Help with hysterical behavoir - Page 1

I have a wonderful GSD bitch 22 months old with a fab and calm temperament - except every now and then she becomes hysterical. We live in central London, she is used to people, cars, noise etc. There is not always an obvious pattern but a typical situation is we are waiting at a road junction for the lights to change and she will suddenly become interested in someone who has been standing near us and who begins to cross the road without us - she then tries to follow, when I prevent her she becomes hysterical, pulling and making very loud distressed noises - basically acting as if that person is her owner and she is being deserted. It is quite dangerous as she is very strong - I can sometimes nip it in the bud - but if not nothing seems to stop her until we cross the road (by which time the person has dissappeared) and after looking round she calms down. I have tried comforting her, Ive tried sounding very strict with her and tried to distract her, but once shes on that level nothing seems to work. Other times have been we took a cab and as soon as it set off she began the same noise (she travels perfectly in all cars), we went in the country out in a pony and trap and as soon as the horses started she began the hysteria - it became dangerous and we got down onto the road and my friends went off and she remained hysterical in the lane trying to run after them. She had happily travelled in a cab and with the pony and trap previously when still quite a young dog.
I would be grateful for any comments.

Lolabelles

This is actually fairly common behavior for a bitch in this breed. They tend to be drama queens and emote quite a bit.. usually with "hysterical" shrieks and cries, yapping, etc. It's a female thing, but it's also a GSD thing. There's a sort of "obsessive / compulsive" component to GSD behavior.. Once they get it into their head that they have to do something, then they just HAVE to do it. For this reason, they can be incredibly motivated working dogs, and this can be molded into a very useful characteristic, because the dog's performance at anything it has been taught to do is overwhelmingly compelling and very, very reliable, day after day.
In your case, this bitch seems to have a deep pack instinct and has it into her head that the normal order of things in certain circumstances (i.e. when the street light changes) is to proceed with the other "pack members". Dogs don't have to have a longstanding association to form into a pack. Dog packs often form spontaneously, collecting free roaming individuals as they go. So, your bitch seems to want to "pack up" and is going on what she has come to learn by association... in other words, when at a stop signal, everyone proceeds when the light changes. If someone crosses without her, she is distressed. All quite normal, really.
And yes.. This breed will scream and emote as if they are being skinned alive.
Your bitch needs REAL obedience training, and all the sooner if she is too powerful for you to handle. It doesn't get easier as they get older and stronger. Cookie training is "iffy", at best. If you don't have the time and resolve to do strong obedience training, then consider to get a head halter. They give you an advantage in strength and you can also do something to help close that screaming yap when needed. The British are ridiculous with their fawning over and spoiling of dogs, so whatever you do, don't attract the attention of "humaniacs" and the RSPCA. If they think you are brutalizing the dog or being unfair to it, they may take it from you and charge you with a crime.
Good luck!