barking and socialization

Question
Hi Anne,
I have a wonderful, loving 2 year old aussie. He is a little mischievous, but overall he is a great dog. The one thing that I am at my wits end at is his barking. I don't mind a little reactive barking. He will bark at sounds he hears while at home. He knows "quiet" and normally responds well when we are inside to the command.

When we are outside on walks however its like he doesn't know it at all. He barks at strangers and at other dogs when they are at a distance. I have tried to socialize him but no matter what I do he still barks. (I've tried loading him up with treats, walking away from the strangers, "quiet"command, making him sit, ignoring him) He is not aggressive towards other dogs, once he gets close to the other dog he wags his tail and sniffs, but from far away he barks and almost growls. I'm worry that other people will be afraid of him. Also, I'm worried that he doesn't respond to my commands when he is in this barking, excited state. Any ideas to get him past this hurtle?
Thanks!
Leila

Answer
Do the protocols in "Click to Calm" or "Scaredy Dog" step by step (amazon should have).  Even if you were using treats before, you may still have been too close to the thing your dog was worried about, and may need to start the counterconditioning exercises farther away.  Difficult, I know, but well worth it.
Some working lines of Aussies are really barkers (Twin Oaks comes to mind).  A dog that works with his voice is not a problem on a cattle ranch, but can be difficult as a pet.
Another good article on barking:
http://www.clickertraining.com/node/1125