== Physical traits == Double merle or homozygous merle occurs when the offspring of two merled parents inherit two copies of the dominant merle gene. With children, they work best with children over the age of eight: this is absolutely not because they do not like children or have a short temper with kids (most are quite friendly to children) . === Grooming === These dogs require a minimum of one hour a day of play, exercise, and attention. They need space to run and play in an urban setting. The Australian Shepherd is a high-spirited dog, that requires much attention and work. The breed also has great stamina and can live in a variety of terrain. Because of this, they are  popularly used as trail and working dogs.Australian Shepherds need roughly 30–60 minutes of exercise each day.