I have had an Aussie Shepherd for 12 years now. He has to be the smartest most loving dog. He is a blue merle with blue eyes. Make sure your blue merle has a dark nose ( no pink nose because it will get sun burned & sore). My dog has a pink nose & it does get sore. Also they do shed a lot of hair & should be combed regularly. I also trim the hair off my dogs front legs in the back. He picks up burrs & mud so I trim it off some. He also has a very gentle way about him when you give him treats he gently will take them from your hand. When he was younger we would visit people in the care facilities & he was so good with them. Also when picking out your shepherd make sure he/she has good substance, good thick bones in the legs & feet. Best wishes to you in selecting your Australian Shepherd. It is a wonderful breed.