Our Eurasier puppy is getting aggressive in the evenings

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Great news! ;-)

It’s definitely true that having the whole family (kids included) cooped up at home creates quite a lot of excitement around such a young pup...

Anyway, it’s really positive that you’ve found an approach that works for you and that you feel comfortable with. That way, you’re not constantly second-guessing yourselves, and the dog will definitely pick up on that too :-)

Brilliant that this helped you discover calming signals; that’ll come in handy in so many situations in the long run.

Also, when you're in the garden or out and about, get him to sit next to you. Keep a hold of him as he's still a bit too small to manage a proper 'stay'. Throw a toy while holding onto your pup, and once it hits the ground, give him the green light and race him for it – see who can grab it first. For now, make sure the toy is big enough so he doesn't accidentally nip your hand if you both reach for it at the same time.

As the days and games go by, you can start introducing more concepts depending on how he’s coping. Adapt to his pace, but get him used to communicating with you every day through games like these. Work on getting him to focus on you and what you’re saying; he needs to understand that you have real expectations. He should gradually learn to make an effort to understand you, which will make future training much easier. And of course, give him plenty of praise for every little success, as naturally as possible.

Regarding walks, I’d suggest three or four 20-minute outings a day, rather than two 30-minute ones (plus extra toilet breaks if needed, depending on how he's doing). Make these walks full of new smells and stimuli (everyday noises, scents, and so on). Once lockdown is over, you’ll need to let him meet up with some furry friends as often as possible so they can actually play together, rather than just passing each other on the street. It’ll do wonders for his physical health and his emotional well-being.

Being a bit lax with commands? I’d definitely avoid that. There’s no point trying to teach him loads of different things at once; it’s better to focus on the essentials but be quite firm about him getting them right. Obviously, there’ll be a few slip-ups while he’s still learning, but don’t give up.

‘Playing every time he’s awake’ – when you put it like that, it sounds like quite a lot...

Generally speaking, you should try to have a bit of a routine for everything that shapes his day (meals, play, training, walks – keep an eye on the timing and duration). This gives your puppy some structure and makes him feel more secure, rather than, say, playing anywhere and at any time. If you're doing it 10 times one day and only twice the next, it’s not ideal (I'm just guessing here, I don’t know how you’re currently doing things).

For really high-energy games, it’s best to do them outdoors if you have a garden, so he gradually learns that he needs to be calmer when he's inside.

As for playing fetch, I’d say be careful with how you play, especially if he tends to get overexcited easily anyway.

Same goes for tug-of-war. Since he’s already nipping you quite a bit, I’d put that on hold for now (the actual pulling, anyway – he can still chew on his soft toys or ropes as long as you aren’t tugging on them yourself).

I’d also avoid having him chase you, so he doesn't get the idea that chasing people is okay.

I’m not familiar with the water bottle and rice thing, but snuffle mats are great! They make him use his nose, which provides a 'healthy' kind of tiredness. You can use it for his meals too, not just for a few treats.

You can run around to encourage him to burn off energy *with* you (rather than *at* you).

For example, in the garden (or somewhere else outside), have someone hold your pup while you run off in front of him to find a spot to hide one of his toys. Then, let him find it while you encourage him, either standing still or walking alongside him.

He might be a bit young to fully get it yet, but you can start at home by having him sit in front of or next to you. Hold him and hide a toy where he can see you do it, nearby (less than a metre or two away). Then, get him to find it straight away. Help him if needed, using commands (like "find it!") or hand signals to guide him. Bit by bit, he’ll understand what "find it" means and you can make the game more challenging by hiding it further away or helping him less. Always keep encouraging him so he feels you’re involved; he needs to understand he's playing *with* you, not just by himself. It’ll do wonders for your bond.

@Constanze, yes, licking is also a sign (the puppy doesn't necessarily have to "whimper" like your vet says).

He might lick you, lick his own nose, yawn, turn away, or simply go into active submission... A puppy will also often scratch or shake himself off when he’s had a bit of an intense experience.

All of this needs to be taken into account.

The "iron fist in a velvet glove" approach is the most overused cliché in history (constantly parroted on breeders' pages, regardless of the breed), so it's true that the meaning sometimes gets lost... But essentially, it's just about being steady and consistent, which is important for any dog, for that matter.

There isn't a single "breed" of dog that should be raised with inconsistency or brutality...

So obviously, you have to follow through and see your request to the end. But even before reinforcing all that, you have to show the puppy what the command actually means by motivating and guiding him.

At 3 months old, he has everything to learn.

I agree with what's been said.

To me, an "iron fist in a velvet glove" mostly means consistency and conviction without any aggression or getting frustrated.

Take the sofa, for example. Here, they are allowed up with me for a cuddle (they’re adults and already trained, I should point out). However, they aren't allowed on the sofa by themselves. So, when I'm on the sofa, they come and stand in front of me with "that look", and I'll say "okay, come and have a cuddle", but the second I get up—even if it's just for five minutes—they get down. They aren't allowed to be on the sofa alone; it’s not for sleeping! If they want a proper snooze, they have their own beds. The consistency is in the fact that the sofa is for cuddles, we don't stay there on our own.

I have hunting dogs who are, by definition, very stubborn and persistent, so yes, during their training I’ve had to be more headstrong than them. But that just means I've repeated, repeated and repeated the rules every single day until they were fully understood.

Right now, I’m still working on one thing with my latest rescue. He knows "sit" (no problem at all in front of his food bowl or for a treat), but there’s one "sit" he just hasn't grasped: the one to have his lead taken off once we get to the walk. You might think it’s pointless, but it helps me keep them calm and check there’s no danger around before letting them off. They’re hunting breeds, so as soon as they’re off-lead in the woods, they’re all over the place 🤣. Anyway, that specific "sit" isn’t automatic yet, so I still spend a few minutes on it at the start of every walk with treats and toys. I don't give in; he doesn't start his walk until he's put his bum on the ground for at least two seconds.

Constanze, I’d be inclined to say whether it’s an Eurasier, a Spitz, or a primitive type, don’t let yourself be swayed too much by labels.

Be careful not to spend too much time searching the web for "secret" or "fail-safe" training methods; it’s a bit like those armchair experts who think they know everything about viruses because they’ve read a couple of posts on Facebook.

During the lockdown, try to stay consistent, calm, and patient, keeping in mind that this pup still has everything to learn. You can always get in touch with a good dog trainer once lockdown is over if you feel the need.

Of course, other members here will be able to give you advice, but honestly, trying an "alpha roll" on a puppy without a proper understanding of dog body language is really asking for trouble.

Best of luck.