German Shepherd Dog Forum:
Aggression

My 11 month old german shepherd recently started barking aggressively (it almost seems like he will bite) when strangers approach us. He is very intimidating when he does this. I've taken him to obedience class and he behaves very well except for when strangers are around. He will not respond to any commands when he starts. Has anyone experienced this with their dog? Is it a phase that will be outgrown? Any suggestions? My dog generally is very friendly , affectionate and 'sucky'.

This could be very serious when he is older and more mature. I suggest you put pennies in a plastic water bottle. Shake when he starts barking and when he looks at you praise him heavily. You should soon start to say his name at the same exact moment that he starts to turn his head. He will soon learn that when his name is called he should stop what he's doing and look to his name-caller. Good luck:)