I figured there were others on here that love them!
I love just about everything about them. lol Our older guy, is a blue, and is almost 10 we got when he was 4 months old from a pet store. We didn't even know how bad that could be at the time. He was potty trained in like a week and half and went on to learn all kinds of tricks from there. They tend to bond to one family member and he did with my husband. As soon as he hears him coming in from work he is at the door and doesn't leave his side. But when dh isn't here, he is like that with me. He loves all of us and watches over our kids/nieces/nephews. Our girl, a red, is about 3 years old and we got her last fall from a cattle dog rescue in a neighboring state. She has had some issues we've had to work out, but she's on the road to being a great dog! She has bonded to me and is almost never where she can't see me! lol But she's the same way as the other one when it comes to the kids and family. I have no doubt they would defend us if needed!
They are beautiful! And yes, they do shed a lot. I think they blow their coat once a couple times a year but our weather has been so wacky this summer they seem to be blowing it constantly! Our blue dog doesn't have allergies, but I just had our red at the vet last week because I think she may have.
I think the high maintenance thing differs by dog. One of ours needs more exercise than the other. They adapt so well to wherever they are, as long as they are with their people!
What do you feed them?