Need advice!

[jami03]

I am very new to forums period, and even newer to this one....just to forworn you! In a week my husband and I are getting our first dog! A Miniature Aussie! Anyone have any ney parent advice or breed advice??? Even cute stories would be nice! Thanks so much!

Jami

[sammy101]

Hi!Welcome to PT,my kids are in my signature. :) I've never owned an Aussie so i dont really have much experience with them.The ones i've met were great dogs.I've never met a miniature Aussie either.Where are you getting your pup from?

[Suki Wingy]

I am pretty sure they started off as a totally different breed that happened to look like mini aussies and then that name was taken after some BYBers decided they could make money but now it is an actual breed. http://www.mascaonline.org/ I think someone on this board has a friend who breeds them

[jami03]

I am getting him from a breeder in Missouri. Timberline Kennels is the name ( www.timberlinekennel.com ) From what I have read they are great dogs. I am going to school to become a professional trainer and he will be the dog that goes through everything with me. We are just new to puppies and new to the breed! Thanks for responding!
Jami

[wolfsoul]

I am pretty sure they started off as a totally different breed that happened to look like mini aussies and then that name was taken after some BYBers
North American miniature Aussies came from purebred Aussies -- they just bred them smaller and smaller rather than adding any other breeds into the mix.

We have a miniature Aussie in our agility club. Very smart and active dogs. Not for me though, I'll stick with my Belgians and catahoulas. ;)

[Karen]

Hide your shoes! And anything else that's within chew-height! Lids for trash cans, or hide them away ... Gosh, I've told this here before, but when our first St. Bernard that my family had when I was a kid was teething, she chewed one of each of my pairs of shoes because I'd get careless and leave my closet door a smidge ajar. Stock up on plenty of okay-to-chew things, how old will the pup be when he comes home? Are you planning on crate-training him? Are you home during the day, or do you both work?

Be prepared to take lots of pictures, as people here will beg for them and they grow so fast it's hard to believe!

[jami03]

The shoes tip is taken into account!!! He will be 8 weeks old when we get him and yes we are planning on crate training him. Until school starts I will be home during the day, and when school starts he'll start too! So I am hoping that will help a couple of carelessly plassed pairs of shoes anyway! Thanks!

Jami

*Here's a picture of him now.......Everyone.....Meet Paz!

[cali]

awww what a cutie! I know a couple of mini aussies, but they are flyball dogs and have only ever seen them on the flyball coarse lol

[.sarah]

My friend has a mini Aussie and two Aussies. The mini acts no different than the standards. We also have a mini boarding at work right now (I work at a vet). Australian Shepherds are great dogs. Good luck with your boy. He's so adorable!

[cyber-sibes]

Awww, look at that little cutie-pie! I've thought about getting a mini-aussie before as we have a breeder locally. Don't have much advice, I think Karen covered it all! Good luck with your sweetie Paz. And DO post pictures, ok?

[ontariogreys]

Well I can't give you breed advice, I hope the start of school is still several months away, to aid in the potty training department.

An approx way to determine how long a puppy can hold their bladder for is by their months of age. So a 2 month old puppy can hold their bladder for approx 2 hours, then you need to take them outside to eliminate, I certainly hope it is warm where you are, I learned the hard way that getting out of a nice warm bed 2 or 3 times a night in the middle of winter was no picnic, especially in the freezing rain while you hold the umbrella over the puppy hoping he or she will go , while you get soaked to the skin by freezing drizzle, and most puppies at such a young age don't like to be outside in nasty cold or wet weather, so housetraining a winter puppy may take a while to accomplish even if they are furry.

Puppies need to go when they first wake up, play and over stimulation also makes them want to go. So puppy puddles are bound to happen usually on a carpeted surface, so you may want to invest in a carpet cleaner like the full sized bissell extractor or the spot lifter, you also will need an enzymatic cleaning solution meant for pet urine to eliminate the smell so the pup does not keep going back to the same spot. At about 3 months the teething starts and lasts for several months usually so have a good stock of chews toys that can be rotated to keep his interest, you also will want some bitter apple to discourage chewing of inappropriate areas like baseboards, wall corners, furniture etc. Being long haired he is going to need to be brushed often so start early getting him used to it, and handle his feet often so he will be comfortable getting the hair cut between his toes and nails clipped when needed. It helps to teach a couple of command early on like sit and shake a paw, and have the pup sit before getting the treat or food, this helps to teach the pup that you are the leader of the pack not him. As he gets a bit older your pup is going to need things to do to keep him from getting bored, this is especially important for working breeds and the reason so many aussies are involved in agility to keep their minds and bodies active so they don't become destructive at home. Dogs are pack animals and view people they live with as part of their pack, in a dog pack isolation from the pack is a form of punishment, that said one of the worst things people often do with puppies is isolate them at night by putting them in a crate in another room where they will be all alone, it is better for then if they have a sleeping spot in your room, when I was fostering greyhound fresh off the track it was simply easier for me to have 2 crates one for in my bedroom and one for the main family room because of the size of the crates, when I foster I have 4 dogs on the floor in the bedroom with me, they tend to sleep more peacefully and are less likely to wander around at night and get into mischief

