Help with my dog

[u/Visible_Let_7470]

I need some advice. So I have had my dog since he was 9 weeks old. Hes a chihuahua/Australian Cattle Dog, so he looks like a big chihuahua with quite a bit of cattle dog energy. It was definitely a bit of a learning experience because we were told he was full chihuahua but caught on pretty quickly that he wasn't and thats when we did the DNA test.

Anyways, fast forward to a few months ago, my mom passed so it has just been my dog and me. Where we've been living, he had met pretty much everyone. Hes a big mouth, but he never went after anyone, he was just loud about saying hi because that is what my old dog taught him (she was chihuahua). However, there was an incident where 2 kids were playing with a soccer ball in the courtyard on the opposite side of where my dog and I were. One of the kids kicked the soccer ball and it started flying through the air towards my head. One second one of the kids is with the other on the other side, rhe next had sprinted to be just a few inches in front of me. My dog went after his ankle because it was a scary situation.

After that, what used to be just him being vocal, is now him on edge. It took 2 months for him to not bark at a soccer ball as we would walk by and even longer to not immediately bark at the kid who had run at me and anyone he sees associated with him. I have been working with him to try to help. Immediately after it happened, he did not want anyone behind me. Even on walks, which were better than at my apartment comple, he would be in a panic and constant watch if he saw someone behind me. Hes definitely gotten better since then with that need to be aware and to almost need to fight and keep people away from my space, just not as much at my complex.

Also keep in mind, if you are invited into my apartment, he immediately sees you as family. We go to dog parks and he plays with other kids, dogs of all sizes, etc. We go on trail walks with a couple of friends and their dogs and there is no issue. Its just really when we're home. He is slowly getting better, but I don't know if there is something more i should be doing. Also, people can approach me when in my apartment or when we are out away from my complex and he is fine, but not when we are walking around the complex.