Available Miniature American Shepherds & Australian Shepherds
Deposit List
Rust Belt Farms reserves the right for first pick puppy from any of our litters to further our breeding program, we will not always hold a puppy back for ourselves but since we breed with intention for each litter we do reserve the right - sometimes we will co-own our keeper puppy with someone so that they are still part of the breeding program but able to compete in various sports. Stud owners may have second pick of the litter depending on the stud contract of each stud owner, they may not take a puppy but it is a possibility.
Our Process:
We raise our puppies with Puppy Culture curriculum for raising puppies to socialization them to new stimuli in the home & world and give them the building blocks to learn and accept training. We begin potty training & kennel training, but at 8 weeks of age it is unrealistic to expect your puppy to be finished with potty training. Puppies are wormed at 2, 4, 6 & 8 weeks of age with Pyrantel and/or Fenbendazole. At 6-7 weeks old, they will each have a wellness checkup with our veterinarian and their first puppy vaccine - heads up! Their next vaccine will be due 3-5 weeks afterwards so mark your calendar and make your vet appointment. We run an Embark DNA test on each puppy, we will include a .pdf of your puppy's results which includes both health test results & color/trait results.
Pricing & Deposits:
We ask for a $300 non-refundable deposit that is applied to the purchase price of your puppy, if you would like to place a deposit please email, message or call us for our application. We like to do a phone or video call with our prospective puppy buyers to get to know you. Once the puppies are born, we will upload photos & videos and then like to do a video chat or puppy meet up around 4-5 weeks when they begin to show personalities, we also try to take the puppies to local small-scale socialization opportunities.
Prices are the same for male & female, all colors. Prices range between $2000 - $2500 for limited registration, prices are subject to change and will be updated on the website.
What is our process for puppy picking? We match you with your puppy, this is a team effort between both myself and your family and takes communication about what attributes I see in the puppies and what traits your family is seeking. If there is a puppy you are interested in that does not align with your goals or would be an poor fit, I will let you know and give you a crystal ball into your future with that puppy and what changes you would have to make for it to be successful. Because we breed for both sport & companionship it is important to us that dogs with attributes that best align to a sport home are matched to a sport home, and the attributes our companion families seek also get matched with those attributes. We do try to offer the choice between at least two puppies as much as possible, and we will discuss their similarities and differences. When looking at our deposit list, please do not take it as an "Order of Pick" because that is not why we publish it; I make it public for the sake of transparency to let folks know I have received their deposit.
International Buyers: If you are from outside the United States and considering getting a puppy from us, we will need to work through the details that are unique to each country. We will not hold a puppy without a non-refundable deposit, full price of the puppy must be paid for by the time the puppy is 8 weeks of age.
Puppy Pick-Up: Puppies may join their families at 8 weeks of age, please plan to pick up your puppy by 10 weeks (unless your puppy is awaiting transportation with a licensed transportation company). We do work with an experienced & licensed ground transportation company that travels the continental United States; I am willing to meet within an hour drive for no-cost - if you need me to meet you at the Detroit Metro Airport, that is not a problem. If your puppy needs to stay longer, there will be costs for boarding at $100 per week and additional veterinary appointments for vaccinations to be sure that they stay current.
Deposit list for 2023:
- BH (Performance/Companion)
- RC (Performance)
- XC (Companion)
- C&BH (Companion)
- AH (Performance)
Co-Own Homes:
We are looking for potential co-own partner families for our litters. These would be dogs that would live & compete with you and your family, but would be used for breeding with Rust Belt Farms. This is a partnership that is intended to benefit the breed as well as our breeding program, because factually speaking I can not keep every puppy/dog that has merit and quality; I can keep and raise a few myself and I absolutely do, but if the situation is right then I think co-owns can be blessings for everyone. If this is something you are interested in please message us to discuss the specifics. We do offer a few options for co-ownership & partner families to work together, and because of the level of work required for both parties with health testing, breeding, competing, and producing the next generation - we need families that are good at communication & cooperation; its our goal to be equitable and work with our co-own families. We will only consider homes that compete, whether its 4-H, AKC, or non-AKC that is up to you what venue and associations work best for you and you enjoy. You do not have be at the top of the placings or highly competitive, because we understand that some folks enjoy dog sports not to be competitive but to have fun. If you are interested in co-owning, the best thing to do is reach out and talk with us and get to know each other.
