Hephaestus, Hera & Brenda

There are two techniques: one is to yelp in a high voice, take your hand away, and turn your back and fold your arms. Keep your back to the dog. It will soon learn that hurting you means boring -- no play. Depending on how intelligent your dog is, this will work soon or quick. The other is to take your two first fingers and tap the dog lightly but firmly on the muzzle, enough to get their attention, and firmly say, "No!" Both work, and they might work best in combination. I found even leaving my fingers in my dog's mouth and looking them in the eye and saying in a growling-type voice, "No!" worked most consistently with my dogs, but mine are Pitbulls. It all else fails, get a spray bottle that you can adjust to stream -- they hate that. But that really is a last resort. No one likes to get surprised with a cold stream of water :). My three nibbled as pups -- still do, playfully and gently -- but with their needle-puppy teeth, it hurt sometimes! I was fortunate in that even though Pitbulls are known chewers, I had the benefit of being able to be with my puppies at home always, and was able to curb any inclinations they had. Don't get me wrong: my husband's two pair of boots are munched; and so is his leather belt, but all in all, like I said, considering we have three Pitbull puppies, nothing has really suffered. Our couches are intact; MY shoes are intact :), and as a result, they all know how to play gently with their teeth. I don't know if this really made a difference, but when I give them meat treats -- actually any type of treat that they really like, I put my fingers in their mouths along with the treat, so that they purposely have to be gentle to get their treat. It works for me. Let me know how it goes.