If your 8-month old puppy won’t stop barking, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about it.
So, why does my 8-month old puppy keep barking? Likely reasons why your 8-month old puppy keeps barking are that they have learned that the behavior is rewarded, they want attention, boredom, hunger, fearfulness, needing to pee or separation anxiety.
There are a number of possible reasons why your puppy keeps barking and it is likely to be due to a combination of them as well. However, there are a number of things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Why does my 8-month old dog keep barking?
Below are likely reasons why your puppy keeps barking and what would make each of them more likely.
Encouraging the behavior
It could be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior is rewarded. If you tend to give your puppy toys, treats or extra attention, whenever they bark, they will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.
Separation anxiety
It could also be the case that your dog has separation anxiety. This would be more likely if your dog tends to bark when they are in a different room than you.
If you tend to come and let your dog into your room, when they start barking, it would also be likely that they have learned that barking results in you giving them what they want. If you want the behavior to stop, it would help to avoid letting them into your room until they stop barking.
Boredom
It might also be the case that your dog is bored and looking for a way to stimulate themselves. This would be more likely if your dog has been doing it more before getting exercise. In this case, it would help to ensure that your puppy is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for their age and breed. It would also help to give them toys to be distracted with.
Fearfulness
It could also be the case that your dog has been doing it because something has been causing them to be fearful. This would be more likely if your dog tends to do it more in situations such as when there are loud noises inside or when certain pets or people are around.
Hunger
It could also be the case that your dog is hungry and trying to let you know that they are hungry. This would be more likely if they tend to do it more before you have fed them in the morning or before the time that you would normally feed them.
Needing to pee
Another possible cause is that they need to pee. This would be more likely if they tend to do it when they have not been able to go outside and pee for a while.
Excitement
Dogs will also often bark when they are excited and it could be a part of the reason why your dog has been doing it. This would be more likely if your dog tends to bark when you are playing with them and if they show other signs of excitement when doing it such as wagging their tail and jumping up at you.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.
What else happened when the behavior first started
If your puppy has not always barked so much, it would help to consider what else happened when the behavior first started. If your puppy started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as learning that the behavior is rewarded, getting fed or exercised at different times, your stopped giving them as much attention or getting let out to pee less often.
If there is a certain time your puppy tends to bark
If your puppy tends to bark more at a certain time, it would also help to consider the timing of when your puppy tends to do it. For example, if your puppy tends to do it first thing in the morning, it would be more likely to be due to needing to pee, hunger and being excited to see you.
How to get my 8-month old puppy to stop barking?
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Ensure they are getting the right diet
First, it would help to ensure that they are getting the right diet and the right amount of calories. It would also help to try to feed them at a similar time each day so that they know when they can expect to be fed.
Avoid rewarding the behavior
As mentioned above, it might be the case that they have learned that the behavior is rewarded. Instead, it would help to wait for your dog to stop barking before giving them things such as toys, treats or extra attention. It would also help to reward them when they have not barked for a while.
Limit reasons why they might be anxious
It would also help to limit reasons why they might get anxious without you by doing things such as giving them a safe spot to go to such as a crate, and feeding them, exercising them and letting them out to pee before leaving them.
Ensure they are getting the right amount of exercise
It would also help to ensure that they are able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for their age and breed.
Take them for a checkup
It might be the case that the behavior has started due to pain from an injury. If it seems like your dog might be injured, it would help to take them to the vet for a checkup. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog and to deal with injury if it is a cause.