Shepherd- cats, water, and talking back

Question
Dear Dawn,
We have a rescued 7 Mo. old German Shepherd pup, Finn. We have had him 2 months and he is neutered.  We also have 2 elderly cats who were rescued as unsocialized kittens...so they are very skittish and hide whenever Finn is in the house.  The cats cannot be picked up or held due to the half ferral nature of them. He does go after them and barks but does not attack them, although it would not surprise me if he did at some point.  Finn LOVES water so squirting him with the water bottle  is only a fun game.  Any ideas?

Also, Finn will listen to basic commands but has to have the last word.  He talks back. If he doesn't like what you are telling him to do, he gets mouthy and sometimes will bite at my feet or hands.

He is a fun pup and we play a lot!  He is getting socialized with other dogs and we are talking him to obedience class in July.  We have hope but need extra advise on these two issues.

Thanks,
Jace

Answer
Hi Jace,  Tyr adding a little white vinegar to the water.  The normal mixture to add is 25% vinegar/75% water.  You can also use the bottle for the biting at the feet.  Your obedience training will also help because you will get an upper hand on him trying to be boss.  Hope this helps,

Dawn