazel, amber or flecked with mixed colours, and the two eyes can differ.

Puppy growth

Reference curve · community data appears as owners log
By about 5 months, a male Miniature American Shepherd puppy is already as heavy as a grown Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. They grow fastest between 3 and 4 months old.
Fully grown
10 mo
Both sexes, at 99% of adult weight7
Male
Female
Shaded: expected range
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051015202m3m4m6m9m12m18m
Age
Male
Female
2 months
2.3–4.6 kg 5.1–10.1 lb
2.6–5.1 kg 5.7–11.2 lb
3 months
3.1–6.2 kg 6.8–13.7 lb
3.3–6.6 kg 7.3–14.6 lb
4 months
4.4–8.8 kg 9.7–19.4 lb
4.5–8.9 kg 9.9–19.6 lb
5 months
5.5–10.9 kg 12.1–24.0 lb
5.4–10.7 kg 11.9–23.6 lb
6 months
6.3–12.6 kg 13.9–27.8 lb
6.1–12.2 kg 13.4–26.9 lb
7 months
7.0–13.8 kg 15.4–30.4 lb
6.7–13.3 kg 14.8–29.3 lb
8 months
7.4–14.8 kg 16.3–32.6 lb
7.1–14.2 kg 15.7–31.3 lb
9 months
7.8–15.5 kg 17.2–34.2 lb
7.5–14.9 kg 16.5–32.8 lb
10 months
8.1–16.1 kg 17.9–35.5 lb
7.8–15.5 kg 17.2–34.2 lb
11 months
8.3–16.5 kg 18.3–36.4 lb
8.0–16.0 kg 17.6–35.3 lb
12 months
8.5–16.8 kg 18.7–37.0 lb
8.2–16.4 kg 18.1–36.2 lb
15 months
8.8–17.5 kg 19.4–38.6 lb
8.7–17.2 kg 19.2–37.9 lb
18 months
9.1–18 kg 20–40 lb
9.0–17.9 kg 19.8–39.5 lb

Lifespan

No vet study has measured how long Miniature American Shepherds live yet. The 12–13 years shown is a general figure without a published source.

Where it comes from

The Miniature American Shepherd began in California in the late 1960s, when small Australian Shepherds were bred to stay small, and it was first registered in 1980 as the Miniature Australian Shepherd. It herded sheep and goats, and equestrians who took it to horse shows spread it across the country. It entered the AKC's Foundation Stock Service under its present name in 20114.

The Miniature American Shepherd received full recognition from the American Kennel Club a few years after entering its Foundation Stock Service, and it was placed in the Herding Group. The name changed from Miniature Australian Shepherd largely because many Australian Shepherd breeders objected to the smaller dogs sharing their breed's name. Some other registries still use the older name. Some dogs still work stock; others are companions or compete in agility, obedience and herding trials. In build it is a smaller version of the Australian Shepherd.

Breed standard

The Miniature American Shepherd is judged against standard no. 367, in group 1, Sheepdogs and Cattledogs4.

Questions people ask

General guidance for dogs rather than a measured Miniature American Shepherd figure: most females have a first season somewhere between six and fifteen months, and cycles then settle to roughly every 180 days. Smaller breeds tend to start earlier and larger ones later, so a small breed is most likely at the early end.

Compare with related

Australian Shepherd
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Medium
Shetland Sheepdog
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Small
Border Collie
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Medium
Cardigan Welsh Corgi
Sheepdogs & cattledogs · Medium
Or compare the Miniature American Shepherd with any breed you choose
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Sources

Uncited on this page: Lifespan — no reviewed source yet, so it is a general reference figure rather than a published one.
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Parts of this page were written by AI ·