Barking, nipping at shoes and ankles

Question
Please help.  I have a 6 month old make English Golden Cocker Spaniel. I absolutely adore him - he is fantastic with children, strangers, sleeping at night BUT every evening for about 1 hour (it can be any hour) he literally goes a bit mad - barking barking barking and nipping at ankles when I or whomever is sitting down with our feet on the ground - He pulls at our shoes and then little nips to the ankles - I have tried distracting him, taking him out,playing with him, crating him, and I hate to say it but using a soft muzzle to make him stop - I absolutely adore him but this is getting very very annoying! Can you help

Answer
Hi Anne-Marie,
Well, he's a puppy and thinks it's great fun.  I suspect he's not getting enough excercise.  A tired dog is a good dog. I'd take him for a long walk or a run at the local park in the evening.

But specifically, keep a couple of plastic spray bottles at hand filled with water and when he starts...say NO..and spritz him in the face.  No praise - no conversation - no yelling.  Just a firm NO and a spritz.  Give everybody one.

Let me know if that works..might take a couple of evenings
to have it sink in that this behavior isn't working well for him.  He will outgrow this.  Usually just when you're totally exasperated, they just stop (and find a new way
to entertain themselves :)

And, I have to say, your responses have been encouraging the behavior.  Oh yeah...he gets attention..it's working well for him. :)

Anyway, try the water trick and if that doesn't help, write again.  I have other tricks to tame wild puppies.
Delores