Hi, I was not sure where to post this question, so if not in the right spot, someone please let me know.
I am probably going to type a novel, sorry!

Got a new GSD girl who is 5 months old. Nice drives (not over the top, crazy, but nice), and she fits in well (she is our 5th dog). Got her, as our someone dropped her off at my trainer's (AMPWDA) house, saying "This dog needs a job." Apparently, she could not handle the GSD personality. This girl is high energy! He had her a couple weeks, and sold her to us, as he knew we would be able to work her and handle her. Never gotten an older puppy before like this, and she does have some bonding issues. Turns out the breeder sold her at 3 months to lady A, lady A said, "it didn't work out with my husband and my son", no idea what that means, and she would not elaborate, so she gave the puppy to lady B (a close friend) who had a 15 year old lab at home. Lady B couldn't handle her, so she ended up with trainer than us...this all happened in her short 5 months. Poor girl

Basically she came to us knowing sit. Breeder said she was shaped with basic obedience, and had a great start in life as far as exposure to all sorts of experiences, dogs, people, noise, ect. Great kennel. Great breeding behind this pup.

She is very smart, very personable, but she would rather associate with the dogs than me. I am trying my very best to keep her time with the big dogs limited, but it is hard. We are a busy family, and I am also working my 3 year old golden boy and my 16 month old golden girl. Sometimes I just need her to be in the dog yard so I can run errands, ect. and sometimes I put here with my 16 month old girl, as they get along very well. I could crate her during these times, and she does pretty well in a crate, but she gets frustrated, cries and digs, and I would wager that she was left in a crate for very long periods of time, so trying to tread lightly there. Not sure if she knows how to bond....
We have had her 2 and a half weeks. Not expecting miracles, not expecting her to love me or to be bonded yet to me. I am hand feeding her. Basically, the only thing I have done for her is care for her, show her affection, play (she loves tug), she is expected to have basic manners, such as sit before going out doors, or coming in, not jumping on us, not being pushy about food (she is very food motivated), trying to get her to do what I call "casual lead walking". I do not correct her harshly (no need to anyway), I do not jerk her around on the lead, just stop if she pulls, and turn opposite direction, that sort of thing. She is getting the hang of it pretty well.
I do not think it is too much to ask of her to understand the basic house rules from go. If I let her get away with it now, then change the rules later, that would be confusing and unfair to her.
I keep treats in my pocket and reward her for her attention on me. But, I wonder if that is back firing on me, as now if she sees I don't have a treat, she is not that interested in me. Yikes. I do some short (5-10 min) engagement sessions with her throughout the day, and she seems to be getting it. I am also trying some of BC's Motivation (jackpotting) stuff here and there, trying to get her to offer behaviors. She doesn't get it yet, but almost.

So, with all that said (sorry it is long), what else can I be doing, or do you all have any other suggestions?? I do want this girl to do IPO (I think she can, given her drives), and tracking (SAR), and if not IPO work, then obedience. I do not want to push it, I want to take it nice and slow. Besides tug, what sort of bonding games can we play? She likes the flirt pole, and she actually started retrieving for me, too. I am trying to be more interesting than the other dogs, but so far, I am losing! LOL I can get her attention away from them with food, which is good.

Regarding the engagement work (this is the first puppy I have done this with, so I am new), how do you get the type of fast reactions I see on the video?? Depends on the dog? How long the dog has been doing it? She is food motivated. I also want to know at what point do you start adding in the shaping for things, like sit, stand, down, ect?? On the training a dog with food video, Ellis says you MUST have engagement before being able to do that sort of thing...but...not sure how you know you do? I hope that makes sense.

Again, I do appreciate any help.
PS, she is adorable, and her name is Ida. I will try to post a picture of her.

I'm not any expert at all. Others are more capable of good answers, but no one is posting. I'll just comment on the bonding issue.

It does make a difference to get a pup late IME. There seems to be a window for a dog to see people as #1, and if they are basically raised by other dogs, it's hard to win them over.

