Pawing puppy

Question
Hi.  About three months ago I took in a 9 month old Golden Retriever puppy.  He is a great dog except he paws.  This behavior is most prevalent in the mornings when I am getting ready for work.  He will come in what ever room I am in (he always has one of his toys in his mouth) and sit and paw at my legs until I acknowledge him/stop what ever I am doing.  I then usually take his toy and throw it in hopes that I will have a couple minutes of get ready time before he returns.   I have tried ignoring him so that he does not think that this is appropriate behavior to get attention but it hurts like heck when he starts pawing my legs.  I then tried to slap his paws while saying no paws/paws down.  This seems to only hinder him for a minute or two but then he returns.  I have now be trying to place his paws on the ground while saying no paws/paws down and giving them a firm squeeze.  I am getting frustrated because he is scratching my legs and ripping clothes (two pairs of pants last week ruined).  This morning I felt that I squeezed his paws a little too tight because he licked my hand (did not yelp). I don't want him to shy away from being around me in the morning because his paws are getting slapped but he also needs to understand that if I am ironing my work clothes, tying my shoes, making a sandwich etc.  he can not sit and paw until he gets attention.  I have thought about just locking him outside or shutting the door to whatever room I am in but I can not realistically do this for the next 15 years +/-.   I am not sure how this habit developed or if he did this with his previous owners.  Can you PLEASE recommend how to break this habit?  My legs cant handle it anymore.  
Thank-you.
Sara


Answer
It seems to me I already answered this or a very similar question, but I can't find any record of it.  Forgive me if my answer is similar to one i have already given.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/ For more on being top dog, see http://www.dogbreedinfo.com./topdogrules.htm

Giving the dog better leadership makes any corrections you give it more effective.  You could try yelling ''Ouch'' when he paws you like another dog would in overly rough play.  It would be a nuisance keeping it with you, but a blast in the face with a squirt gun or spray bottle with a little vinegar or lemon juice is highly effective.