Rust Belt's Prophecy of Magic and Mythos
" Phoenix "
AKC Miniature American Shepherd / ASDR Miniature Australian Shepherd (dual registered)
" Phoenix "
AKC Miniature American Shepherd / ASDR Miniature Australian Shepherd (dual registered)
Phoenix is the perfect blend of a devoted, snuggly, companion, with the brains, structure, and athleticism of a top tier sports dog. Her demeanor in public or around strangers (humans or dogs alike) is reserved without being fearful, but once you are in her inner circle you will be showered with the sweetest love and affection. She took some time to mature and develop before her drive started to kick into high gear around 7 months, but now this girl is FAST in both speed and reaction time. She is a softer dog who listens intently to direction and is very handler focused, but is steady and confident in a variety of environments and activities. She loves disc games and has shown a love for speedy out throws and a natural talent for tracking. She has started working on herding with chickens, ducks, and sheep, and shows excellent promise. She has more natural "eye" than is typical of many Aussies and will even stalk at times, and she is incredibly fast in her reaction time, with a fast stop and good sense of her bubble and pressure points. In scent work, she is incredibly accurate and very dedicated to odor, regularly working through higher level searches and sourcing advanced hides, quickly learning how to improve her independent problem solving skills, and now having earned her Novice title is working towards her advanced titles. She has her Intermediate trick title, and is working towards her advanced title in AKC. And last but not least, she loves to run in FastCAT! Phoenix finished out the year in the Top 20 MAS for FastCAT in 2025 (with a current personal best of 27.2 mph). At sporting events she is interested and engaged without being high arousal / overly excited or anxious. She has visited stores, garden centers, restaurants, and other public settings, and handles them like a charm. In spite of her generally quiet nature, she has the most happy bounce in her step and excitedly enters new spaces, eager to see what adventures are in store for her. She is a joy to work with and is so very eager to please. Her greatest reward is praise, but she has high food drive as well. She has medium to high prey and toy drive, but that increases with her understanding of the game you want her to play. She has a very thoughtful and calm energy, while still being attentive and eager. Phoenix is proudly co-owned with her breeder, Kristine Maser of Rust Belt Farms.
Sports / Training:
- AKC Scent Work Novice Level Title (having earned her novice title in all 4 elements of containers, buried, interior, and exterior) and is now working towards her Advanced titles
- AKC Intermediate Trick Dog Title
- DCAT title for AKC FastCat
* Top 20 MAS 2025
- AKC Disc Dog Silver Title
* 2025 Overall Novice Games Champion at the Florida State UpDog Championships
* 2025 CFDDC Res Champion Novice Canis Agilitas
- started training for NADD dock diving
- actively training in herding (has worked sheep, ducks, and chickens) we are skipping instinct testing as this is well established for her and we feel she is well beyond ready to move past this entry level testing and start working towards pre trial and trialing
- is also a tried and true reliable farm dog, as well as an easy travel companion for horse shows, ranching events, and everyday life, staying in hotels and joining on multiple road trips
Basic Info:
Registration - Dual Registered! AKC Miniature American Shepherd & ASDR Miniature Australian Shepherd
Black Tricolor, Atypical Merle (Mc226/Ma247) - tested by UC Davis
(Note about color: to learn more about the fascinating and incredibly complex genetic science behind merle coloring, please follow this link to an educational FaceBook group, called the "🧬 Merle -SINE Insertion from Mc - Mh - Educational Forum", lead by industry specialists and geneticists who explain the science at great depth)
Weight - averages 26 lbs
Height - around 17" (not officially measured yet)
Full Dentition, Correct Bite
Full Tail (does not carry NBT)
Brown Eyes
Health Testing:
OFA Elbows - Normal
OFA Hips - Excellent
OFA Patellas - Normal
Eyes and Cardiac clearances pending
(will be OFA CHIC level tested prior to breeding)
See her OFA testing here or scan the QR code below to visit her OFA page.
