I read what you wrote about your German Shepherd.
I waited 35 years to get another GSD, but I think I may have bought the wrong dog.
I strove for a year to get him trained—or tamed, might be more accurate. He’s big and very rambunctious. He’s dealt me a number of minor injuries. I can’t walk him, because he jerks hard enough to extract my skeleton. I can’t let him run free in the house, because he trots from place to place destroying whatever he can reach.
Last month I put him with a trainer. When I went to see him Thursday, he wasn’t much better. They got him some calm-down meds from the vet, and that didn’t help either. I really don’t know what I’m going to do. 35 years I wanted another dog, and I’ve ended up with an uncontrollable monster.
That's what a neighbor did at an abandoned airport. He used a baseball bat—later, a tennis racket. That ball rocketed-out into space, and tuckered the big dog out. "Fun" for both. :)
We have Australian Shepards all of them have been very good, one young rescue was wild and terrified of loud noise.
Our vet recommended Adaptil and that helped.
Not a knockout but seemed to take the edge off and she liked it.
Also, I no longer hold the leash in my hand but clip it onto a heavy belt, much easier on my back in the event of a firecracker. At 60+ pounds she can pull like a freight train, even with an underpull harness.
We put a few miles on every evening rain or shine and she is now much improved and so is my back.
She is a most excellent creature, 4th of July and New Years can still be hard but not nearly as hard as before.
It has been two years now and she is good as gold.
I hope it works out for you.