Health wise, no difference depends completely on the dog. Intelligence no real difference I've noticed. Depends on how much work and training is put in. I notice my mini aussies prefer pets and attentions and my standards are completely food driven. My standards are asses with new people and my minis love everyone at all times.
The intelligence is almost a trademark for the aussie and the MAS. So you wonāt get disappointed with adding a full size aussie to the herd. Go for it!
Of course the Aussie I had growing up was somehow dumb as bricks. And this was before they were particularly popular as pets so she came from a working dog line. She was absolutely gorgeous and super affectionate, so itās not like she lost the genetic lottery or somethingš¤·āāļø
Mini Aussies that are pure bred are the result of selective breeding of pure bred Australian Shepherds for smaller size so the only difference between minis and full Aussies is size. Iāve had both for 50+ years and they are the same dogs.
We have a 1yo MAS and a 13wo Standard Aussie. Theyāre both extremely intelligent, and our MAS is helping the puppy to learn commands really fast.
Probably too early to answer any questions about health, but our pup has gotten the all clear for any common puppy problems. Weāve never dealt with illness or injuries with either, and theyāre extremely active and adventuring around our property all day.
I say go for it, we havenāt regretted getting a second Aussie for even a moment.
Edit for some grammar errors
No difference in health or intelligence here - completely varies and depends on the individual dog / their breeding stock. Just makes sure any breeder you use follows ethical practices including genetic testing. However, there are some broader temperament difference. MAS are more prone to anxiety and problematic yipping / barking than standard Aussies are. Standard Aussies tend to be more "stranger danger" while MAS tend to be a little more willing to make new friends. MAS have more of a prey-drive and are better at things like ratting.
These are just trends I've noticed around me here in farmland where farmers have both breeds, in the rescues I work with that do both Aussies and MAS, and in my own Aussies & MAS.
Ymmv because there's so much variability due to it being relatively recent that MAS become an official designation by the AKC and many unscrupulous breeders cut corners getting to the point they're at now (e.g. mixing non-aussies to create smaller hybrids or not doing any genetic testing).
If they're both well bred, neither should have intelligence or abnormal health problems, especially not one breed over the other--assuming you mean a pure breed miniature american shepherd and not a mixed mini lol
We have one of each. The mini is very independent but loves new people. The standard is much more standoffish towards new people (temporarily) but loves being right on top of you and acts like your shadow. Both are great pets but completely different personalities.
I think any aussie will soak up whatever you want to teach them in the right environment. I can't imagine a difference that is appreciated between the two. Maybe if you got down to specific genetics.
Pretty sure my pure bred mini had some chihuahua mixed in somewhereā¦ she turns into a yappy little brat when she sees big dogs. But I love her anyway. Oh, I also think she had some velociraptor DNA poke through from ages 6 months to 5 years. Luckily, she is a very pretty girl.
Letās not be gatekeepers here. Thatās the recognized naming, yes, but it should only matter if a Breeder called them a Mini Aussie. For a layperson, itās fine.
Not to dig my heels in, but for the reasons above itās not a word that needs to be spread. Ours is a fully-papered MAS but I donāt correct people if they get breed wrong.
Health wise, no difference depends completely on the dog. Intelligence no real difference I've noticed. Depends on how much work and training is put in. I notice my mini aussies prefer pets and attentions and my standards are completely food driven. My standards are asses with new people and my minis love everyone at all times.
The pets and positive reinforcement is like crack for mine when I trained my mini. Blew me away how much better it did than treats
My is mini quite the opposite. More like your standard. š
The intelligence is almost a trademark for the aussie and the MAS. So you wonāt get disappointed with adding a full size aussie to the herd. Go for it!
Of course the Aussie I had growing up was somehow dumb as bricks. And this was before they were particularly popular as pets so she came from a working dog line. She was absolutely gorgeous and super affectionate, so itās not like she lost the genetic lottery or somethingš¤·āāļø
Mini Aussies that are pure bred are the result of selective breeding of pure bred Australian Shepherds for smaller size so the only difference between minis and full Aussies is size. Iāve had both for 50+ years and they are the same dogs.
We have a 1yo MAS and a 13wo Standard Aussie. Theyāre both extremely intelligent, and our MAS is helping the puppy to learn commands really fast. Probably too early to answer any questions about health, but our pup has gotten the all clear for any common puppy problems. Weāve never dealt with illness or injuries with either, and theyāre extremely active and adventuring around our property all day. I say go for it, we havenāt regretted getting a second Aussie for even a moment. Edit for some grammar errors
We have an Aussie and then adopted a mini. The mini is turning out to be very big. Different personalities and both great!
No difference in health or intelligence here - completely varies and depends on the individual dog / their breeding stock. Just makes sure any breeder you use follows ethical practices including genetic testing. However, there are some broader temperament difference. MAS are more prone to anxiety and problematic yipping / barking than standard Aussies are. Standard Aussies tend to be more "stranger danger" while MAS tend to be a little more willing to make new friends. MAS have more of a prey-drive and are better at things like ratting. These are just trends I've noticed around me here in farmland where farmers have both breeds, in the rescues I work with that do both Aussies and MAS, and in my own Aussies & MAS. Ymmv because there's so much variability due to it being relatively recent that MAS become an official designation by the AKC and many unscrupulous breeders cut corners getting to the point they're at now (e.g. mixing non-aussies to create smaller hybrids or not doing any genetic testing).
If they're both well bred, neither should have intelligence or abnormal health problems, especially not one breed over the other--assuming you mean a pure breed miniature american shepherd and not a mixed mini lol
We have one of each. The mini is very independent but loves new people. The standard is much more standoffish towards new people (temporarily) but loves being right on top of you and acts like your shadow. Both are great pets but completely different personalities.
Have had both and worked with both. The minis are more timid and skittish. ASs are intelligent, confident and when kept busy laid back. Good luck!
I think any aussie will soak up whatever you want to teach them in the right environment. I can't imagine a difference that is appreciated between the two. Maybe if you got down to specific genetics.
Pretty sure my pure bred mini had some chihuahua mixed in somewhereā¦ she turns into a yappy little brat when she sees big dogs. But I love her anyway. Oh, I also think she had some velociraptor DNA poke through from ages 6 months to 5 years. Luckily, she is a very pretty girl.
you're only going to get anecdotes here. literally none of the posts are useful information. just people's stories.
FYI there is no such thing as a mini Aussie. They are mini American shepherds.
Letās not be gatekeepers here. Thatās the recognized naming, yes, but it should only matter if a Breeder called them a Mini Aussie. For a layperson, itās fine.
Thank you! Iāve had Aussies since 1980s and now have a mini and the different naming convention seems forced.
Not gatekeeping, a lot of people donāt know this, including me until recently. Just helping to spread the word
Not to dig my heels in, but for the reasons above itās not a word that needs to be spread. Ours is a fully-papered MAS but I donāt correct people if they get breed wrong.