Update...
Sasha spent the night quite well...as long as she could stay at David's feet. He placed an old throw rug next to his bed and she went to sleep on it. (It is looking like she is seeing David as her daddy now. LOL) He was up often during the night with her; and sometime during the night and twice the following day Sasha peed on the floor. grrrrrrrrrrrrr That evening (2nd day of her being here) was a turning point in that Sasha has not peed in the house once. She has not had a bowel movement in the house at all. (She has started going to the back door, whining if it is shut or pushing thru if it is screened. Then she climbs down the steps, goes out about 20 feet to where the retainer wall is and that is where she has decided to both pee and move her bowels.) Here it is nearing Sunday evening and it is starting to look as though Sasha has house broken herself. (Our other dogs did the same thing. Not sure as to why.)
It is becoming apparent both Cujo and Valentina are "permitting" this puppy to stay, even sleep on their beds...as long as they are not sleeping there. Cujo can no longer get up the stairs; so Sasha has decided his bed is hers. When she is on the back porch that is where she will lay. (Valentina has the other bed and will growl when Sasha acts as though she is wanting to get onto Valentina's bed. At such time Sasha will back off though it is obvious she is not frightened.) All 3 dogs eat near each other respectfully and Sasha is simply fed more often. (David insists on giving her 1/4 cup of goat milk after each of her meals. LOL)
So far we have noticed characteristics we both like in this canine, i.e. alertness, caution, sweet nature with assertiveness. We've also seen her pass by the fowl outdoors and though being very alert they are there, has not chased them. (Of course this may change as she grows because Shepherds do have prey drives and the fowl are quite active.) She spends most of her time indoors yet will venture through the door curtain often, lay on the back porch often, go down the steps to do her business and even go outside to check out noises she hears. I've seen her sit on the porch looking out over the yard and adjacent pasture watching quite alert when Valentina is out there barking at an unseen entity. So I suspect she will copy Valentina's example of guarding the place...at least this is my hope.
At this time Sasha will often come into my bedroom and has tried to get on my bed 3 times, though has not for over 24 hrs now. She prefers to sleep in David's room.....I'm so grateful as all our other dogs have preferred to sleep in my room all these years; and with a puppy I sure don't need to be stumbling over her. She comes into my bedroom, checks it out then leaves again...has not slept in there! (Of course, at times Valentina continues to come in and sleep in my room for short periods of time. Not sure what this is about as she is still so alert at what goes on outdoors; and there is not much real unhealthy about me at this time.)
Sasha plays with one of David's old shirts and a store-bought toy she throws around. She will "attempt" to play with anything she can get into her mouth, though David is quite good at stopping that! And she has a "milk bone" she enjoys. (Her teeth are still going from baby to adult; so I know this is bothering her.)
All in all my son and I are both quite pleased with this pup!
(Still some of the best homestead dogs I've had were not purebred; so I'm not giving up on finding 1-2 pups of high quality to help Valentina with the place.) [For those remembering Cujo, please know, even though he is quite deaf, his eye sight is still good...not evening needing Artificial Tears anymore...and he still walks and hunts around the place...and his appetite is still good. He cannot climb stairs anymore and is not of real help as a guard dog, which means Valentina is pretty much on her own; but so far that has not presented her with a real problem.]