[CagneyDog]

Paz is adorable!!! Congrats on your new puppy :)

[lv4dogs]

I am pretty sure they started off as a totally different breed that happened to look like mini aussies and then that name was taken after some BYBers decided they could make money but now it is an actual breed. http://www.mascaonline.org/ I think someone on this board has a friend who breeds them

Actually they are not an actual breed. Yes they have their own kennel club introduced in 1996 the MASCA, Miniature Australian Shepherd Club of America but a lot of so called "breeders" of designer breeds are making up their own kennel club just so they can make more money.
The mini aussies are NOT recognized by the ASCA (australian shepherd club of america), The United States Australian Shepherd Association, the AKC nor are they reccognized by any other club or organization.


I know quite a few people that have one (or 2). They have their ups & downs and because they are not actually a breed the health/behavior problems may vary & specific genetic health problems are not known for sure yet. Of course it doesn't help that a lot of them are bred by obviously bad examples of the Aussie breed (all mini aussies are is Aussies that were born too small due to some health or genetic problems, they just kept breeding & breeding them until they are all small) I do know that the most common health issues are but not limited to:
eye problems, dry eyes, stained eyes caused by excessive watery eyes.
They are also known for almost any joint defect due to their forced smaller size including but not limited to hip AND elbow dysplasia, as well as luxating latella, OCD, ACL, and back problems.

As far as their behavior goes they are not too much different from the Aussie at all. They are VERY smart, VERY active & VERY independant therefore they need to keep busy otherwise they may start to find a job of their own which may include some undesired behavior. A lot of people misunderstand this behavior as stubborn (as seen in many other breeds too) but they are just independent thats all. They love a good challenge and if you don't provide them with one they will find some sort of challenge for you. And socialization is key. They can be very loyal & protective therefore they can sometimes be standoffish to strangers.
I'd suggest getting him out there as much as possible to socialize him and at least one obedience class is a must for any breed, especially for herding dogs, terriers & the like.
Here's a good site that explains the Aussies behavior (similar to a mini aussie) a little more in depth. aussie behavior (http://www.johnlunn.com/tricorn/aussied.htm)

Jami, I am sorry, I don't mean to rain on your parade but I just want the truth to be out there and thought I would share my experience with you. Just like any dog you chance getting one with health issues & the like. You just have to be careful & do your research about what traits are found in the breed(s). Congrats on your new puppy. I can't see his pic but he sounds like a cutie. I hope to see more of yous around here & wish you good luck.

[jami03]

Thanks to everyone for all the help! I did some research on several breeds before I chose and the breed that fits with our family the best are the Aussie's......Thanks so much for telling the truth about what you know (lv4dogs ;) ) I appreciate it all! Especially more specifics on the differences between the Miniature Aussie's and the regular Aussie's. We can't wait to bring him home! Thanks again!!!

[lv4dogs]

Thanks to everyone for all the help! I did some research on several breeds before I chose and the breed that fits with our family the best are the Aussie's......Thanks so much for telling the truth about what you know (lv4dogs ;) ) I appreciate it all! Especially more specifics on the differences between the Miniature Aussie's and the regular Aussie's. We can't wait to bring him home! Thanks again!!!

I'm glad you didn't take it the wrong way. :)
I couldn't see the pic you posted of him, I looked on the breeders website to try to find him but I didn't see any male puppies that were already sold. :( I'm sure I'll see him before long though. lol What color is he? I love his name.

Aussies really are great dogs. I'm sure you'll enjoy his company. I finally got my dream dog... an Aussie earlier this year, my baby Kaige in my sig. He's 6 months old now and the light of my life.

