Barking issues

[Devin and Indy]

Hi everyone!

I have a 5 month old mini goldendoodle named Indy who is wonderful/perfect/incredible/etc... except.... he barks a lot when he is freaked out or excited or territorial. It seems to have picked up in frequency since his neutering surgery last Friday. An occasional woof I don't mind at all, but he has been growling too lately.

He is very friendly towards everyone, but he barks and growls as he approaches some people. I can't really figure out what sets him off. Sometimes it is strangers and sometimes it's my family that he sees every day. Sometime it seems territorial about our yard or house, but then others he is fine! It's driving me crazy!

What should I do to stop this behavior? I've been trying to socialize him as much as possible. He loves the dog park and does great with people, including children except for this barking thing! 

Thanks for any advice you can offer! 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Our Vern does this too. He will bark at strangers some of the time and then other times, walks right by them. He growls too and barks. He also barks when he sees my husband or daughter outside like he has no idea who they are. I think it is the age and a stage they go through. When we are in the bedroom to sleep I use a fan to mute outside noises and that helps. I also use a fan when he gets crated and we leave the house.

When he barks at nothing, I usually ignore him. If it continues for any length of time, I will just try and distract him.