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

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.