NAD Clear Tested by Gensol
DNA Panel tested by Embark
Heterozygous or "Carrier" of MDR1 (mutant/normal)
Rest of Panel is clear
See her Embark results here.
Notes on Performance / Drive and Personality:
Onset of Drive - kicked into high gear around 7 months of age
Toy Drive - Medium/high
Food Drive - Medium/high
Prey Drive - Medium
Praise Drive - High
Herding Instinct / Drive - Good Drive / very thoughtful and calm energy, while still being attentive and eager
Behavior in new environment - Interested and alert, but relaxed. Watchful but confidant.
Off Switch - Settles nicely. Maintains stable behavior in public or at sporting events. Enjoys snuggles. Does not like being left out of training / games and will bark if left alone.
Crating Behavior - Sleeps through the night. Quiet and calm in crate at home and when traveling
Reaction to Unknown Children - Aloof. Friendly but reserved, without being fearful. Will sometimes offer to approach depending on environment
Reaction to Familiar Children - Loving and playful
Reaction to Strangers in public - Aloof. Friendly but reserved, without being fearful. Will sometimes offer to approach depending on environment
Reaction to Strangers entering home - will alert bark / does not prefer to approach immediately
Reaction to Farm Animals - Interested but quiet
Reaction to Dogs - Aloof and reserved towards strange dogs but friendly and enjoys playing with non aggressive dogs she is familiar with.
Reaction to Aggressors - Fearful but recovers quickly
Car rides / travel - Quiet and relaxed. Can sleep on the passenger seat or rest comfortably in a crate.
Thunderstorm Anxiety - none
Fireworks Anxiety - none
Bloodline / Kennels of Note in Pedigree:
Latigos, Slash V, Starstuff, Patchworks, Alta Vista, Hangin' Tree, Las Rocosa, Pincie Creek, Twin Oaks, Valhalla
Pedigree:
Online Pedigree Database link can be found here.
Click thumbnail image below to enlarge pedigree...
DNA Panel tested by Embark
Heterozygous or "Carrier" of MDR1 (mutant/normal)
Rest of Panel is clear
See her Embark results here.
Notes on Performance / Drive and Personality:
Onset of Drive - kicked into high gear around 7 months of age
Toy Drive - Medium/high
Food Drive - Medium/high
Prey Drive - Medium
Praise Drive - High
Herding Instinct / Drive - Good Drive / very thoughtful and calm energy, while still being attentive and eager
Behavior in new environment - Interested and alert, but relaxed. Watchful but confidant.
Off Switch - Settles nicely. Maintains stable behavior in public or at sporting events. Enjoys snuggles. Does not like being left out of training / games and will bark if left alone.
Crating Behavior - Sleeps through the night. Quiet and calm in crate at home and when traveling
Reaction to Unknown Children - Aloof. Friendly but reserved, without being fearful. Will sometimes offer to approach depending on environment
Reaction to Familiar Children - Loving and playful
Reaction to Strangers in public - Aloof. Friendly but reserved, without being fearful. Will sometimes offer to approach depending on environment
Reaction to Strangers entering home - will alert bark / does not prefer to approach immediately
Reaction to Farm Animals - Interested but quiet
Reaction to Dogs - Aloof and reserved towards strange dogs but friendly and enjoys playing with non aggressive dogs she is familiar with.
Reaction to Aggressors - Fearful but recovers quickly
Car rides / travel - Quiet and relaxed. Can sleep on the passenger seat or rest comfortably in a crate.
Thunderstorm Anxiety - none
Fireworks Anxiety - none
Bloodline / Kennels of Note in Pedigree:
Latigos, Slash V, Starstuff, Patchworks, Alta Vista, Hangin' Tree, Las Rocosa, Pincie Creek, Twin Oaks, Valhalla
Pedigree:
Online Pedigree Database link can be found here.
Click thumbnail image below to enlarge pedigree...