It takes time. I'd try to not have her with your other dogs, basically crate her or have her with you, be the center of her world, for play, for training, for resting. I might put her crate in my bedroom, I'd take her alone, without other dogs, in the car. Take her to the park, to PetCo, make her feel you and she are a team.

If you just let her hang with your other dogs, she will just be part of a pack. I'd predict that she will also become leader of that pack, with her higher drives and general bossiness, and that won't help her in her interactions with your family.

I've gotten 3 dogs not as pups. It's very doable to get your pup engaged with you.

Imo, 5 m/o is a tough age in general. They're getting more independent, they have the attention span of a gnat and their brain is still developing.

I'd second Betty's suggestion of lots of one on one time.

I'd introduce her to clicker training with high value treats - cheese, meat.

It sounds a bit like you're trying to train her around the other dogs. I wouldn't try any training with that type of distraction yet. I'd probably take her out with your one calmest, best trained dog.

Call them over, highly reward (become a treat dispenser with high value food) release them to play. Rinse and repeat 3-4 time. Your older dog will catch on fast, the pup will follow the example. Pretty quick they'll probably both be like "who cares about play - we want the food!"

Do this a couple times a day.

Also work on shaping behaviors with her - all by herself in a room with no distractions - 2-3 times a day for a minute or two. Reward often for any acceptable behavior. Your goal is to be a pez dispenser and go through 20 or so treats in that minute or two. When you're done, verbally release her.

You can always up the criteria later. Your goal right now is to build a foundation for engagement, you don't need to worry about getting it perfect as long as you're headed in the right direction.

Ok, that makes sense. No, no training going on around the other dogs. Only one on one in the kitchen.

I would strictly limit the dogs time with the other dogs.

It's way to easy for a pup or young dog to bond with other dogs.

I've never had that situation so I don't know how reversible it may be.

As usual, agree with Bob.

If you want to bond with the dog in the first instance, the dog has to see you as the center of its attention, and leadership.

It's hard, in my opinion, to execute specialized training, which requires a bonding, when the dog is distracted by other dogs.

If your goal is to have the dogs all get along, then you have to manage that gang behavior without preference, with the objective that they all focus on you on cue to the exclusion of all distractions.

If you want a dog to perform higher level individualized training, you have to be the center of the dog's world, and that requires you to spend the time one on one with the dog to gain its focus. How you reward the dog will be one on one, as differentiated from the pack's balanced behaviors, where the only leader is you.

Marker training, treats, touching, close presence, etc. and other ways to get the dog to consider you the be all and end all in its world will be the foundation and complement to your higher level training goals but in the first instance the dog must focus on you or those goals will be hard to achieve. And even harder if not frustratingly impossible in a pack interaction.

That wasn't very useful, if I do say so myself.

I think it was very useful, Mike, as your posts always are.

The point you make about high-degree individual training vs. pack harmony is an important one. So, like most things, I think a dog owner has to "begin with the end in mind."

This is especially important in a multi-dog household. Separation, with little-to-no interaction may be very important for a working dog or one that is destined for a high level of training.

If you want a pack of dogs that can coexist peacefully on your kitchen floor, then they need integration and management.

I do crate train new puppies, for their own safety and for housebreaking. But they are integrated into the pack from day one. This is with the caveat that my dogs aren't trained for any sport or work other than agility (for fun). They know basic obedience commands required for house manners (and these are taught individually, without the distraction of pack mates.)

So I think the style of how one rears a new pup it is entirely dependent on what kind of expectation you have for the dog to be successful in life. And you have to have that in mind from the get-go.

I think it was useful, too, Mike. Thank you. I think we just have to stay the course, and I agree that I really have to limit her time with the other dogs. Historically, I have had goldens, and they are always so happy to please, that I have never had a problem with the other dogs being an issue.
She is coming around, like I said, she has only been here going on her third week.