Welcome to Hendricks Mini Aussies and Toys, a website devoted to Miniature and Toy Australian Shepherds. We are located in San Marcos, Texas -
between Austin and San Antonio.
Whether you are shopping for a puppy, or looking for more information on the breed, or are already "owned" by mini-aussies, we
hope you enjoy our website and will join us in spreading the word about these great dogs.
We are not a puppy factory - we are a small kennel, and we raise our dogs "under-foot" - as members of our family -
with lots of love and
attention.
Our puppies are born in the family room and are lovingly handled and socialized from birth We started out with one
wonderful Mini Aussie - which is how most quality breeders begin - one good dog at a time!
Our ultimate goal is to maintain the quality and integrity of the Australian Shepherd breed; reproducing the intelligence,
temperment, conformation and instincts of the Australian Shepherd in a smaller package.
While mini-aussies are very adept on the ranch, working livestock, they are also excellent family dogs and great companions
in city and apartment living. While they do need exercise and attention to keep them busy, mini-aussies don't need
as much room to run.
The purpose of this website is to educate newcomers to the delightful miniature Australian Shepherd - and share information
with other Mini and Toy Aussie families.
Diana and Mark Hendricks
This website is a work in progress and is still under construction -
thanks for your patience! Perhaps if we spent less time with the dogs and more time on the computer,
this website would be finished!
But then -- who really cares about us -- you are here to see the dogs - right?!
________ Shiner and Gibson are both registered with the National Stock Dog Association, American Stock Dog Association, and the Miniature Australian Shepherd Club of America. Shiner is a 14 inch tall, 19 lb., beautiful blue merle female with tan trim and blue eyes, out of the Diamond K and Woodcock lines.
Gibson, a 14 inch tall, 18 lb black tri male, is the son of Las Rocosa Meg and grandson of Las Rocosa Dusty Spur and Las Rocosa Lady in Red out of the famed Las Rocosa #1 Hall of Fame Kennel. Read more about the Las Rososa Lineage and the definitive history of Australian Shepherds on the Las Rocosa/Hartnagle website. Jeanne Joy Hartnagle-Taylor of the Las Rocosa Kennel, has written the "bible of the breed" in her "All About Aussies," a must-read for Australian Shepard aficionados - and can be ordered on their website.
Diana Hendricks is a lifelong Texan, who raised working stock border collies on a ranch on the banks of the San Marcos River for 16 years before “downsizing” and moving into town. Miniature and Toy Australian Shepherds are the perfect fit for their lifestyle – athletic and smart – and smaller than full-sized herding dogs, perfect for their one-acre yard.
Diana and Mark are proud alumni and strong supporters of Texas State athletics – where Diana has served on the board of directors for the Bobcat Athletic Foundation, and is currently on the board of directors of Strutters Always, the nationally renowned Texas State University dance team alumni association. They jokingly boast that their mini aussies are also known as “Bob-dogs” - a loyal, strong and intelligent improvement over the Bobcat!
Their circle of friends has grown to include several other mini-aussie owners in Central Texas, all of whom have the same mission – to promote and protect the Miniature and Toy Australian Shepherds, while maintaining the integrity, standard and quality of the breed. Diana is a member of the national board of directors for the Toy Australian Shepherd Association of America.
Diana’s professional skills are highlighted by successful background in photography, journalism, feature writing, web and graphic design, and public relations. She is the marketing coordinator for the Advanced Law Enforcement Training (ALERRT) program, a multi-million dollar, federally funded training program that teaches first responding patrol officers to effectively deal with active shooter situations such as happened at Columbine High School in Littleton, Co. The ALERRT Center is on the campus of Texas State University in San Marcos. Her husband, Mark is the director of the University News Service at Texas State.
Diana and her husband Mark have five “practically grown” children, ranging in age from 29-19, and are regularly accused of treating the dogs much better than they ever treated the children – an ongoing argument which is still up for debate!
Our Kids - Christmas '06
Sterling, Patrick, son-in-law Clay, and Del's boyfriend Paul
HalleyAnna, Jenni and DeLynn
Everyone seems to have a myspace page these days - I even signed up so we could keep up with what the kids are doing!
These breeder definitions come from Placitas Mini Aussies in New Mexico. Lauri has a great website -
very informative - with the best mini aussie portraits we've ever seen!
I'm frequently asked about what a puppymill is and what the differences are between a hobby breeder and a commercial or backyard breeder. I've posted some good definitions below that I hope will be helpful to everyone.
Hobby breeder: A breed fancier who usually has only one breed but may have more, follows a breeding plan in efforts to preserve and protect the breed, produces from none to five litters per year, breeds only when a litter will enhance the breed and the breeding program, raises the puppies with plenty of environmental and human contact, has a contract that protects breeder, dog, and buyer, runs a small, clean kennel, screens breeding stock to eliminate hereditary defects from the breed, works with a breed club or kennel club to promote and protect the breed, and cares that each and every puppy is placed in the best home possible.
Commercial breeder: One who usually has several breeds of dogs with profit as the primary motive for existence. The dogs may be healthy or not and the kennel may be clean or not. The dogs are probably not screened for genetic diseases, and the breeding stock is probably not selected for resemblance to the breed standard or for good temperament. Most commercial breeders sell their puppies to pet stores or to brokers who sell to pet stores.
Backyard breeder: A dog owner whose pet either gets bred by accident or who breeds on purpose for a variety of reasons. This breeder is usually ignorant of the breed standard, genetics, behavior, and good health practices. A backyard breeder can very easily become a commercial breeder or a puppy mill.
Puppy mill: A breeder who produces puppies as fast as possible with no breeding program, little attention to puppy placement, and poor health and socialization practices. A puppy mill may or may not be dirty but it is usually overcrowded and the dogs may be neglected or abused because the breeder can't properly handle as many dogs as he has. Puppy mill operators often denigrate hobby breeders and their dogs in attempts to make a sale.
