Breeds / Medium
Miniature American Shepherd puppies
Bright, biddable and intensely attentive to its handler, a full herding dog in a small frame that is friendly at home and reserved with strangers.
The facts
- Size class Medium
- Country of origin United States
- Adult weight 9.1 to 18.1 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 20 to 40 lb
- Adult height 33 to 46 cm
- Energy level Very high
- Grooming Moderate
- Coat type Medium double
- Typical lifespan 12 to 13 years
- Good with children Reliably good
- Good with other dogs Reliably good
Where these come from:
About the Miniature American Shepherd
The Miniature American Shepherd was bred in California from small Australian Shepherds, selected for size so they could travel easily to horse shows, and later recognised as a herding breed in its own right. It is a compact dog of 33 to 46 cm and 9.1 to 18.1 kg, with a medium double coat that comes in merle and solid patterns. The character is pure stock dog: watchful, quick to read a handler, reserved with strangers at first and closely bonded once it has settled in.
Energy is the headline here. This is a very high drive dog that wants a job, and it takes to agility, obedience and herding far better than to long idle days. Brush weekly, and daily when the undercoat comes out, working mats free with a slicker or metal comb. It is rated highly with children and other pets, though supervision and steady socialisation still do the work. The common mistake is treating a small herder as a low maintenance small dog, because a bored one barks, nips at heels and invents its own jobs.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Miniature American Shepherd puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire it out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Multidrug sensitivity (MDR1), detectable by DNA test, which affects safe dosing of several common drugs
- Collie eye anomaly, detectable by DNA test and eye examination
- Progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA), detectable by DNA test
- Hereditary cataract, screened by an ophthalmologist examination
- Hip and elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed and scored for
- Deafness and eye defects arising from double merle breeding, avoided by never mating two merle dogs together
From Miniature American Shepherd breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/miniature-american-shepherd/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Your Miniature American Shepherd puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Miniature American Shepherd.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 9.1 to 18.1 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Other medium breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.