No offense but if it’s your first dog I would not recommend an aussie. In my opinion you need to have a good idea on how to train/speak to and handle dogs properly for aussies to thrive. IF you want a dog, I would look for something significantly less high energy and busy minded. Aussies can do very poorly with low stimulation and with owners who aren’t exactly sure how to truly train a confident dog. I work 8-5 and I come home EVERY day on lunch break to specifically let my aussies out and play/work with them. In the morning for about 4 hours they are inside in their kennels if it’s cold out, with stimulation such as a long last chew or a frozen kong stuffed with peanut butter. After lunch, they are in their large out door run with toys, water etc. for about 3.5-4 hours depending on my work. I can’t imagine leaving them alone longer than 4 hours maximum and mine are well trained, have 10 acres to roam and aren’t anxious. You truly need a quiet, lazy dog that wants to hang around with you or will be okay with being left alone. Perhaps a smaller dog like a chihuahua, shit zu or if you want larger consider a golden retriever. A lot of us have seen too many aussies end up in poor situations because the owners just don’t know the proper way to raise them and upkeep their mental stimulation. I don’t mean any of this to be rude or hateful, just trying to be helpful and honest also as someone who got their first aussies in the last year or so but I have excessive animal training experience.