Nutmeg

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.

Collies are every bit the calm, caring, affectionate family dogs that they’re portrayed to be. They need lots of love and are happy to return the favor. Full-grown, they typically weigh 50-75 pounds and stand 22-26 inches tall.

Collies are generally excellent with children of all ages. Collies are great with children, and with socialization, they can get along with other pets too. These dogs may be suspicious of strangers or nip at your heels (especially as puppies), but they tend to grow out of those behaviors with age. They're very vocal and bark quite a lot.

Collies need at least a good daily walk, a chance to run around, or active playtime each day. They’re sensitive to heat though, so if you live in a warmer climate, wait until the sun sets to let your Collie outdoors, and give them plenty of water when temperatures rise. Overall, their exercise needs are moderate.

The Collie can have a rough, straight, long coat or a smooth, hard, flat coat. Both types have a soft undercoat and short, smooth hair on their head and legs. Collies may be tricolor, blue merle, white, or sable and white. Grooming-wise, this breed is moderate.

Collies are best suited for apartments and smaller homes. Collies love being around people, so they should live indoors with the family. They are fairly easy to train.