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While you may
not be interested in showing your Mini, Toy or Micro Aussie,
good structure will be a determining factor in your dogs
overall health and longevity.
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 Toy
Australian Shepherd,
Miniature Australian
Shepherd,
Micro Australian Shepherd breed standard.
Published by the North American Miniature
Australian Shepherd Club of the USA
GENERAL APPEARANCE: The Miniature Australian Shepherd is a
well-balanced herding dog of small to medium size. Bone is also
moderate and in proportion to body size. He is attentive and
animated, showing strength and stamina combined with unusual
agility. Slightly longer than tall, he has a coat of moderate
length and coarseness with coloring that offers variety and
individuality in each specimen. An identifying characteristic is
his natural or docked bobtail. In each sex, masculinity or
femininity is well defined.
CHARACTER: The Miniature Australian Shepherd is intelligent,
primarily a working dog of strong herding and guardian
instincts. He is an exceptional companion. He is versatile and
easily trained, performing his assigned tasks with great style
and enthusiasm. He is reserved with strangers, but does not
exhibit shyness. Although an aggressive, authoritative worker,
viciousness towards people or animals is intolerable.
Published by America's Pet Registry Inc.
The Miniature Australian Shepherd should
be judged as if it were an Australian Shepherd in all respects other
than size. Pay particular attention to disqualifications peculiar to the
Miniature.
HEIGHT:
Preferred height for males and
females at the withers is 18 inches and under; dogs with heights above
18 inches should be faulted to the degree of variance; quality, however,
is not to be sacrificed in favor of size.
GROUP:
Herding
WEIGHT:
In proportion to height.
COAT:
Straight to slightly wavy of medium
texture and length, weather resistant, with undercoat varying in
thickness with variation in climate; hair on head, ears, front of
forelegs, and below the hocks is short and smooth; moderately feathered
on back of forelegs and britches; moderate mane and frill, more
pronounced in males than females. Serious fault: Non-typical coat.
COLOR:
Blue merle, red merle, solid black,
red (liver), all with or without white and or tan (copper) markings: on
all colors, areas surrounding ears and eyes dominated by color other
than white; white is acceptable on neck (either in part or as a full
collar) chest, legs, muzzle, under-parts, blaze on head and white
extension from under-part up to four inches, measuring from a horizontal
line at the elbow; white on head should not be predominate, eyes must be
fully surrounded by color and pigment; hairline of white collar should
not exceed the point of the withers. The blue merle and blacks have
black pigmentation on nose, lips and eye rims; red merle and red do not;
red merles and reds have liver (brown) pigmentation of the nose and
lips; butterfly nose is not faulted under one year of age; small pink
spots are permissible on merles' noses, but should not exceed 25% of the
nose on dogs over one year of age. Disqualifications: Other than
recognized colors; white body splashes, Dudley nose.
STANDARD
Head: Top skull flat to slightly rounded, length and width each equal to
the length of the muzzle; moderate but well-defined stop.
Eyes: Clear, almond-shaped and of moderate size, set slightly obliquely,
neither prominent nor sunken with dark, well-defined, perfectly
positioned pupils; brown, blue, amber, or any variation or combination
including flecks and marbling of eyes accepted; eyes must be expressive,
showing attentiveness and intelligence.
Ears: Set high on side of the head, of moderate size, triangular with
slightly rounded tip, and leather; at full attention, break forward and
over from one-quarter (1/4) to one-half (1/2) above the base, or to the
side as a rose ear. Serious faults: Prick ears and hound type ears.
Muzzle: Balanced and proportioned to rest of head; tapers slightly to
rounded tip; see lip color under color, above.
Nose: Black and self colored according to coat; see nose color under
Colors, above.
Teeth and Bite: Full complement of white teeth meeting as scissors or
level bite: teeth broken or missing by accident are not penalized.
Disqualifications: Undershot; overshot greater than 1/8 inch.
Neck: Strong, firm, clean, and in proportion to the body; moderate
length; slightly arched at the crest, setting well into the shoulders.
Top line: Appears level at a natural four-square stance.
Chest: Deep and strong, well-sprung ribs.
Body: Firm and muscular; strong and broad loin when viewed from the top;
bottom line carried well back with a moderate tuck-up; moderately
sloping croup, the ideal being thirty (30) degrees from the horizontal.
Forequarters: Shoulder blades are long, flat, fairly close set at the
withers and well laid back; upper arms are relatively the same length as
the shoulder blade, and attach at an approximate right angle to the
shoulder line with forelegs droppings straight, perpendicular to the
ground; straight and strong legs with strong oval, rather than round
bone: medium length and very slightly sloped pastern; dewclaws should be
removed, but are not penalized.
Hindquarters: Width of hindquarters approximately equal to width of
forequarters at the shoulders; angulation of the pelvis and upper thigh
(femur) corresponds to the angulation of the shoulder blade and upper
arm forming an approximate right angle; clearly defined stifles,
moderately bent hock joints; metatarsi (pasterns) are short,
perpendicular to the ground, and parallel to each other when viewed from
the rear; dewclaws must be removed.
Feet: All feet are oval shaped and compact, with well-arched toes and
thick, resilient pads.
Tail: Straight, not to exceed 4 inches in length; natural bobtail or
docked.
Movement: Smooth, free and easy; swift and very agile, with
well-balanced, flowing gait with ground covering stride; fore and hind
legs move straight and parallel with the center line of the body; as
speed increases, the feet, both front and rear, converge toward the
center line of gravity of the dog, while the top line remains firm and
level.
Temperament: Attentive and animated; good-natured, but may be somewhat
reserved in initial meetings; high-spirited, aggressive and
authoritative worker, but not vicious toward people or animals; reserved
with strangers but not shy.
DISQUALIFICATIONS:
Viciousness or extreme shyness.
Toy-like characteristics (domed head, bulging eyes, fine bone).
Undershot bite greater than 1/8 inch.
Colors other than those recognized above in Colors.
White body splashes, which means white on the body between withers and
tail, on sides between elbows and back of hindquarters in all colors.
Dudley nose.
Wet flews (pendulous lateral part of the upper lip).
Albinism.
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