Bruce- my Rottie

Question
My Rottweiler bruce is almost 9 months old, and he's showing territorial aggression! i live in a subdivision at the end of a turn around. I believe bruce thinks hes owns the whole street! Three days ago a lady and her son were walking toward my home and he went psycho! I went outside and i approached him as calm as i could, but he still moved forward. He wouldn't come to me! I knew he wouldnt bite them! I have socialized him with adults, he plays with the neighbors kids, and he also plays with the neighborhood pets! He just didnt like the fact that they were walking towards my home without permission! I need to know the most effective way to control this situation, before he gets worse!  

Answer
Rottweilers, Dobermans, and German Shepherds often display territorial behavior.  You most certainly do *not* know that he won't bite anyone.  Even dogs that are normally friendly can view passersby as a threat.  Because they normally disappear while he barks, he may have learned that his displays are what gets the "intruders" to leave.  The danger is if the fence fails, and a passerby doesn't move away fast enough.  That's when this type of dog often has an incident.  My suggestion is that you do a few things.  Firstly, teach the dog a solid recall (try Leslie Nelson's DVD "Really Reliable Recall").  Secondly, get a solid fence, not one that he can see through, at least on the side facing the public.  These are not dogs that do well in see through fencing.  Thirdly, realize that most dogs do not thrive outdoors alone for hours.  Nor can you assume that a dog will not follow through on its threat, although not all dogs do.  The dog that is nine months old who exhibits this tendency can become really insistent on protecting his territory when he reaches social maturity.  You need absolute control over the dog through a good positive program of obedience training.  If this dog is not neutered already, I would suggest doing so.
Read the following articles for some insight:
http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_BackyardDogs.php
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/territorial-aggression-toward-people/page1.aspx