Tuesday, June 11, 2013

The Wonderful World Of Miniature Australian Shepherds

By Grace Daniels


Miniature australian shepherds are a lot of dog in a very small package. They have the intelligence, energy, and willfulness of their larger counterparts and, like the traditionally sized Australian shepherd, they are herding dogs. These dogs are extremely loyal and want to please their people.

Since they are working dogs, they need something to do. Though an asset for protection, their herding instincts can be problematic in homes with younger kids. However, if they have the right training, abundant love, and plenty of attention, they are wonderful dogs for any family.

These smaller-sized adaptations of Australian shepherds are between 20 and 40 pounds in weight and between 13 and 18 inches in height. Their coats are feathered and are medium in length. Their coloring is red or black tricolor or red or blue merle. The coats also should have tan or white markings in addition to the other color attributes.

Their herding nature means that they have to be trained carefully. They herd by means of nipping at the heels of their charges. This means that they might nip at the heels of their humans, particularly children, in order to herd them. It is highly recommended that they get socialized very early on and have significant training to discourage this type of herding behavior. Another recommendation is that they go to homes with older children.

These dogs have a tremendous amount of energy. This energy stems from their working dog heritage and, therefore, they need quite a bit to do. They need plenty of exercise, otherwise miniature australian shepherds might become destructive out of boredom. They do very well on farms, especially in working with small stock. They also are very well-suited to agility games. Most places that offer dog training offer these types of classes. These little dogs seem to have an incredible intuition about what their owners want, so learning comes rapidly.

Miniature australian shepherds are known for their high intelligence. This makes them perfect for working as therapy dogs, rescue dogs, and seeing eye dogs. These dogs are very loving toward people and will stick right by their owners' sides. These attributes make them great for families that are active and like to have a constant companion.

While they have many great traits, both in temperament and in physical attributes, there are some health concerns to watch out for in this breed The same genetic trait that gives them their beautiful coloring can also gives them a predisposition toward blindness and deafness in merles and merle crosses. Some dogs in this breed are also prone to other eye problems and to hip problems. It is important to point out that any breed of dog has potential health problems.

Aside from potential health problems, these smaller-sized variations of the breed are of great benefit for the appropriate family. The appropriate family has energy, time, and the will to see the dog succeed. Training will come more easily if the dog knows that the owner leads the pack. It should not be too much of a challenge to meet that goal since these dogs live to please their people. Their intuition about people's wants and needs will also be an asset for reaching that goal. The loyal and loving nature make miniature australian shepherds great family pets in the right situation.




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