People buying them, breeding them people wanting them.  The AKC and ASCA registries both agree – the Australian Shepherd does not have a variety, meaning there is no such thing as a toy or a mini a short Aussie is an Aussie just like a giant one.

So what are these diminutive dogs?  Well you will see most are usually registered in the NSDR (National Stock Dog Registry) or one of the paper registries (registries that do not have bloodline requirements).  Most are a mixed breed dog with an Australian Shepherd pelt.  I see lots of Chihuahua or Papillon crosses in the toy category.

It is a real hot button issue for Aussie breeders mostly because the mini and toy people ride the coattails of the hard work of the ASCA and AKC breeder.  Like other designer dogs they get a lot of money for many times a cross breed dog.

Bumble Bee is an 18 inch bitch – basically at the bottom side of the standard.  I cannot tell you how many times I am asked if she is a mini.  People are not being nasty, most of the general public have no clue that this topic makes a breeder bristle.  I usually explain that Australian Shepherds do not have a height variety and that those dogs are a separate breed.

The great thing to me is the recognition in AKC of the Miniature American Shepherd.  This is a wonderful step to really creating a distinct breed for these dogs.  Breeders of mini’s are now allowed to register their dogs or move their AKC Australian Shepherd breeding stock to the new MAS registry.

The thing is that the mini is not leaving – at least this way it is an easier explanation.  Speaking of her is what I say in my FAQs:

Do you raise Mini Aussies?

No.  Actually if you read the Australian Shepherd breed standard you will see that there is no height variety in the breed.  Simply put an Aussie is an Aussie!  Yes there are people who actively breed for smaller sizes.  Most of these dogs are cross breds marketed as Mini or Toy but in essence a mutt.  It is a way to market them and use the Aussie good name and increase the value of the puppy.

You will find this to be a hot button issue in the Australian Shepherd world.  The good news is that AKC has approved a breed called the Miniature American Shepherd.  This breed will make a separate and distinct registration for dogs currently being marketed as Miniature Australian Shepherds.  The MAS dogs and bitches will be transferred to the new registry and no longer be associated with the USASA Australian Shepherd.

The hope is that this will alleviate the confusion by the public.  Calabrone Australian Shepherds only breeds and represents the AKC and ASCA Australian Shepherd.  We make no claims to the Miniature American Shepherd – we are proud of our Australian Shepherds!

The Boys begged for a long walk so we took them around the neighborhood.  I used Bummy’s leash for Memphis but forgot they chewed it so it had no end loop which got more and more annoying as the walk went on.  They seem to have two speeds, stop and RUN.

Next week they are six months old and in a week Sugar makes her AKC debut.  It is amazing to me that six months ago I was excited for the puppies to be born and today our life has changed and is even more full of love.  If nothing else the Boys crack me up.

The plan right now is to send them both for a month just to get them used to learning the life of a show dog.  Since they will not show until they are physically ready, I want them to be ready to show when they are in fact ready to show.  With this visit they will get to know the routine, travel a bit and also learn that traveling is fun AND you can come home afterwards.

I have been asked what is the plan – when are they going to show?  The answer is I have no idea – they will show when they are ready and that may be a week a month or a year or even longer.  One of the reasons to send them out now is to get assistance in making the determination.  I love both Jaki and Jaime – they show the dogs well and the boys like them a lot.

One thing I do not want to do is put them in the ring before they are ready.

I have seen the rescues are full of puppies – it breaks my heart and makes me angry all at the same time.  It is such a hard thing to balance because there are dogs that need homes yet there is a market for a genetically and physically healthy pup.  One that has generations of socialization.

The fact is that a litter of puppies has a better chance when they are socialized, and have proper health screening.  It does NOT take away from a rescue dog – some are awesome but many do have issues.  Haphazard breeding, no socialization, abuse, neglect.  Makes my head hurt.  And not all breeders are alike – slap up a nice website put cute puppy pictures up but lift the curtain and see that it is all smoke and mirrors.

I am torn on breeding Bummy again, I already have a waiting list of people interested but I am on the fence.  Once the boys are showing I will have to make a decision.  If we do it will be this fall I guess probably born around Christmas to match the Thanksgiving litter LOL.

Now I am depressing myself!  So great news – a friend of mine is getting a cousin to mine.  They are getting a puppy from our sister kennels (okay probably relative kennel not sure what to call them!)  I love it – they initially got in with the local faux show kennel but now are going to get a kick butt puppy.

And another friend is too – not the same kennel but she has been waiting a LONG time and is about to get her puppy – I think I am as excited as either of them!  LOL

I also had a long talk with a good friend who I totally respect and realize I am a pretty lucky gal.  I have good friends, a wonderful family and great dogs.  I am so blessed.

