The perfect puppy book will be a great help..
Just a few things to mention, sorry if anyone else already has :)
The mad behaviour in the evenings is either due to being tired or is else what is known as the "zoomies" when pups have a mad half hour in the evening. It's very common but they can get very OTT and exciteable. Being experienced I can "enjoy" it but for a first time pup owner I can understand it can be scarey!

CM techniques may sadly cause a pup to become aggressive, which of course is exactly what you don't want so try to use and follow more modern techniques eg. reward based training, using toys and food to train (the dog has to work for them) and use control of resources to help him to be obedient. And have fun, make learning like playing :0

For mouthing, I tended to use redirecting onto a toy as well, this can be used to pre empt the excitement and there are various tricks you can use to distract whilst for instance coming down the stairs (throw kibble on the floor) - it's about creating a habit as much as anything else...plus if the dog was really persistent a very short time out (but it is hard to do these correctly as you have to not only mark the behaviour but also do the time out correctly so I rarely recommend them - they are a good consequence but should be used carefully and kindly as instruction rather than punishment).

books to think about buying also include:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Ways-Train-Perfect-Dog/dp/0715329413  it really is very good although the cover isn't that brilliant, and focuses on the relationship plus how to guide difficult dogs and pups, and shows how some very OTT pups were helped to be "good" dogs :)

Lindsay
x

There is a link that was posted here some time ago and i cant seem to find it?
It was a list of all the things a puppy should be introduced to and i thought it was brilliant! It might help you to bond with your pup more! If anyone knows what it is could you post the link again please :) ?

Before i got my first pup at 7 weeks old (now 8 months), i thought i had read & re-read everything there was to know about puppys & training etc but gosh, i was soo wrong! I can probably say it was the hardest and most stressful thing i have ever done but we got through it and he is now the most perfect dog you could ask for. It takes alot of time, energy & patience, but it will be worth it in the end. Dont give up on him and take in the fantastic advice this site and it's poster's have to offer, its been a god send to me!

Good Luck x

I think this was the link that I posted - it is www.mateerlabs.com/ruleoftwelve.htm

The other one that is extremely helpful - and I'm pretty certain that it has been given before on this thread, so apologies for the repetition, but it is so helpful we've given it out with puppy packs.   It is  http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm

Far better advice than Cesar Milan!

Thats the one! thank you :)