Aww ... Fear Bitter + Positive Only = Waste of time and Money!
If your friend wants to find a trainer that can actually help them take a look at the first link here:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/7378442-post9.html
First link "Jeff Gellman"
Solid K9 Training - Rehabilitation and Family Dog Training deals with dogs like these day in and day out ...no big deal, he can help people find a trainer local to them.
Hm ... actually Solidk9training is in RI! So there is that .. gonna be expensive though. Still ... he gives his work for free for those that can do it themselves. I am not a "Pro" but "People Friendly" "H/A" or "Fearful" I have worked with them all (rescue stuff) and "I" do the pretty much the "exact" same thing with all of them.
Ultimately they all turn out to be who they will be, it's my job to see that no one or there pets, gets harmed while that process is on going ... "I" find it fairly simple myself?? Others of course are free to disagree.
It starts here:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/5296377-post8.html
I would recommend the very first link, I just got a rescue what do I do?? Just flat start over from day one, undo "everything." I don't know if the dog is "Crate Trained??" If he is not ... it would be a good idea to do so, couple of links.:
It's not about keeping the dog out of trouble it's also about setting rules and boundaries.
Moving on the first link has two other links to "Articles" in it, the first is "Who Pets my Puppy or Dog" and the other is "The five Golden Rules ..." I combined the last paragraph of the Five Golden Rules ... a flat "No" touch with a body block if need be with "Who Pet's."
And with that my H/A dog and I went on "structured walks" finding people for him to "ignore." If I stopped to talk he stayed behind me or to my side, and his job was to quitely "observe." I did use a muzzle on him for awhile, then once I see that he was getting with the program ie calm and not really concerned about people ... I dropped the use of the muzzle.
It was still a while before I allowed anyone to pet him (another story) but when I did it was "No big deal to him Dad talks to people all the time ... whatever. So that's the out and about bit, if this dog is still not good with people being 6 to 8 feet away ... no problem we'll get there.
And least I forget company in the home?? Dog should be in Crate or in Place, and company kept out of his face so the tricking people into the dogs face with the use of treats thing?? Yeah "No" leave him be and if the "other party can't do that" put the dog in a Crate and call it good. I kept Rocky in Place and did use a muzzle for awhile but he was Rock Solid in Place and I was pretty hard core with "No Pet" for company with him ... worked out fine.
Next step ... rules of the house, for this dog more rules, more structure and more limits. No bed or furniture privileges no free roaming in the house. In doors it will need to be "Place or "Crate" period. So ... "Place and Sit on the Dog" great for all dogs is "Place" and especially useful for dogs with issues is "Sit on the Dog" details are here:
Boxer Forum : Boxer Breed Dog Forums - View Single Post - Fearful, Anxious or Flat Crazy "The Place CommanD
That is how you train "calming behaviours" into a dog, the dog learns to chill. Those would be trained indoors or backyard first and then moved to areas with "distractions." Again use a muzzle if need be if the dog is uneasy or unstable but "Sit on the Dog" is done once he understand in areas out of the way, no contact. Where the dog and owner just "Sit and observe no contact required and eventually the same deal with "Place" once trained and use a long line if needed and yet again "no contact" the goal is to "show" him ... "people are no big deal" and he never needs to actually like people but he does need to be safe in public.
And if the owner in question, wants to contact Jeff he can of course. But I feel safe in saying ... that the more of "this" that owners starts ... then the less time his dog would spend at Solidk9training.
And in case I missed something, I most likely said it here:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/7837361-post12.html
I would say ..."good luck and ask questions" ... but the party involved is not really here??