Description. The North American Shepherd formerly known as the Miniature Australian shepherd is a small dog with a height of 14-18 inches and a weight of 17-35 pounds. The new name better describes this breed as they were bred in the USA and not Australia. There original name was derived from the parent breeds of the North American shepherd. This is a working dog and enjoys having a task to perform; this could be a simple task you train them to do, say guarding, or ratting, if you have a barn. The coat is highly resistant to weather and most commonly has a wavy appearance. The North American Shepherd coat is medium in length and is not quite soft to the touch. This is a powerful little dog that is very active and inquisitive; they love to be with you helping out. The back legs are well muscled and look built for speed. The tail is often, but not always, docked, in countries that permit it. Their body is a little longer than the height of the dog and they have a deep chest with muscular shoulders on their straight legs. Their proportionate head is about half muzzle and the teeth are of a level or scissor bite. Their oval eyes which are medium in size are darkly colored. The North American shepherd also has triangular shaped ears that are set quite high and have a rounded top. The dog comes in several colors but the merle has unique health issues; the other colors are black, liver, blue, red, and liver.

History. This breed is originally bred from the Australian shepherd, which is where their previous name came from, but was bred to be a smaller dog overall. This breeding took place totally in America. The parent dogs were not from Australia either but were, in fact, from the Mountain areas between France and Spain, the Pyrenees. As a breed these dogs have been used for many varied tasks, including hunting guarding and as companion dogs.

Temperament. As a breed the North American shepherd is relaxed and calm even laid back and chilled. They have an excellent disposition and are normally happy joyful dogs. They have a great affection for their family but are committed to the job when given a task. They are quite aggressive when they are guarding herds, but as soon as they are off duty they revert to your lovable pet. You need to assert yourself as the leader over this dog, as you should with any dog, or behavior problems will occur. Dogs are happier knowing you are in charge and they can sit back and enjoy life, while you worry about any pack issues. As a working dog their exercise is important and so is mental stimulation. The North American shepherd is a dog that would love to live in the country with an active family or even on a farm with lots of acreage.

Health issues. As mentioned above the merle colored dogs have a genetic marker that can cause blindness and deafness. The entire breed can suffer skeletal and spinal issues but with a life expectancy of 12-15 years the North American shepherd is not a short lived breed.

Grooming. The North American shepherd is an average shedder but only needs an occasional brushing to keep their coat in order.

Living conditions. By preference this breed needs acreage and will not do well in an apartment. They require at least a large garden or yard and would prefer a huge one.