Aggression/anxiety in 8 m/o german shepherd

[vhreb]

Hi all! So our German Shepherd (8 month old male) is the sweetest, most loving boy, however, he has a lot of anxiety that I'm struggling to navigate. He definitely has separation anxiety with my dad (the person who he spends most time with) and is seemingly very startled by strangers. Whether it's the delivery driver, strangers passing by on walks, or friends coming over, he barks nonstop at them. Considering his size, people are very scared by these behaviors. He's been in obedience training for a few months now, but our trainer hasn't really discussed or worked on these behaviors. I've seen advice saying to condition him with treats (causing him to gain positive reinforcement with strangers), is this effective? Any tips? Thanks in advance

 

[oakrun]

@vhreb When you take him for a walk, does he pull on the leash? As in do you have tension on the leash.

I'm guessing that the dog is in constant "protecting" mode. In essence he feels like its his job to warn off anything he doesn't trust. In that case, start by making clear to him, that YOU are in control of any situation. Every time he starts pulling, walk in the opposite direction, as long as it takes, at some point he will look up to you, to figure out what you plan on doing next, and walk calmly beside / behind you. It will take a lot of time, but it should help with his barking at everything, AND he will get a LOT stronger, so you really don't want to get dragged along by a fully grown GSD.

Also pay attention if he is staring things down. If he is super focused for 2ish seconds, no eye head movement, just staring, that is a sign of him already being very cautious and ready to defend. Don't let him stare

Please note thou, that I am guessing with very limited information.