Our Process:
We raise our puppies with Puppy Culture curriculum for raising puppies to socialization them to new stimuli in the home & world and give them the building blocks to learn and accept training. We begin potty training & kennel training, but at 8 weeks of age it is unrealistic to expect your puppy to be finished with potty training. Puppies are wormed at 2, 4, 6 & 8 weeks of age with Pyrantel and/or Fenbendazole. At 6-7 weeks old, they will each have a wellness checkup with our veterinarian and their first puppy vaccine - heads up! Their next vaccine will be due 3-5 weeks afterwards so mark your calendar and make your vet appointment. We run an Embark DNA test on each puppy, we will include a .pdf of your puppy's results which includes both health test results & color/trait results.
Pricing & Deposits:
We ask for a $300 non-refundable deposit that is applied to the purchase price of your puppy, if you would like to place a deposit please email, message or call us for our application. We like to do a phone or video call with our prospective puppy buyers to get to know you. Once the puppies are born, we will upload photos & videos and then like to do a video chat or puppy meet up around 4-5 weeks when they begin to show personalities, we also try to take the puppies to local small-scale socialization opportunities.
Prices are the same for male & female, all colors. Prices range between $2000 - $2500 for limited registration, prices are subject to change and will be updated on the website.
What is our process for puppy picking? We match you with your puppy, this is a team effort between both myself and your family and takes communication about what attributes I see in the puppies and what traits your family is seeking. If there is a puppy you are interested in that does not align with your goals or would be an poor fit, I will let you know and give you a crystal ball into your future with that puppy and what changes you would have to make for it to be successful. Because we breed for both sport & companionship it is important to us that dogs with attributes that best align to a sport home are matched to a sport home, and the attributes our companion families seek also get matched with those attributes. We do try to offer the choice between at least two puppies as much as possible, and we will discuss their similarities and differences. When looking at our deposit list, please do not take it as an "Order of Pick" because that is not why we publish it; I make it public for the sake of transparency to let folks know I have received their deposit.
International Buyers: If you are from outside the United States and considering getting a puppy from us, we will need to work through the details that are unique to each country. We will not hold a puppy without a non-refundable deposit, full price of the puppy must be paid for by the time the puppy is 8 weeks of age.
Puppy Pick-Up: Puppies may join their families at 8 weeks of age, please plan to pick up your puppy by 10 weeks (unless your puppy is awaiting transportation with a licensed transportation company). We do work with an experienced & licensed ground transportation company that travels the continental United States; I am willing to meet within an hour drive for no-cost - if you need me to meet you at the Detroit Metro Airport, that is not a problem. If your puppy needs to stay longer, there will be costs for boarding at $100 per week and additional veterinary appointments for vaccinations to be sure that they stay current.
Deposit list for 2023:
- BH (Performance/Companion)
- RC (Performance)
- XC (Companion)
- C&BH (Companion)
- AH (Performance)
Co-Own Homes:
We are looking for potential co-own partner families for our litters. These would be dogs that would live & compete with you and your family, but would be used for breeding with Rust Belt Farms. This is a partnership that is intended to benefit the breed as well as our breeding program, because factually speaking I can not keep every puppy/dog that has merit and quality; I can keep and raise a few myself and I absolutely do, but if the situation is right then I think co-owns can be blessings for everyone. If this is something you are interested in please message us to discuss the specifics. We do offer a few options for co-ownership & partner families to work together, and because of the level of work required for both parties with health testing, breeding, competing, and producing the next generation - we need families that are good at communication & cooperation; its our goal to be equitable and work with our co-own families. We will only consider homes that compete, whether its 4-H, AKC, or non-AKC that is up to you what venue and associations work best for you and you enjoy. You do not have be at the top of the placings or highly competitive, because we understand that some folks enjoy dog sports not to be competitive but to have fun. If you are interested in co-owning, the best thing to do is reach out and talk with us and get to know each other.
Litter Plans for 2024
These are our intended plans for 2024 for our litters and are subject to change at anytime. When it comes to breeding dogs the saying "Man plans, God laughs" is quite applicable; there are so many variables that can affect breeding dogs and result in a change of plans. If its an AI breeding - overnight shipping might get lost or arrive too late, the semen might arrive and be infertile, the female might run an unusual cycle and force a change of plans; inclement weather and major holidays might mean that plans are forced to change because the Reproductive Veterinary office is closed or travel would be too dangerous.
