We are starting to have some problems with our pup so I wanted to get some ideas from folks with experience.  The problems are Wyatt will get crazy and start biting.  If you get up to get away and ingnore he just bites your pants.  We have gone as far as giving him a thump on the butt and he doesn't stop.  Today my wife said he actually growled at her when she thumped him because he would not stop biting the furniture.  I told my wife to put him in the crate when he gets out of control and she said she does but he comes out and goes back to it. 

He has lots of toys but always wants something else!  As far as excercise I take him for a walk off leash in the woods before work, my son will take him for a walk when he comes home from school, I do another off leash walk in hte woods after work.  When its cold like this morning, Wyatt actually stopped walking in the woods and started heading back towards the house after 20min.  I also will work with him in the evenings in the house on sit and stay.  I will take some treats and spread them around the living room for him to find.

My wife is home during the day but babysits kids and does lots of other chores so she doesn't have lots of time to just follow Wyatt around. 

Any Ideas what the problem could be?  What can we do different?

Exactly. I had the local trainer that sold me the clickers insist that ignoring Rogan's bad behaviors and focusing on something else would make them go away. I just smiled and played nice and promptly filed that advice in the 'for a different dog' file, because with a pup this hard & driven & preditory they don't NEED someone's attention to make shredding pant legs all afternoon quite enjoyable. They're like a missle with their guidence system pre-set on 'random', and they're perfectly happy to let you go about your business as they go about theirs (how often did I quote Oppenheimer as I grabbed Rogan-puppy from whatever he was doing: "Behold, I am the destroyer of worlds!").

I neutered Rogan at 6 months because in spite of everything we were doing, he was starting to get surly with my husband. Neutering seemed to dial that down considerably (note not totally evaporate- we still had work to do). I would have been willing to wait longer if he hadn't been driving us insane.

A super solid DOWN is really important with dogs like this IMO. If you can make hit-the-deck/long downs mandatory from puppyhood on, you'll have an important tool in the box to deal with the rascal when they get too wound up or full of themselves.

I agree with pixie.  For example, Belle at that age would not do what I asked her, was hard headed, got into trouble chewing on everything, but was in fact a very soft pup.  She still is for that matter.  A correction, harsh or otherwise shuts her down quick.  For Belle the problem was simply boredom and loneliness. At the time we had to leave her at home alone during the day because I did not work from home at that time.  With that much time to herself she created things to keep herself entertained.  Even when I tried toys, puzzles, more exercise, etc.  She still got into trouble.  Understand too that I was training her in obedience and agility at that time.  So her brain was active and so was she.  The thing that solved the problem with Belle was getting Halo.  It was night and day difference.  Now I am not suggesting someone go out and get another GSP to solve problems, just that that is what worked for me and Belle.

So, the moral is keep an open mind and examine all the possibilities before you brand the dog. I had several folks tell me Belle had separation anxiety.  Not so.  She didn't have any other problem, but an active GSP brain, youth, and time.  That is a deadly combo with a GSP.

All great responses, I would lable Wyatt hard yet but he is def not soft. I have the Perfect start videos and they show what soft would be and I have read. For example Wyatt will sit by the sink in the kitchen (heat vent right there) He will become for lack of better term bored or excited and decide to mouth the cabinets. We give him a "Wyatt NO" and he stops looks at you with that GSP face that says "COME ON" the waits about 7 sec and does it again. Also while on leash I will gently pop him to teach heel. He has yet to not bounce back immeadiately. When he first started the getting "crazy" and biting what ever I have snatched his scruff and that did not stop him. The closest I came to seeing him stop was when I "popped" his collar on Tuesday night. I have been out of town so I will see what happens tonight.

I have told my wife to crate him if he gets to crazy but she says he would end up crated more than out. What are some time frames that you folks use in the crate. We are also working on the treadmill but it doesn't seem to work so well right now????

My 8 month old does something similar only he runs madly through the house and rams into things or jumps on furniture, etc.  When he gets going so does my 3 year old and together it is like a tornado going through the house.  So, I have started working on settle.  I can usually predict when this will happen, mostly when he comes into the house from outside or when someone comes over.  Both elicit allot of excitement.  So, I grab him and put him into a sit and tell him settle.  I sometimes have to hold him by the collar.  Once he is settled he gets released.  When released if he reverts to the wild craziness I grab him again and tell him to settle.  It sometimes takes three or four times.  I always stay very calm and keep my voice soft and calming.  It seems to work for  him.  I also will put him in the crate on rainy days when he can't be outside playing.  On those days I have sometimes left him in the crate 4 hours, even when I am home.  He is not unhappy and it keeps him out of trouble while I work. Popping the collar is good because it gets there attention without any loud yelling, etc.

Just from the description it sounds like Wyatt is looking for attention, any kind, even negative.  So, keep the response low key.  I would grab him the first occurrence and march him off to his crate for a timeout.  Leave him about an hour.  When he gets out if he repeats, put him back in his crate. 

Well here we are Wyatt is 4mo and we are still having problems with him "biting". I put in quotes because I don't think they are of vicious intent but even so he is leaving marks and cuts on the kids. It's mostly during any type of wrestling or running, excitable activity. For me if I stand up and say no and move toward him, he will usuallly submit but has increasingly started to bark in protest before doing so. With my 8yo son he does not submit and will jump and bite at his clothes sometimes getting skin. If he does get clothes he latches on and will pull/shake. The more aggresive of an approach you take towards him the more aggresive he gets. I have had enough more than once and popped him on the butt or the snout and he comes back more agitated than before. I take him for a good 30 min off leash walk in the woods between 1-2 times a week and then 1-3 hour walks on the weekends.

I need to remedy this before a bad bite comes because the Kids surely come before the dog!

Also sometimes when sleeping if you pet him he will growl vicously. This weekend I pushed it to see how bad it would get. He bit my finger. Now the circumstances. He was on the couch with us sleeping. My 5yo petting his ribs/belly and he started to growl. So I continued gently petting. His aggression got worse, I thought I woke him up. So he continued to growl. I pushed him of the couch aggresivley and on the way down he got my finger. I was pretty upset so I jumped down and got into his face and he continued to escalate. I was looking at his eyes and his pupil were getting big and then small and then big. So I thought maybe he wasn't awake. So I began calling his name and he snapped out of it.

What do you guys think??????

Thanks Tessa - I will be working on getting more time.  However I should clarify.  30 min 1-3 times a week is the off leash walk in the woods with me.  Everyday he is in the house with our kids plus others who my wife babysits.  They are playing tug of war and running around.  We also have a fenced back yard so now with the warmer weather he will be outside all day with the kids running around.  This is where the most recent incident happened.  The 5 yo was ridding her tricycle down the hill in the back yard.  Wyatt runs along side.  She crashed and burned I am sure screaming and laughing (I have very loud kids). He in an excited state ran up and nipped her as she was on the ground getting up.  The problem is he does not nip easy and on her hip there is "rake marks" from his teeth.  He is only in a crate during the day if my wife has to go run errands or he becomes a little to out of control.