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Thank you Jennifer for the advice!! There is so much to sort through, and just not enough time in the day! At the very least we now understand what direction to go in, and I have reached out to a trainer that I think can help :)

Thanks for the quick reply! I contacted some local trainers to see about getting help. Would you agree or disagree with my strategy below as an intermediate until I get more personalized help? Start crating him for 20-30 minutes 4x a day with a crate only treat (so he gets used to being confined). He already uses his crate as a bed during the day, I just have never used it to confine him for any reason. Crate him before I answer the door. (While also practicing at other times the look at this game). I’m just not sure if good behavior in the crate should ever be rewarded or not. I think I’ve read not to, but it seems similar to rewarding when closed in a room and not whining or barking. So I would think a treat for calm behavior is good while in there?

Hi All, Shamus is a 1 year old, 18 lb terrier mutt rescue that we’ve had since about 12 weeks old. He has been a great dog, except when he began showing barking at the window to people going by, getting worse as guests (known and unknown) come into our house. I hit the “enough” point last night when we had friends over and he barked all evening, even nipping my male friend in a way that was not playful. I understand at this point that we don’t have enough control over him and he’s running wild trying to protect his territory (?). Barking at people/dogs/bike riders is also an issue on walks. So I don’t know where to begin with correcting him. Here are some details. -I am a first time dog owner, so trying to follow loving instincts with how I treat him but realize I don’t know what I am doing. I am overwhelmed by so much conflicting training advice so I hope this can be the one gentle loving course that will help me train him :) -He took a puppy course at 6 months and is decent with come, sit, stay (sort of on stay). -He is not crate trained and sleeps with us. -There are 4 of us in the house and it’s hard to have consistency with how he is treated. Me, husband, my mother, and my daughter who is 6. -Because of the above, training hasn’t moved beyond basics and those commands aren’t given consistently every day. -I work out of the house 2 days a week so he is home with my mom, who will never be a consistent or strong leader for him. -Obviously we need to be able to leave him home alone without barking however I have strange feelings about creating an animal for several hours. It doesn’t feel right to me. -I believe he shows me respect by sitting in my presence, being calm when I come home and waiting for me to greet him, waiting to eat until I say it’s ok. But he doesn’t show anyone else the same, and it’s very hard to redirect him once he’s worked up from the anxiety of a person coming in our house. Thank you for any help on getting me started. And I realize I have done many things wrong...feeling very badly about that. Ashamed almost :(