GreatGranny
Songster
Well, none of them are truly Austrailian shepherds either... The breed actually originated from the Western US and is kin to the Border Collie and other collie breeds... They were originally bred to work with horses and not sheep!You are correct they can be registered with the AKC. They aren't necessarily just a small Australian shepherd though, they are a separate breed.
Of course this particular debate has been going on since these other sizes were created. I'm an Australian shepherd purist and think the name Australian shepherd should only be used on the original breed which is diverse enough already.
The toys are definitely not Australian shepherds in any way shape or form. They are their own breed with many different breeds used to create them.