Dear Members and Friends,

There has been considerable discussion in recent years with regard to what exactly constitutes a Miniature Australian Shepherd. MASCA was founded on the premise that the mini Aussie is nothing more nor less than a small Australian Shepherd. Cross registrations of undersized ASCA, AKC and/or NSDR Australian Shepherds have been permitted since the parent club’s formation, as they were in NAMASCUSA until approximately 2 years ago and continue to be by the National Stock Dog Registry. MASCA contends that defining a Miniature Australian Shepherd by registry is harmful to the mini Aussie in the long-run, and caters to the preferences of those who do not own, breed nor compete with Miniature Australian Shepherds.
What if you, as a breeder, could have access to more accurate information on which undersized Australian Shepherd lines consistently produced small offspring? MASCA members can make an informed decision for the September 1999 vote on this issue by reading this article and by further discussion/input on this matter on the message board we have provided or in public forums like the MiniAussies-L electronic mailing list.
MASCA refined its rules for application of Australian Shepherds in 1999 and requires accurate size verification as well as an extended pedigree review by committee. The club does not register ASCA, AKC and/or NSDR Australian Shepherds fitting the mini Aussie standard under the same protocol and numbering system that it uses for mini Aussies, nor will it register just any undersized Australian Shepherd.
In addition, MASCA does not register the undersized offspring of registered undersized Australian Shepherds under the same system as mini Aussies. Both parents and all grandparents will now be height verified in order for the grand-offspring of the first generation of registered undersized Australian Shepherds for a dog to reach full Miniature Australian Shepherd ("M") status. At MASCA shows, separate classes may be provided for "A"/"B" and "M" dogs, provided that classes are available for all qualifying dogs who wish to enter. For a detailed explanation of MASCA's Special Registration policy, please visit the Registration Page:
Special Registration
A sample application may be downloaded at:

Downloadable Forms

The Undersized Australian Shepherd and Show Regulations
Some have noted that undersized Australian Shepherds cannot participate in ARBA conformation classes. However, ARBA does not specifically object to the idea that Aussies can be registered as mini Aussies. Such dogs are welcomed in other ARBA events. Unaltered Australian Shepherds are currently competing as North American Shepherds in (AMBOR sponsored) ARBA obedience. The majority of other rare breed organizations do not prohibit Australian Shepherds from participating.
Consider the following
1) A breeder has a 16" mini Aussie bitch that is 7/8th ASCA/AKC lines and locates a terrific 18" ASCA/AKC male to which to breed her. According to ARBA’s policies, the offspring of this cross would have full show privileges, despite the fact that they are 15/16th ASCA/AKC. At this point, it might be difficult to distinguish this girl genetically from her ASCA/AKC almost sibling, except that one would be permitted to show, the other would not.
This begs the question on where a registry should draw the line. That is, when does a mini Aussie become a mini Aussie? Half traditional bloodlines? Quarter? One-eighth? How many generations must we count back when calculating percentages of ASCA/AKC influence? Since Miniature Australian Shepherds are full Aussie in the first place, aren’t all mini Aussies 100% Australian Shepherd? Is a mini Aussie defined by the registry in which it is registered? By the registry in which its parents were registered? Is the half-ASCA/AKC dog any more mini Aussie than it is Australian Shepherd? Genetically it is not. Or is a mini Aussie defined by fitting the 14" to 18" preferred height and consistently producing dogs which also fall into that range?
In terms of specific examples, is Meadow Oaks a Miniature Australian Shepherd line? In some cases, this line traces to NSDR and ASCA ranch dogs within one generation but has been accepted as full mini and thus has full show privileges. Does the Valhalla line consist of mini Aussies? These dogs are related to Spike yet are AKC registered, thus considered traditional mini Aussie lines. There are dogs that are descended from Spike and Joshua that are ASCA registered. Are they Miniature Australian Shepherds? Or are they Aussies?
MASCA contends that it is only logical to define the mini Aussie by size. Most people interested in the mini Aussie simply want a dog with all the characteristics of the Australian Shepherd, but in a smaller package (14-18" in height).

The Undersized Australian Shepherd and Breeding Miniature Australian Shepherds
Consider the following situations:
2) A small breeder owns a 17" ASCA/AKC Australian Shepherd male. He's fantabulous! He's amazing! He's everything you've ever wanted in a mini Aussie! Oh, and his parents were small, too! Wow! He's OFA excellent and CERF clear at 9 years old. So were his parents. You would breed to this dog to produce outstanding pups. So what's the problem? Well, you've never heard of him for one. Nope. Don't know he exists. Why? Well, he was forbidden from competing as a mini Aussie, and never advertised in mini Aussie publications. He's too small (3" under standard) to be shown as an Aussie, so he's not known among Aussie enthusiasts. You and she live 2000 miles apart, and you've never met. She's not particularly high profile... just one litter of ASCA/AKC registered pups every year. Sure, they seem to mature consistently between 16 and 18 inches, but they're not mini Aussies, or are they?
3) Another breeder is looking for just the right line to introduce to his program. He realizes his line is getting more closely related than he desires and looks to improve certain characteristics which he feels would be best accomplished by introducing an ASCA/AKC line. Now, he has mostly been in mini Aussies, and doesn't know as much about ASCA/AKC lines. He can't find anyone to provide sound advice due to prejudices against mini Aussies but eventually purchases a bitch whose breeder swears that she's going to remain small, but (gasp!) she ends up at 19.5"! He has already invested time and money, so decides to breed her anyway, and spends a 2 extra generations attempting to stabilize size by inbreeding back on the mini side, that which he wanted to avoid.
But what if a breeder could have better information available on which lines regularly produced small size? What if breeders could see these dogs as well as their offspring in the show ring and inquire about their pedigrees? Wouldn’t it be a boon to his search for the right dog?
Maintaining a policy which encourages people to select dogs fitting the mini Aussie standard is vital. For better or worse, the conformation championship has become indicative of responsible modern dog breeding. While a championship may or may not be a guarantee of quality, many people consider it to be such. Is it fair to handicap superior dogs that can have a positive influence on the Miniature Australian Shepherd because they have the "wrong" registration?
The majority of responsible breeders have neither the time nor the wherewithal to maintain a large number of dogs. Few can afford to waste effort and money on a dog with which they cannot compete (and thus "advertise" to potential owners and other breeders). Many tend to select those with which they can participate in all arenas. If undersized Australian Shepherds cannot compete, these breeders will choose another traditionally bred Miniature Australian Shepherd, doing nothing to diversify the genetic pool.
The championship is also a primary quality on which some breeders select prospective studs. If such a breeder was looking to outcross to an ASCA/AKC male and located 2 dogs, one that was finished and one that was not, they might select the titled male. But, what if there were no place to finish a 17" or 18.5" ASCA/AKC dog? Dogs which would be of greatest benefit to the mini Aussie would then remain unseen. 19.5" or 20" dogs can finish with ASCA/AKC because they are close to the 20" to 23" preferred size. We would be handicapping the mini Aussie by refusing to provide equal rights to the dogs that we need the most.

