The Official Mini Australian Shepherd Size Standard According to the AKC breed standard, the ideal Mini Australian Shepherd size is 20-40 lbs. In terms of size, this translates to 13-17 in. at the shoulder for a female and 14-18 in. at the shoulder for a male.
Height: Ideally, males should be 14 to 18 inches tall at the withers; females, 14 to 17 inches. Weight: Approximately 20 to 40 pounds.
For a typical female, the weight ranges from 18.2kg to 23.8kg and for a male from 20.4kg to 27.5kg. That is, 40.1 lbs to 50.5 lbs for females and 45 lbs to 60.8 lbs for males. The chart presents the percentage of the population that falls in a specific range.
Stand your dog up and run your hands over their sides. If you can barely feel their ribs or can't feel their ribs at all – your dog's carrying too much fat and you have an overweight dog. If there's too much rib, i.e. you can't feel much between your dog's skin and its ribs, you have an underweight dog.
The best way to tell if your dog is overweight or obese is with a weigh-in at your veterinarian. Your vet can then tell you whether your dog is overweight according to your dog's size and breed. Remember that a healthy weight will look different for every breed.
About the Breed
The Miniature American Shepherd shares many physical traits with its forebear the Australian Shepherd'¿only on a smaller scale. Females stand between 13 and 17 inches at the shoulder; males range from 14 to 18 inches.
Mini Aussies are full grown between 11 and 13 months of age. Around 9 months of age they will have reached their full adult height and for the remaining months will fill out and continue to build muscle mass. Around 4 months of age Mini Australian Shepherd puppies are roughly half their adult weight.
Per the American Kennel Club Official Australian Shepherd Standards, an adult male Australian Shepherd should weigh between 50 and 65 pounds. An adult female Australian Shepherd will weigh significantly less at 40 to 55 pounds.
Day-to-day, you will need to make sure you are not away from your home too long, so your Mini Aussie won't get lonely or have an accident in the house. Long term, these dogs can live around 13 years.
An adult Mini Aussie needs at least one hour of exercise every day, but preferably closer to two. Their daily exercise should ideally be split into two walks per day.
Purina recommends that a mini Australian in this weight range should get 2/3 to 2 cups of food per day when they're between one and three months old. From four to five months of age, they should get 1 ¾ to 3 ⅓ cups. At six to eight months it should be 1⅓ to 3 ¼ cups.
Mini Australian Shepherds are larger than Toy Australian Shepherds in both height and weight. Mini Australian Shepherds are on average one to four inches taller than Toy Australian Shepherds. Mini Australian Shepherds are also much more common than Toy Australian Shepherds.
A devoted friend and guardian. Very lively, agile and attentive, they are eager to please with a sixth sense about what the owner wants. Miniature Australian Shepherds are highly intelligent and easy to train. They can become nervous and destructive if left alone too much without enough mental and physical exercise.
Your Aussie will bond to his family and be protective of and loyal to them. Many dog owners are surprised to learn that even though Aussies have strong guarding and herding instincts, they are sweet and cuddly indoor dogs that can even be kept in apartments.
At 2-3 years of age, Mini Aussies are considered mentally developed and will be better at regulating their energy levels. In other words, they will start to calm down! That said, Aussies are naturally active dogs and will remain so into old age.
While an Aussie may be left home alone for four to six hours at a time, crate training may be necessary for the dog's safety.
An Aussie doesn't want to be everyone's best friend.
They have to be socialized as puppies so they'll tolerate meeting new people, but they won't approach just anyone for kisses. Though some are friendlier than others, they're generally very attached to just one or two family members.
A Mini Aussie likes outdoor exercise and activities. He is a natural outdoor working dog and does best when he has a task to complete (this is due to their original breed purpose of being herding dogs). Aussies love to use their minds to solve problems, learn tricks, and complete jobs.
No, mini Australian shepherds don't bark a lot. Mini Australian shepherds are primarily herding and guarding dogs, so they bark when they are alarmed or when they are attempting to herd something. This barking is not usually drawn out or yappy like smaller dogs.
They are quick learners and can be trained to do a variety of tasks. They excel at agility trials and other dog sports. Australian shepherds also make great service dogs and therapy dogs. The Australian Shepherd is a highly intelligent dog breed that is known for its loyalty and trainability.
If you can feel the contours of the ribs with your palms, (and do not have to use your fingers to push through fat deposits to feel the ribs), then your dog is likely an appropriate weight. If you can feel sharp edges of protruding ribs with your palms alone, your dog might be too thin.
If your dog is overweight but not eating much, you may want to schedule a vet appointment to have your dog checked for health conditions, including hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is when the thyroid, what regulates the body's metabolic rate, is underactive and therefore slows the metabolism.