Re: New puppy advice
While I don't agree with using a crate, this video has a pretty good method:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cxA5CYDQZk
I stopped our dogs from light bites (never heard the term 'mouthing' before this thread) by simply saying "ouch!" and stopping to whimper for a few seconds when I was bitten anywhere I didn't want to be bitten or if the bite was more than a slight grab. You can use the method to train for any level of nibbles or none at all. The obvious key is relating in a way your dog knows instinctively.. stop playing (or ignore completely) and whimper a few times. I'd recommend not punishing, as there may be times when a heavy bite may be needed, such as a drowning rescue. You don't want your dog to shy away from saving you for fear of punishment.
The alpha/beta difference may come into play as well. If your puppy is already considering itself to be an alpha contender, you need to break him/her before training can progress. For alpha-fixing I'm partial to abandonment inside the house while I take the other dog for a walk or similar. This works out well for those heated moments, like a squirrel in the woods while off-leash, as you can just say "bye!" and the brakes go on.
For those really important lessons which you can't afford to teach more than a few times (like gnawing on your $150 sandals or chewing through the fourth network cable today.. yep, been there), I use a few drops of Tobasco on the tongue. 10-20 times of that and you don't even need it anymore. I just lift their jowls and the mere thought of Tobasco begins the bitter beer face spitting fest. Works really well as a means to avoid public punishment, as there are always those crazies who consider popping your dog under the chin equal to mass k-9 extermination.
Obviously nobody who speaks English is a dog, so all training is based on experience coupled with a sprinkling of pure opinion. Train for what you want as a result.
