Breeding Philosophy

History of the Australian Shepherd

We do not have any puppy plans at the moment.

We at kennel Nighthaven strive to breed healthy dogs that fit the Australian Shepherd breed standard. While character is paramount, we also want our dogs to look like an aussie should ‒ moderate and built for working tirelessly beside us humans. We are located in Northern Finland, in a small town called Tornio.

At the end of 2021 we welcomed home our very first aussie, our beloved Apollo. Our Miniature American Shepherd Orion joined us in 2023 and is co-owned with his breeder Päivi at kennel Sparkling Powers. In the very last weeks of 2024 we flew to France and picked up our future hope, aussie girl Versa, who is co-owned with her breeder Florence at kennel Kodaline.

I am always open to discuss my thoughts about breeding. Facebook is a great way to get in touch, and you can also find us on Instagram under the handle @nighthavenaussies. You can also leave me a message below ‒ I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Warmest regards,

Ella Rantamaa
Kennel Nighthaven

Breed Standard

FCI Breed Standard
ASCA Breed Standard
AKC Breed Standard

I highly recommend watching the Australian Shepherd and Miniature American Shepherd Masterclass by Paula McDermid, Claudia Bosselmann and Inga Cerbule. The video dissects the FCI breed standard for both breeds in great detail.