My dog is scared of people

Question
Hi,
I have a 1 and a half year old German Shepherd/Lab and she's a loving and caring dog to people she is ONLY familiar with. I have problems walking her, she gets scared of people and tries to jump at them. It makes me very sad to see her that way. I want her to be able to interact with people and feel comfortable. Outside of my house she tries going at people, inside of the house she barks and barks until she is ready to approach the new visitor. I bring her to dog parks to help her but she is very scared. She runs away from people and dogs. However she is doing a lot better in dog parks. She might run from time to time but she has built confidence. What can I do to change this? How can i help her?

Also..she has a tendency to destroy things in the house. Some days shes perfectly fine doesn't break anything, other days i come home and the house is a mess. For instance she broke my sunglasses (chewed up), she finds paper and rips them, she chews on wires,and  just recently she ate my house phone. I don't leave things lying around, i make sure everything is put away but she still manages to find things.
i love my dog to death. i only want to help her because it makes me sad. What can I do?

Answer
Hi Elisabeth, It is not too late to take her to a good obedience class, advanced obedience, agility trials... She needs and wants your attention, but needs discipline. The obedience will build her confidence. You should also teach her to crate train so that when you are away or distracted, she will not eat anything that may kill her. Hope this helps. Susan