Don't know if this dog is a stray or not

She's definately adorable.  I'm glad you decided to keep her.

I am so happy that Penny is staying part of your family.  I love a story where everyone wins. 
 
As for the submissive urination... Tessa did that when she was young.  I read many articles and the common thread was; don't make a big deal out of it.  Ignore it.  Don't punish the dog for it.  If you do it will get worse.  I never even said a word about it when it happened.  I would just go on like nothing happened. Just clean up and forget it. 
 
As she got older it happened less and less and eventually Tessa outgrew it.   I hope with Penny it's that she's so new to all the noise and activity she's still nervous.  I bet she settles in quickly.   She's such a sweet looking pup. 

ORIGINAL: JoAnnDe

You are doing such a tremendous job with Penny  - I can't even express how happy I am.    

Yes, there really IS a Santa Claus ... you and NC_Cockermama come to mind  []

 
thank you for the compliment!

Yah, me too. And thanks for all the well wishes everyone. She has a couple of issues that we're working on, mainly manners. She is a little mouthy, not hard, just playful, but it's a no no around here. She is learning that it is not ok to jump onto the kitchen table or to jump from the couch to the coffee table. She has been growly a couple of times also.
 
She is doing ok with the shelties, though their contact has been limited. Ripley has taken to guarding the toys. He is taking them one by one and hiding them under the computer desk.
 
I told DH I want to call a family meeting to discuss the way we all interact with the dogs. The shelties we have had from such a young age, they are pretty much bomb proof. I feel we need to be more mindful of the messages we are sending to Penny and be on the same page in regard to training and what the dogs are and aren't allowed to do. With three dogs under age 1 this is going to quickly become overwhelming if I don't run a tight ship and have everyone behind me.

I just wanted to update everyone on Miss Penny. She is settling in really well. The first two weeks I thought I was going to pull my hair out, but it has gotten easier. She and the shelties are getting along fine now. We haven't had any issues with growliness after the first couple of weeks, and the submissive urination has completely stopped also. There is a small issue with food guarding with the other dogs, but that is easily handled by feeding her seperately.
 
She is really, really smart. I was quite worried about housetraining, but she housetrained in just a little over a week! She knows several commands now and her manners are improving daily. She is adjusting to the crate too, slowly, and has finally figured out toys and kongs. She is a feisty girl too, with a very terrier-ish personality, and she can jump a six foot fence! Much more of a handful than the boys, but so much better than I expected given her situation. Anyone know if there is agiliy for mutts?

Anyone know if there is agiliy for mutts?

 
OF course.  UKC, USDAA, NADAC all allow mixed breeds to run.
 

and CPE!