Dog getting over-excited when meeting other dogs

If he gets into that state at 3 or 4 metres, it simply means he isn't ready to handle himself at that distance yet. You need to keep rewarding him until he’s 100% solid at 5 metres before you try to get any closer. This obviously involves avoiding setting him up to fail, so sometimes (often) you'll have to do a U-turn or cross the road when you see another dog. Keep doing that until you can do it without even thinking about it.

As for group walks, just do your best. If you can’t manage them every day for whatever reason, then that's just the way it is! Mine doesn't see other dogs every day either; it just makes the work a bit harder when he's "craving" socialisation, but it also helps him understand that he still needs to focus even when things are more difficult.

I know that in the Facebook walking group for my county, there aren't many group walks nearby that I can make, but I found a "local" group for my community and it's much easier to find people there!

You need to work on distance first and foremost. Anticipate passing others, figure out the distance at which he manages to stay calm, and reward him for that calm behaviour from afar. Little by little, he’ll understand that he needs to stay calm and focused on his owner when passing another dog, and that this is what brings positive results for him. Then, you’ll be able to get closer and closer (always rewarding the calmness) until you can finally pass other dogs without any trouble at all.

Personally, I have (well, I had) this exact issue with my White Swiss Shepherd, and giving him plenty more walks with other dogs sorted out most of the problem. He knows he doesn’t need to go and play with THAT specific dog when we’re "working" or just out on a lead walk, because he’s had his fill of play in the morning and will probably get some more this afternoon. He doesn’t get frustrated when we pass a dog without him going over to say hello.

@Docline: But he does interact with other dogs, both adults and puppies. Maybe not enough, as Rose Des Sables pointed out, but depending on schedules and the people you know, I don't think everyone has the chance to go for a walk with other dogs every single day. And I’m not trying to stifle my puppy's social needs; if I were, I’d stop the puppy classes and group walks.

Also, you say that dogs correct each other... but when you're walking down a busy street and come across a dog you don't know, it’s a bit difficult to let them off-lead and just let them sort things out between themselves. That’s why it’s so important that my dog doesn’t get all worked up at the sight of another dog.

I’m happy to try more group walks with adult dogs, but as discussed in the recent messages with @Lorna, I don't think that's the root of the problem. The issue is that he’s associated dogs with play, so now he needs to learn that isn't always the case.

@Lorna: What do you mean by a collar correction? Using my voice, I assume, means trying to calm him down, but as I said, that doesn't work for me.

If you're a bit wary of using collar or vocal corrections, you can always try redirection; at best, it’ll help him disengage, and at worst, it simply won't work.

As Rose des sables mentioned, don’t forget to work on focus training beforehand. Teaching a command to look you in the eye (we use "fix", for example) can be really useful for dogs that are easily over-stimulated by sight, like a GSD.

Until you can get some professional help, keep things simple and just do your best.

Yes, excellent, because as mentioned above, puppy playgroups have their limits—it’s a bit like letting a bunch of three-year-olds loose in a park... they also need to learn how to be calm around adult dogs.

Post a message on your group, you’ll definitely get some responses (I see them on my local group and there are often plenty of offers).

Try to be specific in your request, for example: 'a big, calm, and confident lad,' so people understand the kind of temperament you're looking for and don’t offer you a hyper shepherd that barks non-stop or yet another puppy :-)

We’ve got a lovely Newfoundland in the neighbourhood; I could see him being a great match for yours. The type of dog that’s very zen, never in a rush, walks along quietly, and knows how to tell a boisterous pup to back off if they’re being a bit much.

Hi, I’ve got exactly the same problem and nothing is working for me either. It’s very similar to your situation as he’s 7 months old.

Well, not all the time, I should say. After playing for a bit, if I walk away, he often follows me, but it depends on the energy of the other dog. If he’s with a dog that’s just as playful as he is, there’s no chance...

@Rose, I’m really interested in that rewarding eye contact method. I’ll send you a DM to find out more if you don’t mind sharing a few tips ;)

Personally, the work we’ve done at training classes hasn’t really been effective for this. Basically, when he’s focused, his recall is fine. In other words, he’s in “work mode”. When he’s at the park, he’s in “play mode”, so the results aren’t the same at all... My brother told me I need to find a way to get him into the same mindset outdoors as he is during our training sessions, but I just don’t see how. As soon as he’s off-lead, it’s a nightmare. The only thing that works is the long line. I give it a little tug and he comes back.

Anyway, I’ll be following this thread with interest 👌