training of my unruly dog

Question
I have a year old german shepherd. She is very much interested in strangers and never cares a word. She jumps over every stranger, wagging it's tail. She likes to play with poeple and roam on roads with them. She ignores any command given to her and insists doing the same. This has become a very big problem to handle it. She does not stop even on a high resist. I feel her not fit for companion or a guardian dog. I would be  very much pleased if you suggest ways to make it a good guard dog. I have heard that if german sheperd is isolated in the morning and left free at night, would be more guarding. She likes each and every stranger and does not bark at all. She plays with anyone and everything. I did not even hear of a dog behaving so odd. She is very big and still insists on jumping on everyone and even on padestrians. It has become very hard to resist such a big dog from jumping. She does like being trained and runs away from such sessions. She does like to stay at home or spend time with us. She likes roaming with people on roads.She simply pulls off anyone down who tries to take her for walk. She has not been in heat till now. Does this relate to her unruly and disobedient behaviour? Could this behaviour be changed? Does she change atleast after having a litter? Please give me your valuable suggestion. Please help me out.

Answer
First, consider yourself lucky that your dog is so social.  German Shepherd dogs do not have to be aloof or uninterested in strangers in order to protect you.  Generally, these dogs should have a stable temperament and not be aggressive.  They should only react if there is real danger to you.  So, please do not isolate your dog - that just frustrates the dog and makes her feel as though you do not share affection for her.  If she is not part of your "pack" because she has been so isolated, she won't have any need to feel protective of you.

As to the jumping up, the solution for that is to ask anyone who she jumps on to completely turn away from her and ignore her.  Only when her four paws are on the floor does she get any attention.  This is a hard habit to break, so you (and everyone else in her life) must be persistent.  She will eventually learn that jumping up doesn't get her any attention, or anything else.  And, she will also learn that standing on all fours, or sitting, get her pats, affection, and an occasional treat.

I suspect that you never took your dog to a training class, and that now she has gotten large and more difficult to handle.  That isn't her fault, it's yours!  The solution lies in managing her, and training her.  You can make it easier to walk with her if you buy an "Easy Walk Harness" (she's probably a size large).  That harness is made by Premier (www.premierpet.com) and is available from online retailers, although I don't know if you are in the United States, so if not, you may have to search around for it, or something similar.

Do NOT breed your dog unless she is trained, has been shown in the breed ring, and has been tested for genetic diseases such as hip dysplasia, which is common in that breed.  Her behavior is simple lack of training, and having a litter will not change that.  I recommend spaying the dog, which will at least keep her from having any unexpected litters, unless you are planning to get a mentor who can "show you the ropes" when it comes to responsible breeding practices.  There's a lot of information about what it takes to be a responsible breeder on www.wonderpuppy.net.

As to whether her behavior can be changed, the answer is YES.  No dog is too old to train.  Get a good positive trainer to help you.  If you don't have access to a trainer, here are some sites that may help you to have a more obedient dog:
www.clickertrain.usa (watch the free videos)
www.clickerlessons.com (free step by step lessons on all the basic behaviors)