Freckles

Australian Shepherds are a beautiful breed with merle coats, high energy, and and an obsession with being close to their families. These dogs are wonderful family companions, but be prepared to keep them active and occupied to avoid having a sad, destructive Aussie. Full-grown, they typically weigh 40-65 pounds and stand 18-23 inches tall.

Australian Shepherds are generally excellent with children of all ages. Australian Shepherds are great companion for kids and other pets, especially if they’re socialized as puppies. These dogs can be happy in warm or cool climates, but they need plenty of space to run and play and should have their primary living space indoors. They're moderate barkers — they'll alert you when something's up but aren't excessive.

Aussies need a lot of high-energy activities and mental stimulation to keep them happy. They’re the perfect exercise buddies, especially for families that like being outdoors. Take your Australian Shepherd for a run, hike, or a long play session in a big backyard to keep their hearts soaring and their minds sharp. Overall, their exercise needs are very high.

The Australian Shepherd has a dense undercoat and outer coat with medium to long hair that’s straight or slightly wavy. Aussies’ fur is short and soft on their head and legs, with a thick mane around the neck. These dogs can be black, red, red merle (dark patches on a light background), or blue merle, and some may have white markings or tan points too. Grooming-wise, this breed is low-maintenance.

Australian Shepherds are best suited for a home with a yard, though they can adapt to apartment life with enough exercise. These dogs can be happy in warm or cool climates, but they need plenty of space to run and play and should have their primary living space indoors. They are highly trainable and eager to learn.

As a protective black beauty, Belgian Sheepdogs have good looks and even better brains. These intelligent family dogs spend their days watching over the house and running around outside. But not too worry: they’ll never let you too far out of their site. Full-grown, they typically weigh 45-75 pounds and stand 22-26 inches tall.

Belgian Sheepdogs are generally okay with older children who know how to handle dogs. The Belgian Sheepdog is a family-friendly breed that is well-behaved around kids. However, they should be supervised just in case the child decides to play too hard and send the Sheepdog into herding mode. They're moderate barkers — they'll alert you when something's up but aren't excessive.

A daily walk won’t suit this dog’s needs. Belgian Sheepdogs need active owners who can provide plenty of exercise. Take your pup for a run, bike or hike to get their hearts pumping, or consider taking up a dog sport that gets its mind and body moving, like flyball, agility,coursing, or herding. Overall, their exercise needs are very high.

Belgian Sheepdogs have double coats of beautiful black fur. Their medium-length hair sheds once or twice a year. During that time, these dogs will need frequent brushing to control the shedding, but during other times of the year, weekly brushing is plenty. Grooming-wise, this breed is low-maintenance.

Belgian Sheepdogs are best suited for a house with a good-sized yard. Because of their size, love for companionship, and activity needs, Belgian Sheepdogs are best-suited to live in a home setting with families that have plenty of time to play. They are highly trainable and eager to learn.