About
I am a Miniature American Shepherd hobby breeder living in St. George, Utah, by the borders of Nevada and AZ. My dogs were formerly known as Mini Australian Shepherds, before they were registered with AKC as Miniature American Shepherds. I am a web developer and a dog fanatic. When I was a kid and couldn't have dogs of my own, I helped my next door neighbor in southern California raise guide dog puppies for the blind. I went over to her house every day to work with the puppies she raised, and I also went to special meetings and events with her. From that, I learned training tips and about socializing puppies to different situations. I also gained a great sense of respect for service dogs and other dogs that are trained to help people in their daily lives. I'm proud to say that the puppy that I helped with the most graduated from final training and became an official guide dog. That was a very exciting moment for me.
I have been involved with the Mini Australian Shepherd, and now the Miniature American Shepherd, breed since early 2011. I have learned a lot about the Mini Australian Shepherd/Miniature American Shepherd and plan to continue to learn about it for the rest of my life. I believe in always being a student. My breeding program partner and I created an online pedigree database for Mini American Shepherds that now has over 15,000 dogs in it. I believe knowledge is power, especially when planning crosses, and we are happy to share the information we've curated with the rest of the breed.
All of my Miniature American Shepherds are house dogs, not kennel dogs, and either live with me or with a co-owner. My Miniature American Shepherds are health tested for all of the health tests recommended for the Miniature American Shepherd by the Miniature American Shepherd Club of the USA's health committee, plus additional tests to ensure that I produce the healthiest puppies possible. I feel that it is well worth it and that it is my duty as a breeder to do the tests for the health of the puppies.
The Mini American Shepherds living with us are training for things like scent work, rally, agility, and trick dog. We have produced several puppies that have earned their Canine Good Citizen title, and many of our puppies enjoy practicing agility for fun. We also have some puppies training to be service dogs.
I work at home, so I have plenty of time to spend with the puppies that my Miniature American Shepherd breeding dogs produce. I do everything I can to ensure that my puppies have the best start to life possible by thoughtfully planning each cross based on health testing, temperament, structure, and pedigree, providing them with the highest quality foods, a clean, safe, stimulating environment, and plenty of special attention and socialization. I use the Puppy Culture Protocol to help my puppies in their early development before they go to their new homes. I have them temperament tested at 7 weeks of age to determine what kind of family they would fit into the best. I also evaluate them at 8 weeks of age to determine structural soundness. If you would like to learn more about my puppies and the excellent care that they are given, please visit my About Our Pups page.