Nikita is a cute bundle of energy and affection!  She’s at a good weight, at 55 pounds and loves to run and play, bounding like a deer at times.   She knows how to catch a Frisbee, which is one of her favorite toys.  Some days, though, she’ll go for her Jolly Ball first and has learned how to pick it up by the handle and will race around with it.  After 10 or 15 minutes of running and playing, she’s good to go back inside with you to take a rest.  Inside, she can amuse herself by picking a toy out of the toy basket and carrying it around or holding it in her front paws while lying on her back and chewing on it.  She’s a multi-faceted girl!

During a six-week training period, she was at the trainer’s one day a week and practicing at home on other days.  She learned “place” and how to focus better in spite of distractions, in addition to the basic obedience training.  She’s still very much a puppy, though, at 16 months, so she needs ongoing practice and guidance.  She’s great at eye contact and will look at you as though trying to read your thoughts.

Nikita was just 12 months old when she came into GSRNE from a home with two other Shepherds.  One of those was a female, and she decided she didn’t want another female in the home, so things were getting difficult for everyone.  The two females took turns being crated, and Nikita does well in her crate and will rest while her people are away.  When a visitor comes to the house, she gets very excited, in a friendly way, and tries to jump up for a closer encounter.  We’ve found it best to have her in her crate during the arrival time and wait for her to calm a bit before letting her say hello.

Nikita is quick to pick up new words and phrases, including “in the house,” let’s go upstairs,” “pick it up.”  She looks forward to having a carrot to chew on in the middle of the morning and, again, later in the day and will stand at the refrigerator and stare if her foster parents forget.  She’s intelligent, curious and a lot of fun and will thrive with an adopter who understands German Shepherds and will enjoy helping her along.