The Miniature American Shepherd is the AKC breed name for the Miniature Australian Shepherds entering AKC. For many years,  it has been an AKC policy to no longer accept size varieties of an already established AKC breed.  Because the Australian Shepherd is already established within AKC, and because their AKC parent breed club (USASA-United States Australian Shepherd Association) did not wish to recognise the Miniature Australian Shepherd as a legitimate size variety, the Mini Aussie continued to meet roadblocks with regard to AKC recognition.

 

However, through negotiations between USASA, AKC, and NAMASCUSA (North American Miniature Australian Shepherd Club of the USA--a parent breed club for Miniature Australian Shepherd), an agreement was reached that allowed the Miniature Australian Shepherd to enter AKC under the breed name Miniature American Shepherd, with NAMASCUSA as the parent breed club in AKC (now called MASCUSA--Miniature American Shepherd Club of the USA). 

 

AKC recognition became a reality, with the first Miniature American Shepherds registered into the AKC FSS program in June 2011.  These are the same dogs, with the same pedigrees, that were registered as Miniature Australian Shepherds through various other registries previously (NSDR, ASDR, MASCA, NAMASCUSA, IMASC).  AKC allowed AKC registered Australian Shepherds to transfer over for a period of three years, if they felt they were better served as a Miniature American Shepherds.