With that being said - the breeding plans that are always the most likely are the ones where I either own the stud OR he lives very close. However, I also like to do litters with stud outside of my local area as well, its certainly more work but I do my best to bring the plan together. I do also tend to make a Plan B, and Plan C....but first I work very hard to be successful with Plan A; my back-up Plans are always well thought out and researched too.
With that being said - the breeding plans that are always the most likely are the ones where I either own the stud OR he lives very close. However, I also like to do litters with stud outside of my local area as well, its certainly more work but I do my best to bring the plan together. I do also tend to make a Plan B, and Plan C....but first I work very hard to be successful with Plan A; my back-up Plans are always well thought out and researched too.
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Macha x Crush - Born August 22, 2024
$2000
Macha has been bred to an amazing up and coming sport stud for her next litter; he is actively competing and excelling in sports currently. I would expect this litter to have smart minds, quick learning, and find their joy in all types of sports from a young age. This is a powerhouse litter with some of the best sport lines in multiple dog sports; they have multiple family members rocking the podium in disc, dock diving, agility, and flyball. This is an incredible family tree of talented dogs on both the sire and dam's side.
All puppies will keep their natural tails and dew claws, Macha is a carrier for PRA and the sire for MDR1+; Macha can only produce black puppies so expected colors are Black Tri and Blue Merle. This is an ASDR registered litter - each puppy can then Individually apply for regular AKC papers through SDRS because of the open studbook for Miniature American Shepherds in AKC.
Macha is 16" tall, 21lbs and Crush is 18" tall.
We have openings for 2 people on our list for this litter - this is a sport cross, and would enjoy homes that do agility, disc, dock diving, FastCAT, herding, obedience/rally, etc. Within every litter there is some variation to what training style, energy level, and drive level that each puppy will have.
1.) Wednesday - Black Tri Female RESERVED
2.) Goosebumps - Blue Merle Male
3.) Beetlejuice - Blue Merle Male
4.) Marnie - Black Tri Female
5.) Pennywise - Black Tri Female
6.) Buffy - Blue Merle Female RESERVED
7.) Jeepers - Black Tri Male RESERVED
8.) Blair - Black Tri Female
All puppies will keep their natural tails and dew claws, Macha is a carrier for PRA and the sire for MDR1+; Macha can only produce black puppies so expected colors are Black Tri and Blue Merle. This is an ASDR registered litter - each puppy can then Individually apply for regular AKC papers through SDRS because of the open studbook for Miniature American Shepherds in AKC.
Macha is 16" tall, 21lbs and Crush is 18" tall.
We have openings for 2 people on our list for this litter - this is a sport cross, and would enjoy homes that do agility, disc, dock diving, FastCAT, herding, obedience/rally, etc. Within every litter there is some variation to what training style, energy level, and drive level that each puppy will have.
1.) Wednesday - Black Tri Female RESERVED
2.) Goosebumps - Blue Merle Male
3.) Beetlejuice - Blue Merle Male
4.) Marnie - Black Tri Female
5.) Pennywise - Black Tri Female
6.) Buffy - Blue Merle Female RESERVED
7.) Jeepers - Black Tri Male RESERVED
8.) Blair - Black Tri Female
Dany x Mackinaw - Due approximately October 15, 2024
Dany x Mackinaw
The plan is for this to be Dany's last litter before being spayed. Dany produces her gentle, loving, easy-going temperament, Dany is high-drive but also has just as good of an off switch and likes sleeping on the couch while my kids play or watching Netflix. Dany is a ham and loves to play for the crowd, when they cheer for her at disc she tries harder and loves the attention from people when we are competing.
We had originally planned to breed Dany with Arson from Zero Gravity and worked with Kristen to do that for well over a year; however with this heat cycle it was not possible to work out details with Arson due to international work travel plans when Dany & Arson would have needed to rendezvous. We have skipped 2.5 years of breeding cycles with Dany - skipping her heat cycles any longer wasn't a good plan with her age and the way that heat cycles work for dogs (dog heat cycles are quite different from human estrus cycles).
