biting and walking

Question
I have a 9 week old Chocolate lab. We brought him home at 7 weeks, so it's been 2 weeks now. He is an indoor dog and is on Purina puppy food 3 times a day. We all are adjusting nicely except for 2 big areas. First, and most important, my dog thinks I am his chew toy. he will constantly come at me and I have tried everything from ignoring him by walking away to holding him down and telling him "no". none of this seems to work. He just comes back at me thinking I'm playing. Sometimes I'm just sitting on the couch watching TV and he'll come at my legs! We have plenty of toys and I have them available to give him at these times, but he has no interest. I know he's not being vicious, he's playing, but hasn't quite gotten the point that I'm his leader. We don't want to "punish" him with the crate but it seems like the only way to help keep my skin untouched! Help please!

The second issue is going for walks. How much walking on a leash should we expect? He does fine in the backyard on the leash, but when we try to walk away from the house for a walk he doesn't move. We crouch down and say "come here" in the happy voice the whole way. it's very annoying and we don't feel like he's getting any better. Are we trying too hard too soon? It seems like he's afraid to be away from the house, because on the way home he knows it and is very eager to walk! we keep reading home important exercise is, and that exercise and play are two different things. So, walking is the only dog "exercise" we think he can handle now. We are new pet owners and want to train and raise a happy, safe and well behaved dog-but, still have a relationship of mutual love and respect.
Thank you for any help and advice you give.  

Answer
Actually, Amanda, I would not recommend taking him out for walks yet. He has not had all of his initial vaccines, and is still at risk for Parvo and other contagious diseases. Keep him in your yard, or off the ground if you take him out in public where other dogs may have trod. Just walking him around the yard, though, will help build his confidence, and then when he's protected, you can start venturing away from home.

As for the play biting, it could be because he was separated from his littermates a bit too early. Generally, puppies need to remain with their siblings until they are at least 8 weeks old, and some breeders won't let puppies go to their new homes until they are 10-12 weeks old, because during the period from 5-8 weeks, they are learning how to properly interact with each other, which will transfer over to how well they interact with other dogs as they get older. The period between 7 and 9 weeks is often a fear period, and things that happen to the puppies during this time can affect how they behave and react to things into adulthood, so some breeders do not like to send puppies home at this age.

He is still VERY young. Have you considered taking him to a puppy socialization class? This would allow him to play and interact with other puppies around his own age, which would teach him socialization skills as well as giving him exercise and tiring him out so he's not as likely to want to chew you up.

When he 'comes at you,' as you put it, ;^) tell him "NO BITE" in a firm tone of voice, and immediately offer a toy for him to bite instead. If he bites the toy, praise him and play with him with the toy. If he does not, then tell him "NO BITE" again, and offer the toy again. If he ignores the toy this time, tell him "NO BITE," a final time, as you gently grasp the loose skin on the back of his neck and lift his front feet up off the floor, while looking him directly in the eyes. Hold him up like this just for a few seconds (unless he's struggling - if he struggles, hold him until he stops struggling - remember to keep his back feet on the floor). Lift your own feet up onto the couch so that when you put him down he cannot immediately go for them again. When you put him back down, offer the toy again and remember to praise him for taking it.

Another solution is to squirt him with a stream of water from a little spray bottle or squirt gun, but this does not always work. Some dogs like it!