cant fetch and is scared of other dogs and people, l

Question
i cant teach my male 4 month old German shepherd how to fetch a stick or play with one or any toys he just wont respond to them?, and another thing, he acts like a total sheep, is scared of other dogs and people so i need to know how to toughen it up please? i need him to be used a a tough guard dog.

Answer
The fear of people and other dogs maybe due to a lack of exposure to them before he was 12 weeks old.  It will be more difficult to correct now.  Try having people offer him a treat.  It shouldn't need to be anything more than a piece of his kibble.  

You also need to boost his confidence.  Start with obedience training.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts.  Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  As you praise the dog for following your commands, it will build its confidence.  

Play tug of war with the dog and lose.  However at the end of the game, take the rope or toy and put it up, less the dog becomes confused about who is top dog.
Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds.   Ones I made
lasted much better.   Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the
foot.  Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope.   Melt the ends, and tie  knots in it.   Get
them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer.  Watch
carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.

Finally, make sure it has a den to live in.  If you are not using a crate, buy one.  The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house.  It relaxes, it feels safe in its den.  It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self.  Dogs that have been crated all along do very well.  Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open.  I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling.  Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew.  Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, may take some work.
Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate.  Praise it for going
in.  Feed it in the crate.  This is also an easy way to maintain order at
feeding time for more than one dog.

Fetch may go better with a higher value toy, perhaps a tennis ball.

Oh, switch him to an adult chow.  It slows growth and gives more time to develop sturdy joints.  make the switch over about a week, mixing in more and more of the adult chow.