If your 8-month old puppy keeps biting you, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do to get the behavior to stop.
So, why does my 8-month old puppy keep biting? Likely reasons why your 8-month old puppy keeps biting are that your puppy is still teething slightly, the behavior has been encouraged, boredom or that your dog is trying to play.
There are actually a number of possible reasons why your puppy keeps biting and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some 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 puppy keep biting?
Below are likely reasons why your 8-month old puppy keeps biting and what would make each of them more likely.
Teething
It can take up to 8 months for puppies to finish teething. It could be the case that your puppy has been biting you and other things a lot due to teething. This would be more likely if the behavior has persisted since your puppy first started teething and they have been chewing on things a lot as well. In this case, it would help to give them things to chew on and training so that they learn what not to bite.
Encouraging the behavior
It might also be the case that you have inadvertently encouraged the behavior by rewarding it. If you tend to give your puppy things such as toys, treats, and extra attention, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards. Instead, it would help to reward your puppy when they stop biting and to avoid rewarding them when they do bite.
Not enough training
Puppies interact with the world using their mouths a lot. As a result, it is important to stop teach them what they cannot bite with the use of training. If you have not given your puppy much training, it would be likely that your puppy thinks it is ok to bite you.
Boredom
It could also be the case that your dog has been doing it due to boredom and trying to find a way to stimulate themselves. This would be more likely if your dog tends to do it more before getting exercise.
Play
Dogs will often play with each other using their mouths and your puppy might thing that it is ok to play with you with their mouth too. As mentioned above, it would help to prevent this behavior by not rewarding it and rewarding your puppy when they do not bite.
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 bitten you, it would help to consider what else happened when the behavior first started. If it started suddenly, it could be due to things such as learning that the behavior is rewarded or getting less attention than usual causing them to bite you in order to get more attention.
The timing of when your puppy bites you
If your puppy tends to bite at a certain time or in a certain situation, it would also help to consider what else is different when they do bite. For example, if they do it when you are petting them, it would be likely that they naturally want to interact with you with their mouth and that they have not yet learned that the behavior is not ok.
How to get my 8-month old puppy to stop biting?
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Avoid encouraging the behavior
As mentioned above, it might be the case that your puppy has learned that the behavior is rewarded. Instead, it would help to reward them when they do not bite you and to get them off from you when they start biting then to ignore them until they are calm. If they start biting again, you would get them off you again and ignore them again until they are calm. Repeating this process should teach your puppy that biting you is not ok.
Distractions
It could also help to give your puppy things to be distracted by such as toys or bones so that they are less likely to bite on things that they should not be.
Exercise
It would also help to ensure that your dog is able to get the recommended amount of daily exercise for their age and breed.
Be calm with them
It could also be the case that your dog is reacting to your own behavior. It would help to be calm with them especially when they start biting. Otherwise, they will learn that the behavior is justified and it might cause your dog to bite more.