Owner/Dog Trainer in South FL?

[Disgal71]

Hello
I posted the below in the Aggression forum, it was suggested I contact a local GSD rescue group, I could not locate one locally, I did find one on the west FL coast and N. FL, one of these recommended a trainer, but he's located 3 hours away. I did leave him a message, just in case. I would really prefer to get a recommendation from someone who has experienced what I'm going through now (I copied my post below) since I have not been really good at picking trainers...
Thanks in advance for your time and guidance!
Hello,
I have been looking for guidance on the internet on how to address GSDs aggression issue and am hoping I found the right place for advise... here's the long story: We knew someone who had a pair of GSDs that had puppies, we were looking for a bigger dog for my son and thought this was perfect.

From the beginning she showed some shyness, I know now that this was a warning sign. I hired a trainer to come to the house and evaluate her. I got mixed messages though I was told to socialize her but also told not to have her around too many people or animals until she was fully vaccinated. My brother had a puppy (that he rescued) but who had gotten parvo and spent quiet a bit on getting her better, we also have a cocker spaniel that 6months prior had to have emergency back surgery due to degenerative disc disease that was quickly paralzing him, so with those two experiences fresh in my mind, I didnt want to risk Hayla (GSD) getting sick, so I only took her out when there weren't alot of people around... big unfortuante mistake.

As soon as she was fully vaccinated I enrolled her in a puppy obedience training class, it was a group setting that met at a park. The classes consisted of my son and I standing on the side trying to get Hayla to stop barking like a maniac at everyone. The trainer suggested I get Rescue Remedy, a natural calmant for the dog and see a behaviorist.

I started to notice a vicious cycle, there have been moments when we had to take her to the vet and if I'm around she barks and backs up, if I'm not around, she's calmer, so what happens... I tense up when I know someone will be approaching us, she picks up on that and starts barking at the first sign of a stranger, which in turn ups my anxiety level and the cycle continues. I contacted a behaviorist who came to my home and when she saw Hayla barking at her, asked me to crate her. The "session" consisted of my dog crated and her explaining that my dog might need medicine to address her problem and suggested I contact a vet behaviorial specialist.

Hayla is a little over 2 years old, we got her when she was 8wks old. I have 3 kids and she's great with the family and family that visits consistently. She obeys all commands, even if given by my 5yr old. She does not try to run out of the front door, she does not jump on us or the family members she's ok with. She's great with the male cocker spaniel and my sister's lab/pit mix female. All of our dogs are fixed, she was spayed at the suggested age.

My husband walks her daily, our home backs to a canal with some land, so he walks her there, not too many opportunities to see strangers, though... I take her out in the evenings, we also exercise her on the treadmill to get her to work off some energy, she's a pretty calm dog.

When visitors come over, I have to put her in the attached garage or in her crate, where she barks and barks. I was told by a another trainer to get an agitation muzzle to help calm my nerves (since I'm scared she might hurt someone) and also to use a different command word and spritz her with water, so I use the word Relax, we are at a point where I don't have to spritz her, just the word Relax will get her to stop barking, at least until the stranger moves or talks, then the barking starts again...

Whenever I know I have to take her for her annual shots, my anxiety level goes through the roof, now I have a trip coming up and I have to board her (she's been there once before in late 2009, they almost did not accept her but they were able to work with her) and I am a nervous wreck. I've contacted them to let them know we will be coming again, the manager suggested I bring her by to see if the staff can handle her, it's an animal hospital we've used for many years.

I've been reading through the forums and know that I need to get a trainer, but seeing that I havent really had luck understanding how to pick an experienced GSD trainer, I posted here for any guidance.. I updated my location, per a suggestion I saw on another thread. I hope it's not too late, I know my anxiety feeds her anxiety and I'm not sure how to fix 'me'... She is alot better when my husband walks her.

What I would love is to be able to know that I can confidently drop her off to be boarded knowing she will not be an 'issue', also, to be able to have visitors over that are not terrified...as my brother (who lives in the northeast and has only met her on 2 occassions) refers to her as 'cujo' my son who suffered from nightmares and was scared to be alone, has changed so much since we got Hayla, she's his dog, he feeds her and grooms her, he doesnt walk her since she is big. I want to make this a better situation... help please...