Where the Miniature American Shepherd came from
The Miniature American Shepherd was developed in California in the late 1960s. The AKC history says breeders used small dogs thought to be Australian Shepherds. A Quarter Horse breeder named Doris Cordova bought a 13 inch puppy named Spike to help start her line. The small dogs fit horse people and small farms.
Spike was registered in 1980 with the National Stock Dog Registry, and the breed was first called the Miniature Australian Shepherd. The Miniature American Shepherd Club of the USA formed in 1990. The AKC took the breed into its Foundation Stock Service in May 2011 under the name Miniature American Shepherd.
The AKC fully recognized the breed on July 1, 2015, and placed it in the Herding Group. Today they are family dogs, herding dogs and sport dogs.
- Late 1960s California breeders begin selecting small dogs thought to be Aussies
- 1980 Doris Cordova's Spike is registered as a Miniature Australian Shepherd
- 2011 AKC takes the breed into its Foundation Stock Service as the Miniature American Shepherd
- 2015 AKC fully recognizes the breed
The job a Miniature American Shepherd was bred for
The job was being a smaller herding and ranch companion for horse folks. They kept the Aussie's smarts and drive in a smaller body. At home they are busy and attentive.
Sports that fit a Miniature American Shepherd
- Agility. Small, fast and athletic
- Herding. They keep strong herding instinct
- Scent work. A great mental job
- Rally and obedience. They love working with their person
- Disc. Good for athletic fun
Training tips for a Miniature American Shepherd
- Give a daily job, not only exercise.
- Redirect nipping and heel chasing with a toy or a trick.
- Teach an off switch and calm rest times.
- Use short, fun sessions with food rewards.
Body and health
Small but athletic. Watch the back and joints with repeated high jumps.
Fun fact. The breed started out as the Miniature Australian Shepherd, but it was developed in California and now carries the name Miniature American Shepherd.
Breed is where we start
A study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9 percent of the differences in behavior between dogs (Morrill and others, Science, 2022). So your Miniature American Shepherd is a starting guess, not a label. We find the drive your dog actually runs on, give it a job, and teach you to read them.
Looking for a different breed? See what 75 breeds were bred to do.