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Welcome To Our Website!
Welcome to 4 Paws Miniature Aussies
4 Paws represents strong commitment to the Miniature Australian Shepherds. Debi Shambaugh is no stranger to Aussies and the dog world. Debi has been training dogs for over those 38 years, mainly in the obedience field. Debi trained and handled dogs for movies and TV commercials for 10 years and her first Aussie; Jessie, was in a Walt Disney movie; Flight of the Navigator (pictured), an episode of Miami Vice, a Florida power and light commercial plus other commercials. In addition Debi raised, trained and trialed border collies in the herding field to better learn the drive and instincts of the herding breed. Debi has raised, adopted and rescued Aussie's for over 20 years. Debi has also had 11+ years experience as a senior animal technician.
Today, as a breeder of miniature Aussies, Debi and her husband Bruce, strive to produce and preserve the Australian Shepherd in a smaller package. Health testing, behavior management, temperament & structural evaluation and selection of strong genetics is all part of our breeding program.
In 2010, I studyied the programs of a number of mini Aussie breeders fist hand by visiting their place and observed their breeding program. They graciously opened up their doors to me and I would like to thank them for sharing their knowledge and for their hospitality.
In addition, I really hit the show circuit to campaign my girls. I championed several dogs and put more confirmation learning and grooming techniques under my belt.
With my 38 years of knowledge and new information I learned this past year, I am continuing to mold 4 Paws breeding program into a program that demonstrates our commitment to improve breed quality. I have never been one to follow one philosophy, but rather combine good information that I believe in and can commit to. I have become more and more selective of the dogs that stay within our program so that our program reflects consistent quality and above all, true Aussie temperament.
We continue to do health genetic testing. In addition to the genetics testing for health defects, we added pedigree analysis through ASHGI which can determine risk levels for over twenty-five inherited diseases and faults.
As I continue to champion my dogs in confirmation, some will be trained and shown in performance venues.
Now that AKC has accepted the Mini aussies we will have more show venues, especially in this area. AKC did make us change the Registration name of the minis to Miniature American Shepherd. (instead of Australian). Nothing has changed about the breeding, genetics or our dogs, it is strickly a name change. Moving into AKC is a good change and will open up opportunities for the Minis. Most of the mini's in our program will move over to AKC. A couple females will stay in the old registry.
Click here to see what this means to you as a customer.
We look forward to a new year with our minis and thank you for looking at
4Paws!
Bruce and Debi Shambaugh
Maverick
Maverick is seen on each of the pages laying with one of the pups. We called him the baby sitter. He is a standard aussie that I rescued and could not part with. He was dropped off at a cattle auction and when I was called to rescue him, he had stopped eating and was giving up on life. When I rescued him he was close to death because he had refused to eat for the shelter people and this 65+ lb boy was a rack of bones. I had to hand feed him my speciality chicken balls to get him to eat. It took 2 weeks of hand feeding before he would eat on his own and even then I had to stand with him while he ate. He got over his fear of being left alone. He had a wonderful personality and was very kind to the pups. He was what we call a velcro dog, your shadow who would follow us all over the ranch.
~1993 - 2011
Contact US
Jessie on the set of Flight of the Navigator
Jessie started it all for me. She was my first Aussie. She was mini size, but back then, mini's were not established.
Debi with a group of her rescues that are our house pets
Bruce and Piper collecting bugs
in the Big Horn Mountains
Bruce and Debi
Our 40 Acre ranch in Wyoming. The original part of our house was homesteaded in 1910.
What's new at 4Paws:
Elle,
My dog mobile
Honda Element
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Debi and Ben practicing off lead obedience.
Ben used to demo his obedience for training classes. His hips are so bad now he is enjoying the life of leisure.
Ben is one of my rescues that my son and I rushed to a shelter over an hour away to get there before he was scheduled to be put down. He had come to the shelters' short time limit for life. We arrived only minutes before his time was up. It was such a relief to have made it and saved this wonderful dogs life. He is a pleasure to have around. He is now at the young age of 16.
We are selling all natural elk antlers for dog chews. For more information, Click on the elk antler.
We are carrying Elk antler dog chew bones!
some of the cartoon animation by www.artie.com
Wyoming wind socks!
As we continue to restructure our breeding program to improve the quality of our breeding adults, you will see some new faces come and some leave. Learn more about 4Paws
Wyoming umbrella
Piper, one of our females has been removed from our breeding program due to her OFA report of a finding of "slight dysplasia" on her right hip. We do not breed any dogs with fair or below and obviously any with signs of dysplasia. She is such a joy in our lives she has been spayed and joins our group of house pets.
This is why it is so important to OFA any breeding dogs! Find out more about OFA click here
We do PRA testing on all our dogs!
prcd-PRA test is a DNA-based test that helps you avoid one form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA). PRA refers to a group of diseases that cause the retina of the eye to degenerate slowly over time. The result is declining vision and eventual blindness. “prcd” stands for “progressive rod-cone degeneration” which is the type of PRA known in several breeds.
This page was last updated: February 3, 2012
Moxie; one of our house pet rescues, earned her CGC * certificate from AKC !
* Canine Good Citizen(CGC)
Yeah Moxie !!
Many of you have asked how do the Mini Aussies compare to the Standard Aussies. Lets compare the two. Click here
(Website)
Debi is an AKC CGC "Evaluator"
Sliver is ranked # 5 in 2010 NAMASCUSA & MASCA Top Ten Dogs in the World. She is also the # 2 female in the World !!!
Ebony's litter is all sold. Check back for our next litter in late spring-early summer.
Click on the picture to see the chics laying with this Jack puppy.
The Mini Aussies have been accepted into AKC. Click here to read about it.
Bruce with Jack watching me show Sliver
CONGRATS to
Heather and 4 Paws
The Long Shot;
aka Quigley for
earning their RN in
Rally!!!!!!! Waahoo !
or also known as Miniature American Shepherds
