OK thanks Candi

He is nearly nine months now. Nope he wasnt aggresive, he was a lunatic and jumpy but not aggresive.

I am far from insulted. I admit defeat and this dog os more than I can handle and for the dogs sake I think he should be rehomed. As much as I hate myself for saying it i cannot handle his aggression. its not fair on either of us. I have owned GSD before but never one lke this.

Thanks for clarifying. IMO, 9 mos is young enough that I'd try to salvage him. If you can find him an EXCELLENT home, then I'd say go for it. But-DON'T just pass him on to the first person who says they'll take him; he won't be any better off unless someone REALLY has experience w/this kind of thing. Don't feel bad if you're really doing what you think is best for both of you. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Mike
Don't beat yourself up for admitting something that we may all have to admit one day. What you are thinking of doing is responsible and commendable dog ownership.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with realizing that the dog is not a "proper fit" and that you have tried everything.
I personally think that you are a great person for that.
Hang in there, you will find the right dog for you and your family.

I want to throw something in the mix here for possible feedback. I am not puppy-experienced, but I know a couple of people at our training club who believe that young dogs have "fear periods."

In some breeds, apparently, it's around 6-7 months, and in some it's 8-9 months.

I'm hoping others will address this. Again, I don't know how much weight to give this idea; it's just something I have heard discussed.

Ooops, I did not see the age on the dog. Thats what I get for having distraction when trying to post.
I am a believer that a dog goes through learning stages. If the dog is nine months then there is hope although he still may not be the dog for your home.
My Malinois was 6 months old when everything changed and she started to bark, back up and act like everything was a big scary monster, she would also try to bite me if I tried to touch her so I just made sure not to reassure her while she was in this frame of mind. Instead we went away from the "monster" to a comfort zone, redirected attention to something she was comfortable with and focused on (tug) and worked slowly but confidently towards the "scary thing". I did not speak to her like she was a baby or console her in any way. The hardest thing I had to learn to do was not tense up when I saw her change in body carriage. I stayed confident and assertive and she got throught this stage in a couple weeks. I did not use anything other than a properly fitted flat collar through this since I did not want her associating any type of correction while she was scared of something.
I also made sure that we incorporated more social interaction and distractions in her training program. We now go to the Nursing Home, Schools, and anywhere else there will be people at least once a week. She has been in two parades without flinching. She goes to all of my fire department, law enforcement and ems meetings.
Have not had an issue since then and she was year old in October. I am sure the adolescent "give me the finger" stage is next. :-)

Hi Mike! Wow, you certainly have your hands full! Ouch!

Do you have any of Ed's videos or read the articles here on fearful and handler-aggressive dogs? Are you able to do obedience training with your pup & have him absolutely under control 24/7?

Good luck!

Mike...I'm of the impression that you are being challenged for the role of Alpha... 'pack leader.' Seems that all the indications are there from the 'nipping' early on... and biting that you mentioned later. We sometimes call it various things and offer various solutions, but the real solution is for you to be the pack leader and follow it thru.

Slapping a potential pack leader (as your wife did) who's vying for the number one job would certainly incite a probable snarl, and if it is allowed to continue the snarl will become a bite. We sometimes forget that dogs aren't human, that they have their own set of rules that they've learned and some that have been genetically transposed. If he'd bit me on leash my first response would have been to choke him down, and the same applies to the incident with your neighbor. What may, at times, seem harsh and cruel, is exactly what they expect in their world as they understand it.