After weighing all of our options - we choose our own Mackinaw! Mackinaw and Dany are quite similar in temperament and we think they will compliment each other very well for sweet, versatile, athletic, and hopefully in-size puppies since Mackinaw is 16" tall himself. Both parents have OFA Excellent Hips, please visit their websites for additional health information. All colors: Red, Black, Blue Merle & Red Merle + Tri and Bi colors are possible.
I am personally reserving a pick puppy, I am open to one potential co-own/breed home too.
The plan is for this to be Dany's last litter before being spayed. Dany produces her gentle, loving, easy-going temperament, Dany is high-drive but also has just as good of an off switch and likes sleeping on the couch while my kids play or watching Netflix. Dany is a ham and loves to play for the crowd, when they cheer for her at disc she tries harder and loves the attention from people when we are competing.
We had originally planned to breed Dany with Arson from Zero Gravity and worked with Kristen to do that for well over a year; however with this heat cycle it was not possible to work out details with Arson due to international work travel plans when Dany & Arson would have needed to rendezvous. We have skipped 2.5 years of breeding cycles with Dany - skipping her heat cycles any longer wasn't a good plan with her age and the way that heat cycles work for dogs (dog heat cycles are quite different from human estrus cycles).
After weighing all of our options - we choose our own Mackinaw! Mackinaw and Dany are quite similar in temperament and we think they will compliment each other very well for sweet, versatile, athletic, and hopefully in-size puppies since Mackinaw is 16" tall himself. Both parents have OFA Excellent Hips, please visit their websites for additional health information. All colors: Red, Black, Blue Merle & Red Merle + Tri and Bi colors are possible.
I am personally reserving a pick puppy, I am open to one potential co-own/breed home too.
Peach x ??? - Winter 2024/2025
Peach will be bred on her next heat cycle which could be anytime in late fall/winter in 2024, after she passes her OFA examinations. Maddie and I are considering possible options for versatility and performance while maintaining the wonderful type and size that Peach has too. Peach is a co-own with our good friend Maddie from Trilo Miniature American Shepherds.
A waiting list has begun for Peach's litter, it does have a few names on it. We are keeping her waiting list small because we do not know what litter size she is likely to have.
A waiting list has begun for Peach's litter, it does have a few names on it. We are keeping her waiting list small because we do not know what litter size she is likely to have.
Sorry x ?? - Spring 2025
Sorry is our girl that we purchased from Tresrullah Miniature American Shepherds and Australian Shepherds in Ontario Canada, she is a wonderfully sweet dog and easy to live with; Sorry has phenomenal conformation and took Best of Winners and Best of Opposite over other fantastic Minis with 20 dogs entered; at MASCUSA Nationals Sorry placed 3rd in Open Blue Merle Bitches as well. Sorry has decent athleticism, and likes to do the Aussie jump & spin mid air, she has a lot of food drive, has not yet displayed toy drive and handles high stress environments smoothly. I would say that Sorry is low-medium drive and energy, but she has excellent focus; granted I did purchase her as an adult and did not raise her as a puppy to see what she was like as a youngster. Sorry is gentle, affectionate, and just a wonderful dog to live with - she is the type of Mini that everyone adores and gravitates towards because she is cute and good natured.
Available Older Puppies & Adults
Nova - Australian Shepherd
Nova is a very sweet, affectionate, and smart dog with a good herding instinct. She has a happy-go-lucky personality and adores her people. She is fully health tested and spayed, she did have one litter and was spayed a little over a month after the puppies weaned. Nova is best suited to a home where she is the only dog, she can be around other dogs socially but in the home the other dogs tend to be annoyed by Nova because she hogs all the attention. She does well on the leash, enjoys car rides, is house trained and kennel trained. She would love a home that wants a companion for long walks, hiking, jogging, or lives some place where she can enjoy her outside time.
She was born March 2020, she has dual citizenship in Canada and the USA, her rabies is current until Jan 2025, she is DNA tested as a Mosaic Atypical + Merle via PawPrints.
Nova's rehoming price is $800
She was born March 2020, she has dual citizenship in Canada and the USA, her rabies is current until Jan 2025, she is DNA tested as a Mosaic Atypical + Merle via PawPrints.
Nova's rehoming price is $800