I think you just described Mona to a T. She was a foster and was very sick initially. We fell hard for her- she was so sweet and gentle. Then, as she got better and started showing her true self, we realized that she probably wouldn't be easily adopted due to her energy. And so, we decided we wanted to keep her...

Her main problem is that she has loads of energy and is about twice as smart as she is energetic. She was an ace in her first obedience class. The instructor was amazed by how quickly she learned. She won the contests in class and really enjoyed herself. She picked up herding instantly (we just can't do the long drive often enough). On Monday, we're starting agility. I also try to get her out on the bike as often as possible. She has too much confidence though, and sometimes forgets who is in charge. She is also easily distracted.

I think the move and the puppies have kind of thrown things of kilter. We just need to re-establish and get some classes started again. She does best when she's in classes. She's also just slightly over a year old, so I'm hoping she might mellow with age.

Just wondering, our shepherds play very rough with each other. They don't hurt each other, its definitely play. I know other shepherd owners who's dogs play the same way. I'm just wondering if you think this is something we should discourage, or is it just a fun shepherd thing?