My intact GSD is male, large and a well-bred pedigreed boy. He is sweet natured and smart, but wow is he nervous about some things. First it was our shadows (4 mths). Then it was the wind in the trees out back. Thunder and lightening didn't bother him (I was nervous about these for him beforehand). Leaves fall and odd objects he hadn't seen in places before (He knew things didn't belong in places he noticed them and this freaks him out still). Some people (Kids and some men mostly) will send him into a barking frenzy. Although he was bred by a female and my cousin and I are female, his breeder's husband helped in caring for him as a baby untii he came to live with us.
He's just turned 9 months on the 4th and while walking a trash can had blown into the street. Some men he'd never seen before were leaving their car at the same time and they got his attention. Suddenly, he saw the trashcan blown across the street near where we were walking and he freaked out and nearly knocked me down getting away from the trashcan. This got the men's attention (and subseqeently embarassed me!) He is large and I can't understand why he is so timid.
The breeder told me she discouraged the puppy scuffles by the Alpha dog among the puppies and I don't know if this is part of the problem.
I don't know what to do to stop or help his timidity. I try getting him to investigate the objects that scare him, but it's really becoming weird. Other dogs and people don't seem to make him too nervous, (except the times when they get too close and he doesn't see them at first) wind, things blowing, and the unknown (a neighbor's halloween decoration made him go ballistic recently). leaves have fallen and now he can see areas he couldn't see before. Now he barks at distant traffic and lights. This does not help me in any way. I try to show him the things that make him nervous are nothing. He's not bothered by the Pitbull barking insanely in the nearby hard, but the plastic blowning up around the base of a tree is terrifying. 80 pounds and I have to gently pull him to the object and let him check it out himself, which he does cautiously. I thought he was supposed to grow out of this by 8 months.
Sorry for the novel, it's just hard to explain.
Thank you.

Hi! I'm a German Shepherd breeder. German Shepherd puppies sometimes don't start getting confidant till they are a year old. German Shepherds are very allert, so halloween decor., fall blowing leaves are surprise him and make him bark or shy. Have you taken his to a basic obediance class yet? If you have not the class would probably help you deal with him. If you would like to discuss it futher pm me. Good luck.