My dog lunges at certain people on walks. How can I train him?

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! You should start with one on one training and NO walks until he is trained. Hire a trainer. Use positive reinforcement and train him to "sit, "heal" on a leash, "look," and "leave it." Also get him used to the gentle leader harness that goes on the muzzle, this allows for amazing head control. Once he is used to the harness and is able to listen to you at home, practice outside on a leash. When people approach ask him to "look" at you and sit. When he does this and ignores the person passing by he gets a treat and verbal praise. You can do this with people you know first. This will take A LOT of time and effort on your part but it should help. https://www.petco.com/shop/SearchDisplay?categoryId=&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&searchSource=Q&pageView=&beginIndex=0&pageSize=24&fromPageValue=search&searchTerm=gentle+leader&omnitureEnabled=false&cm_sp=SearchSuggest-_-gentle+leader-_-Location&searchsuggestion_keyword=gentle+leader I wish you and Bruno the best!

There is a reason German Shepherds have been chosen as guard and military dogs for ages. They do tend to be protective of their owners and some do not do as well near other dogs. Serious training (and occasionally behavior modification medication) is needed to overcome this in some animals. Neutering also helps reduce protective or aggressive urges in male dogs. Best of luck to you and Bruno!

Choke chains, beating animals, hitting animals, and using a "loud voice" are not recommended methods of training, as they are cruel and ineffective. Do not do any of the above to Bruno. I recommend working with a veterinary behaviourist or a trainer who uses positive reinforcement techniques to help train Bruno. See the link below for more information: https://www.dacvb.org/page/dogs Bruno can certainly learn at his age, and I recommend taking him to a puppy training/ socialization class so he can get used to other animals and people, which will make it easier for him to get used to strangers so he will be more willing to walk with other people.

Hi there! I would recommend a Gentle Leader head halter - this is a great tool that makes it much easier for anyone, even a child, to walk a large dog and gives you better physical control to prevent lunging when he sees something exciting. Ideally, it would also be a good idea to work with a good reward-based trainer who can help you teach him better walking skills, so that eventually the head halter won't be needed. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

German Shepherd Dogs are one of the guarding breeds, but Bruno should only go into protection mode when there is an actual threat to you. A benign stranger passing by is most likely not a threat. He needs some training in leash walking and ignoring non-threats. I would enroll him in a good obedience class as soon as possible. I would not recommend your getting another puppy until you have Bruno under control.

Well Bruno is still very young and learning how to behave. I would recommend getting a trainer involved to help you with basic commands (sit, come,stay). Also waking on a leash takes time. Try and use positive rewards like treats.

Some dogs may lunge out of fear, some out of aggression, and some from excitement. Without being with your dog it is hard for us to say which he is experiencing. I would recommend finding a dog trainer in your area (I would recommend asking your vet for recommendations) to do some obedience training with him and they may be able to identify why he is lunging and how to fix the issue. If he is actually trying to bite people then he should see a veterinary behaviorist.