Well now it got pulled into the recall.  I purchase all of my food through Amazon Prime and I called them and got an immediate refund (way to go Amazon) but my search began.  I use the Dog Food Advisor website to assist.  Picture this, me with two windows open, one with the list of dog food brands in the recall and one with the 5 star foods.  Let me just say Diamond seems to make most of the 5 star foods!

Then once I got my list down I had to check Amazon to find the brands that were Prime eligible.  I am addicted to Amazon Prime…FREE delivery in two days!  So that cut my list down even further!  After a recommendation from a Basset friend I chose Castor and Pollux Natural Ultramix Grain-Free.

We just started it a week ago and so far so good.  The dogs like it, the puppies are constantly trying to eat it and I am finding that it is not too rich for them (they always got loose stool when they break into the TOTW).

It is a bit pricy but TOTW is not cheap either.  I may switch the puppies over to it – so far so good.  And it is made in the Pacific Northwest so it is NOT going to be in the recall!

It started with a low tire light flashing and I stopped to check the tires.  The first gas station air station was out of order, the second had some sort of reunion going on so I went to a THIRD and when I got there the light stopped flashing.  I checked it anyways and there were no low tires.  Weird.

Then I went to get a drink and came back and the keyless entry stopped working.  I got on the road the the low tire light intermittently went on and then the radio stopped working.

So I started wondering if there was some kind of electrical thing going on – I actually drove in the slow lane with door unlocked in case Bummy and I needed to bail out of the car.  We did make it home but I refused to put the car in the garage JUST in case.

Needless to say I did not drive back down – it was really nice to spend a quiet Mother’s Day at home.  And so far so good – the car is not fried!

Seriously you cannot make this stuff up.

So you need 50 points in a certain amount of time (I never found out how much time I had so I have to guess LOL)  Each obstacle is worth a point value the harder to do the more points and you cannot do the same obstacle twice.  Two obstacles are behind a line and if you choose to do them without YOU crossing the line you get a bonus.  In out class it was the teeter and the tunnel and together with bonus they were worth 20 points.

As I mentioned I WAS FIRST and we had no chance to warm up – I am not even sure Bummy knew we were going to do agility LOL.  We started with a 1 point jump then did a tunnel for 9 points, then two 1 point jumps and an 8 point triple jump.  We then ran on to the send obstacles and Bummy flew through the teeter (almost too fast) then stopped at the tunnel but luckily then went in to add the bonus.  SWEET.

All we needed to do is the A frame for 8 then run like we were on fire for one more 1 point jump and the final jump also worth 1 point.  Bummy rocks on contacts but you forget how in tune they are to body language – as she went up the A frame I got in position to run to the finish and she stopped on it.  I had to restart her.

Those two small bobbles killed our chances of a qualifying score BUT I was thrilled with her and decided this was the best class EVER.  Love it.

We went on to Jumpers with weaves.  The course was tight.  Honestly it showed our inconsistency.  Bummy felt crowed by me in the tight turns and spent more time circling the jumps as I pushed her too far out of the jump space.  She totally ignored the weaves – like they did not exist!  I think for her she needs the contacts – it helps to settle her brain.  Being so green I did not trust her to jump and she only took about half on the first try.  NOT mad at her at all but we need to get our space issues worked out.  It is hard for me to stay 10 plus feet away from a jump when it is hard to know if she will jump.

Oh well this is EXACTLY why we came – we need to know what is going right and what is not.

Finally we got to Standard and I had high hopes – the course was really good for us.  She shot over the first jump and up onto the dogwalk.  And then she jumped OFF.  The dog who has NEVER jumped off not even in our first class hopped off.  I was dumbfounded.

She then pretended at least to do the weaves albeit badly then fit a series of jumps, the table a tunnel and a chute and nailed the teeter.  Back up the A frame then ran AROUND the final jump.  I will never understand her LOL.

She had a wonderful time.  Our friends Leanne and her Aussie Denali also ran their first time and had shades of brilliance.  Agility has to be one of the hardest things I have ever done yet love it so much.  Hopefully in a few months we will be in better shape and can try again!

We did snap some quick pictures of the puppies – they really are growing up so fast.  It is funny because Stinger looks so much like Bummy it is amazing and Memphis looks like Lance.  Of course they have some similarities too.  Both of their sets of ears have set correctly I really don’t think it was due to my ear gluing skill – let’s chalk it up to devine intervention!

Anyways hope you enjoy – to me Stinger looks way more mature than Memphis – what do you think?

We have a bunch of stuff going on at work the rest of the week and I will have zero time to do anything to learn this.  Oh well the agility is supposed to be FUN right???

The good news is they will be close by but I am not sure what life is going to be like without my babies.  Life will be quiet for sure. I think for them mentally it will be great for them.  Although living like dogs may be a culture shock – they are house pets and never been in a kennel.  The good thing is that they are not clingy, in puppy class they never were overly attached to each other so hopefully they make new friends.