Mildly unhinged puppy tactics that have WORKED!

My 20-week mini sheepadoodle is the cutest dog I've ever seen and he is also a holy terror. Some of the traditional advice helps; others, he laughs in my face. So here are some mildly bizarre things that have helped me retain the remnants of my sanity.

• I let him pick up trash. Once I figured out he just wants to chew on it, not actually swallow it, I let him pick up anything that won't hurt him: cardboard, napkins, junk mail, empty cups. He'll walk with it in his mouth for a few minutes, and then get bored and spit it out. And he walks so much better when he's holding something. Is this incredibly gross? Absolutely. Can he bite me when he has a muddy advertisement flyer in his mouth? Nope!
• I use a 10-foot-leash. He behaves better on a longer leash and I'm not right up in his business, which I think is better for both of us. I keep a few knots tied in it to use as handholds when I need to tighten up on the leash, but when we hit a stretch of empty sidewalk he gets to roam a bit more.
• I make keeping the leash loose is my job, not his. I've found that tension on the leash makes him more riled up, so when we go for a walk, I do everything I can to keep the leash loose. I look very dumb and am usually tripping over myself to follow him. If he wants to go sniff something, we go sniff it. If he pulls, I follow him. It's kind of fun and I'm not totally frustrated and dragging him around. And I'm hoping that it means when I actually need to pull him away/toward something, the leash being tight is uncommon enough for him to notice.
• Backseat baby. When I am past the point of losing my mind, I put him in the backseat of the car with a dog seatbelt attached to his harness and drive around for half an hour. He usually goes right to sleep or just stares out the window. Bliss.

Please share yours! (I am respectfully begging.)