Nice dog. What breed is he?
Australian Shepherd.
He is a week or two shy of 1 year old.
His coloring is typical of those that show the "
red Merle" gene as dominant, showing the tan nose and mottled/spotted shades of red/tan/white fur. His coloring looks darker in the photo than in real life ... There is also a "
blue Merle" coloration that is various mottled/spotted shades of blue/grey with a black nose. But the most common coloration is probably a variation of
tri-color black/brown/white.
Current weight is 47#, he will probably pick up another 5 to 7 pounds at full maturity as the normal weight range is 50-60# for a male. So a medium size dog. He thinks he is a small dog, loves to crawl up into your lap. I think living with 3 much smaller dogs makes him think he is a small dog.
He is a very 'sweet' dog. Loves companionship, clearly a pack type dog. Follows me everywhere, can't even go to the bathroom alone
The breed is very very different than the Akitas and Malamutes we've had for the past 30+ years. Those are very independent dogs, somewhat aloof, happy to sit and watch over the family but not sit on your lap! By comparison, this dog seems 'needy' while the Akitas and Malamutes seemed to enjoy being loyal but apart.