The Undersized Australian Shepherd and Genetic Diversity
MASCA regularly consults with several canine geneticists (including John Armstrong) and researchers (including CA Sharp). Modern scientific studies suggest that there is a serious increase in visible inherited health disorders (as well as significant decrease in litter size) once breed coefficient of inbreeding (COI) rises above 5-10%. Degree of inbreeding in a population is not altered over one generation, by one cross. It involves a longtime concerted effort to maximize diversity with each passing generation.
For more information on the importance of genetic diversity in dog breeding, please visit:
The Canine Diversity Project
MASCA's long-term objective is to gain acceptance as a variety. History has shown us time and again that artificially constricting gene pools leads to pronounced display of inherited disorders, plus shortened life spans and decreased litter size. Miniature Bull Terriers have experienced a rise in incidence of defects since they were split from Bull Terriers. The situation has grown to the point that the club is now considering selectively reintroducing Bull Terriers. The Belgian Sheepdog breeds in America exhibit disorders relatively uncommon in countries where they have remained as four varieties of one breed, and similar issues have arisen wherever else enthusiasts have locked off populations prematurely. Wouldn’t it be best to avoid the problems in the first place, instead of later attempting to correct past errors? MASCA is being offered the opportunity to learn from our predecessors and we hope that breeders will leap at the opportunity.
We can look to the Miniature Shar-Pei for suggestions on developing sound policy. All mini-Pei are AKC registered. Many compete in AKC conformation as Shar-Pei and then among the rare breeds as Miniature Shar-Pei. Those known as miniatures fall below the breed height standard. Enthusiasts have developed their own show circuit in addition to competing with those rare breed clubs which permit rare varieties. It hasn’t created a problem for enthusiasts as far as confusion or escalating size. The point of a "miniature" is that it remain within the preferred miniature standard, and breeders naturally continue to select for this size.
The MASCA Board is, however, concerned with the trend at the opposite end of the height standard. Whenever a breed is miniaturized, there is a tendency to continue to do so. Toy breeders are constantly battling 'teacup' producers, and the ensuing health problems created by the extreme process. There are already many "toy" Aussie breeders, and those breeding 10 to 14 inch Aussies are far more common than those out-crossing to ASCA lines. Indeed, even those aiming toward the bottom of the current standard outnumber breeders introducing Aussie lines.
In those AKC breeds having more than one variety (such as the Beagle or the Collie), crossing varieties is rare and regulated by each breeder’s desire for consistency and predictability, not by artificial restrictions imposed by a registry. Offspring are shown as what they appear to be, not what their parents were. However, registration of undersized ASCA, AKC and/or NSDR Australian Shepherds has yet to be proven a popular alternative. In fact, in the past three years, MASCA has received only a handful of inquiries and no actual registrations of such dogs. As such, MASCA believes that over-regulation of this small aspect of the mini Aussie fancy is redundant ,and that mandated reviews in 2 and 5 years will permit for policy changes should any be required.

The Undersized Australian Shepherd and "Other" Mini Aussie Lines
Another reason to permit registration of undersized Australian Shepherds is that we are learning of breeders who have spent years developing their own mini Aussie lines using ASCA breeding stock. These breeders wished to maintain their dogs’ ASCA registration and thus deliberately avoided the old California 'mini' lines. These breeders now have multi-generation 'mini' Aussies still registered with the more traditional registries. Breeders who were recognized even 5 years ago were grandfathered as having mini Aussies. Are we to deny registration simply because a dog does not trace its pedigree to Cordova's Spike? We must be careful about sending the message that dogs are required to carry a specific bloodline to avoid the impression that the Miniature Australian Shepherd is indeed a separate and distinct breed and not a variety.

The Undersized Australian Shepherd and Record Keeping
Finally, without a registry recording and studying such matings, there will be no public record and no reporting of the results. Right now, one can breed a 19" registered mini to a 19" ASCA/AKC bitch, and there is no recording of the details of such a mating. ASCA/AKC dogs of various sizes (ie. 17" and 20") are categorized together but are not genetically equal.

The Future
If you’ve made it through this article, good for you! You are a true enthusiast and your perseverance will serve the mini Aussie well for years to come. MASCA policy is not etched in stone. Like any parent club, we will continue to evolve so that we can best promote and protect the Miniature Australian Shepherd. We are open to suggestions and disagreement. We’d love to hear your opinion!
MASCA@mascaonline.org
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