When I took Issy to Petsmart, just to walk around different stuff and people, this lady and her son were looking at fish tanks. As soon as she saw us, she grabbed his hand. Now I don't know if that was because she was afraid of Issy or because maybe he's too excited when he sees dogs...I ignored it. I think you're on the right track with what you're doing and it sounds like your family and your husbands just don't like dogs, especially yours for some reason!! So no matter what, they are always going to comment. I ditto everything Lin has said too! And I'm going to need some of those t-shirts but for GSD!!
One side note, because I made this mistake with Navarre. When a pup is about 6months and the owner thinks that they are starting to realize to "protect", they are actually more than likely acting out of fear not protection, Issy is starting some of this now too. I used to tell Navarre, "it's ok" or "good boy" when I probably should have just ignored whatever he was barking at so he would know it wasn't important. But I didn't do that, so for about the next 2 years, any stranger, noise, etc he would bark like mad and not back down!! Which is fine when it's a stranger trying to come in rather than one of my friends, but he didn't know the difference. He did come around and I could take him anywhere and he's ignore just about everybody and everything, except the man who was watching me from the bushes!! Anyway, it looks like you and I will be socializing mamma's for awhile!!!! Don't worry about what anybody else says as long as Zeus is happy with your family and you're happy with him, WHO CARES!!!