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 2024:
- RC (Performance - paused until ready)
- XC (Companion)
- C&BH (Companion - paused until ready)
- KW
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 2024:
- RC (Performance - paused until ready)
- XC (Companion)
- C&BH (Companion - paused until ready)
- KW
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 2025
These are our intended plans for 2025 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.
Secret x Ryder - Expected Mid-Late March 2025
$2200
Secret is here from our good friend Lynette from First Harmony Farms to have a litter with Ryder and we are so excited about this litter! Both parents have very social and bubbly personalities that do great with kids and meeting new people, and come from a family of very talented dogs. We are hoping for puppies that are 13.5" - 16" tall, that excel at performance, and have absolutely amazing personalities. These puppies will hopefully have the absolutely darling personalities of both parents, they are both so charming and affectionate that you can't help but be obsessed with them.
Ryder is the sweetest little dog who comes from Plum Creek Aussies, an ASDR breeder that focuses on conformation, performance, and health testing including OFAs; he is a playful and charming little dog that enjoys jumping into your arms, loves to swim in the water, play with the other dogs, he enjoys playing with tugs and toys, he has interest in herding the goats which is impressive considering that he is 11lbs, and has started some disc foundations. Ryder has his OFA Prelims for Hips & Elbows, Eyes CEAR clear in Jan 2205, and is full panel DNA clear including NAD & nonHSF4.
Link Here to Ryder's page with health testing.
Secret has been one of my favorite dogs at First Harmony Farms for several years, and I have threatened "stealing their dog" because I just liked her so much - when we were offered the opportunity to breed her for this litter, of course I said YES YES YES!!! Secret's sire Magic is one of those dogs that is so incredible, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that my program wouldn't be where it is without him - he was the very first Mini that I bred to and he is the foundation of my MAS line, it breaks my heart to think that he is 14 because he is such a wonderful dog. Magic does everything you ask of him and does it well! Magic has his AKC Champion, and is one point from his GCh, as well as his MASCA Champion and ranked #8 in 2015. He jumps over 20" in NADD, has his CD in Obedience, his RA in Rally, he has his Flyball FGDCH & Iron Dog, more Agility titles in NADAC & UpDog disc accolades than I can list. Magic also sired the 2nd dog to win the MASCUSA Nationals Iron Dog - which is a dog that wins both Most Versatile AND Ultimate Performance at the National Specialty. Secret competes in Disc and has been to UPDIF, she plays with two Junior handlers - for 2025 she is UPDIF Qualified for Boom, Four Way Play, Throw N Go, Frizgility, Funkey, Greedy, Seven Up, and Timewarp. In Spring 2024, she was the #1 ranked Bite Club team with a Junior handler. Her conformation is absolutely lovely, she has an amazing front and topline, good angulation, and clean movement coming and going with a nice side gait - she would do very well in the UKC conformation ring, the only thing that would hold her back in AKC is her tail.
About Secret - Click Here to see Secret's webpage on First Harmony Farm's site.
It would be lovely to have a male puppy in a co-own home doing sports.
Ryder is the sweetest little dog who comes from Plum Creek Aussies, an ASDR breeder that focuses on conformation, performance, and health testing including OFAs; he is a playful and charming little dog that enjoys jumping into your arms, loves to swim in the water, play with the other dogs, he enjoys playing with tugs and toys, he has interest in herding the goats which is impressive considering that he is 11lbs, and has started some disc foundations. Ryder has his OFA Prelims for Hips & Elbows, Eyes CEAR clear in Jan 2205, and is full panel DNA clear including NAD & nonHSF4.
Link Here to Ryder's page with health testing.
Secret has been one of my favorite dogs at First Harmony Farms for several years, and I have threatened "stealing their dog" because I just liked her so much - when we were offered the opportunity to breed her for this litter, of course I said YES YES YES!!! Secret's sire Magic is one of those dogs that is so incredible, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that my program wouldn't be where it is without him - he was the very first Mini that I bred to and he is the foundation of my MAS line, it breaks my heart to think that he is 14 because he is such a wonderful dog. Magic does everything you ask of him and does it well! Magic has his AKC Champion, and is one point from his GCh, as well as his MASCA Champion and ranked #8 in 2015. He jumps over 20" in NADD, has his CD in Obedience, his RA in Rally, he has his Flyball FGDCH & Iron Dog, more Agility titles in NADAC & UpDog disc accolades than I can list. Magic also sired the 2nd dog to win the MASCUSA Nationals Iron Dog - which is a dog that wins both Most Versatile AND Ultimate Performance at the National Specialty. Secret competes in Disc and has been to UPDIF, she plays with two Junior handlers - for 2025 she is UPDIF Qualified for Boom, Four Way Play, Throw N Go, Frizgility, Funkey, Greedy, Seven Up, and Timewarp. In Spring 2024, she was the #1 ranked Bite Club team with a Junior handler. Her conformation is absolutely lovely, she has an amazing front and topline, good angulation, and clean movement coming and going with a nice side gait - she would do very well in the UKC conformation ring, the only thing that would hold her back in AKC is her tail.
About Secret - Click Here to see Secret's webpage on First Harmony Farm's site.
It would be lovely to have a male puppy in a co-own home doing sports.
Entropy x Waylon - $2200 Due Late March
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Entropy was bred with Waylon from Tresrullah Miniature American Shepherds in Ontario, Canada. Waylon is a STUNNING male with phenomenal type and movement, with a very steady personality who has sired some outstanding Miniature American Shepherds in Canada for multiple breeders, he is also the grandsire of our wonderful girl Sorry. Waylon is oversize and Entropy is in size but at the top of the height standard, we are expecting larger Minis and some that will be oversize too in this litter. Entropy will bring her athleticism and fantastic build, and Waylon will bring his fantastic nature and beautiful conformation and movement. This litter should have the whole package - we are planning to keep a puppy back or in a co-own home from this cross.
Peach x Mackinaw - Hoping for late Spring 2025??
Peach will be bred on her next heat cycle - which we are still waiting for, it should be anytime now - she has passed her OFA examinations. Maddie and I decided to use Mackinaw for Peach's first breeding because they will compliment each other in both conformation and in drive/personality. Peach is a co-own with our good friend Maddie from Trilo Miniature American Shepherds. This will be a litter that is likely to have some very versatile puppies that have what it takes to do both sports and conformation and hang out with the family on the couch at the end of the day too.
A waiting list has begun for Peach's litter, it does have a few names on it - it will transition to a deposit list with the $300 deposit to be paid once the puppies are born. We are keeping her waiting list small because we do not know what litter size she is likely to have.
**This litter will be raised by Maddie at Trilo Miniature American Shepherds in Minnesota**
A waiting list has begun for Peach's litter, it does have a few names on it - it will transition to a deposit list with the $300 deposit to be paid once the puppies are born. We are keeping her waiting list small because we do not know what litter size she is likely to have.
**This litter will be raised by Maddie at Trilo Miniature American Shepherds in Minnesota**
Sorry x ?? - Hoping for late 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 Reserved!
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 2028, she is DNA tested as a Mosaic Atypical + Merle via PawPrints.
Nova's rehoming price is $400
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 2028, she is DNA tested as a Mosaic Atypical + Merle via PawPrints.
Nova's rehoming price is $400