My golden retriever is too hyper !!!!

Question
Hi,  I hope you can help me.  I ahve a Golden Retriever puppy and he is very friendly. But he definietly has a few flaws.  Here are the main ones, he is too hyper, he bites everything even us, he attacks my daughter but no one else,  he still does the toilet in the kitchen even though we re training him, (he doesnt seem to care if he gets a treat)he has almost killed my kitten twice (he steps on him and sometimes bites him, the cat is VERY timid and friendly so does not scratch but I wish he would as to teach the pup a lesson.  

Please help us !!!  We do not want to give him away, we are going to take him to obedience classes next week but in the meantime do you have any advice?

Answer
Ian, I think the obedience classes are a great idea, and they should help a great deal. You didn't say how old your puppy was, but all of his behaviors are 100% normal puppy behaviors. You should be redirecting his mouthing to things that are appropriate, such as chew toys or bones, or toys if he's mouthing at you during play. If he 'attacks' your daughter, you should punish him for that as well, though I doubt he is attacking; he's probably just trying to play and is too rough. You should be pretty forceful about going after the cat. He needs to learn NOW that the cat is to be left alone, especially if the cat won't protect itself. If he goes after the cat (playfully or otherwise), you should firmly tell him to "Leave it," and squirt him with a squirt bottle filled with water and set to stream. If he likes the water, then use a 50/50 water/white distilled vinegar mixture. The vinegar will not hurt him, even if you get it in his eyes, but whether you are using water or water and vinegar, TRY not to squirt it directly in his eyes. The water/vinegar mixture works best when squirted in the mouth. If squirting him doesn't stop him from bothering the cat, then let him drag a 4-6 foot long leash when he's in the house. When he goes after the cat, grab the leash, say "Leave it," and let him hit the end of the leash and correct himself. Then try to redirect his attention to a toy and away from the cat. Praise him when he turns away from the cat.

As for his accidents in the kitchen, you should keep him crated when you cannot watch him, or keep him confined to the room you're in so you can catch him before he potties and take him outside immediately. His age will determine how long he should be able to go between potty breaks. Generally, puppies should be given an opportunity to potty as many hours as they are old in months. So, if your puppy is 4 months old, he should be taken out to potty at LEAST every 3 1/2 to 4 hours. If you want to take him out more often than that, that's great! During the night, he should be able to hold it for up to 6 or 7 hours at 4 months of age.