[jami03]

I'm sorry you couldn't see the picture! He is such a cutie! He is a blue merle. I know you can't see his picture anymore....I was pretty bummed when I first noticed that, they had to take a lot of the sold dogs down to make room for the new litters.....which does make me a little suspicous of them but when I did some research on them they were cery highly recommended.......I guess we will find out! They seem very professional about it at least.
Anyway, I am new to this stuff, so if you can tell me how to put a picture up without using an atachment I can do it so everyone can see him....I know how to insert the image but I don't know what to type in the prompt. Thanks again for your honesty! :)

[lv4dogs]

I'm sorry you couldn't see the picture! He is such a cutie! He is a blue merle. I know you can't see his picture anymore....I was pretty bummed when I first noticed that, they had to take a lot of the sold dogs down to make room for the new litters.....which does make me a little suspicous of them but when I did some research on them they were cery highly recommended.......I guess we will find out! They seem very professional about it at least.
Anyway, I am new to this stuff, so if you can tell me how to put a picture up without using an atachment I can do it so everyone can see him....I know how to insert the image but I don't know what to type in the prompt. Thanks again for your honesty! :)


I also noticed on their site (unless I didn't look well enough) that it doesn't give any info about the parents or anything, like age or if they have earned any titles or if their eyes or hips were tested, nothing. Made me wonder too. I hope we're both wrong though, I really do.
I love the merles, obviously. lol

When you post a topic or reply, you'll notice some boxes towards the top, you'll see the option for bold or italic, if you look firther to the right you'll see a box with a mountain on it, yellow & grey, click that and post the url to the pic. It'll show right up in your reply or thread. :)

[jami03]

I haven't seen anything on the parents either.....I am planning to e-mail them today to make sure the time I am planning to pick Paz up is ok, I also plan to ask for any information she has at all on the parents....I am glad you sad that because I wasn't sure if it was really necessary or not. But 2 people thinking makes me curious! Like you said, I hope we are both wrong!!!
I feel like such a dope but........how do I know what the url is??? :confused: Sorry for the trouble!

[lv4dogs]

I haven't seen anything on the parents either.....I am planning to e-mail them today to make sure the time I am planning to pick Paz up is ok, I also plan to ask for any information she has at all on the parents....I am glad you sad that because I wasn't sure if it was really necessary or not. But 2 people thinking makes me curious! Like you said, I hope we are both wrong!!!
I feel like such a dope but........how do I know what the url is??? :confused: Sorry for the trouble!

I'd ask them if their parents are over 2 years of age, they should not be bred before that, also make sure they had their eyes & hips tested at at least 2 years of age. I'd also ask them if any other known illnesses are known in any of the lines like epilepsy, thyroid etc...
Good luck! :D

As far as the URl ? goes, where are your pictures? If you have them on photobucket the URLs are posted right under the picture in your album, or if you right click the image, then click properties, then look for the location, that is the url. And thats not a dopey question, I was the same way when I first started showing pictures. lol

[jami03]

Thanks for the suggestions in what to look for in his parents! That helps a lot! I appreciate it! And as you requested.....

Here is Paz at about 5 weeks old......
http://us.f519.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter/BMM_2_1_1.JPG?box=Inbox&MsgId=6502_1018747_2758_1465_63319_0_10982_85664_1 207730394&bodyPart=2&filename=BMM_2_1_1.JPG&tnef=&YY=21122&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b&Idx=14

And here is Paz at about a week old!! (I think anyway, I thought that was what she said! :confused: )
http://us.f519.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter/MF102005BMM_2_2.JPG?box=Inbox&MsgId=6502_1018747_2758_1465_63319_0_10982_85664_1 207730394&bodyPart=3&filename=MF102005BMM_2_2.JPG&tnef=&YY=21122&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b&Idx=14

I can't wait!!!!

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

I can't see the pics of Paz, the site you have them on doesn't seem to work here. Anyway, Congratulations on your new pup! I love Aussies :)

[Bonny]

Make sure the parents are not both Blu Merles. That is a no no in breeding Aussies. Also make sure your pup has a dark colored nose. Sometimes they have the pink nose & that can get sunburned & sore. A solid colored black or brown nose is best. The eyes should be even in size & the pupils dilate like they should. Also make sure your pup has good bone substance, that is thickness of the bones especially in the front& hind legs. Check the paws for any deformities. My Australian Shepherd is a standard size. He came from two blu merle parents. At the time I didn't realize that was a no no. He had one eye that was smaller then the other, a pink nose, & I later found a deformed claw on his hind foot. I went back to the stupid back yard breeder & told her not to breed the two parents ever again & she went & allowed the dogs to breed again. This breed of dog is so sweet, willing to please, loyal, & very athletic. My shepherd was a pet pal & visited care facilities. The residents would throw a tennis ball & he would catch it & gently drop it back into their cupped hands. They are wonderful family pets but need a lot of exercise too. Best of luck to you in finding your pup.

[lv4dogs]

Make sure the parents are not both Blu Merles. That is a no no in breeding Aussies. Also make sure your pup has a dark colored nose. Sometimes they have the pink nose & that can get sunburned & sore. A solid colored black or brown nose is best.

Great points but actually any merle should not be bred to any other merle, not just blues.

A dark colored (black or brown) nose is just as good as a liver colored nose (can be light brown), but yes, pink pigment on the nose or eyes is not that good, like you said they can be prone to sunburn.