Information about picking out your Toy or Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy.
Picking the right puppy for your family
Before you take your puppy home
Registration Papers and what they mean to you
USDA Inspected Kennels or Hobby Breeders
Picking the right Toy or Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy:
Aussies come in a variety of colors; do not let the color of the puppy be your only deciding factor.
Male or Female: Both males and females are extremely intelligent, easy to train and loyal. Males tend to have the frill or collar; females are generally less striking as adults. Both sexes are better pets altered.
Letting the puppy choose you; plan to spend time with the litter, sit on the floor and play with them. The puppy that chooses you will me more likely to be responsive and willing. This is the beginning of a bond that will last 12 to 16 years.
Selecting the right personality is very important; let the breeder help you by telling them what you expect from the puppy as an adult dog.
Before you choose your Toy or Miniature Australian Shepherd puppy:
Puppy Proof your home; puppies are curious and put everything in their mouths. Take the time to clear your home of any small objects your puppy could ingest. Put away your children’s toys, your shoes and socks. Put houseplants out of reach. In general, look around for anything a toddler might get into. This will make the first days at a new home less stressful for you and your new puppy.
Purchase a Crate; think of your puppies crate like a playpen or crib for a child. It is for your puppy’s safety and correctly introduced the crate becomes the puppies refuse and place of retreat.
Feed; ask the breeder what food they have been feeding your puppy. Have that brand at home before you pick up your puppy. This will help the transition to his/her new home and decrease the possibility of digestive upset. 
Water; it never hurts to take some water the puppy is used to home with you. Take a container with you. Slowly introduce your water source gradually by mixing your new water into the old in increasing amounts over two to three days.
Registration Papers for your Toy or Miniature Australian Shepherd and what they mean to you:
Most people are not interested in showing or breeding their new family member. While there are people who are not honest, with most registered dogs you can be certain that the puppy you pick out is a purebred if it comes with registration papers. There are several different registries that a Toy or Miniature Aussie can be registered in. You might even find some that are AKC. However if you get an AKC registered Toy or Mini Aussie you more than likely wouldn't be able to show in the AKC as they have a minimum height requirement and only recognize the Standard Australian Shepherd.
Shade Tree Aussies uses America's Pet Registry as a primary registry. APRI has a great reputation of getting papers back to the breeder in time for them to go with the babies to their new homes. Not all registries can do that. We always order a pedigree to go with each puppy. With the APRI papers and pedigree you can register your puppy with several registries and associations.
Should you want to breed or show your new puppy, APRI offers bench shows, ASDR (American Stock Dog Registry) is geared at herding and agility events, NASA (North American Shepherd Association) is working hard to get our breed recognized with the UKC (United Kennel Club).
USDA Inspected Kennels or hobby breeders of Toy or Miniature Australian Shepherds?
This section is solely the opinion of Shade Tree Aussies - We feel that the USDA rules and regulations are aimed at larger breeders and have been forced upon the small family or hobby breeder. When you purchase a puppy from a USDA Kennel, you are supposed to be assured that you will get a healthy puppy. The regulations they require you to meet include not being able to raise your puppies in the house where they learn to be social with humans and other dogs. They are to be kept in a single cage, in a climate controlled building that can be sterilized. I personally believe that it is important to an Aussies mental development to be a part of the family from day one. Most Hobby Breeders are small enough not to be effected by those regulations at this time. With the crushing laws that are being passed from state to state, brought on by HSUS and Peta, it will soon be impossible to raise our dogs the way we want to. At the point that comes to pass I will no longer be a breeder.
If you are interested in wading through all the pages of the Animal Welfare Act and the Animal Welfare Regulations I have provided the link here. [Click Here]
