We’ve had our male Eurasier puppy for 12 days now, so he’s 10 weeks old, and we’ve been really struggling with him every evening for the last few days.
I should mention that at the start, the breeder told us to keep him in a 3ft crate at night and for 2 hours after his meals. But since he was barking his head off every night, and I was worried about whether he could actually hold it in all night, I eventually started taking him out every 3 hours or so. I figured he just couldn't hold his bladder. But as soon as I put him back in the crate, it was the same thing again—barking for at least 10 minutes. We finally reached breaking point with the crate when he started barking every 2 hours. We couldn't just ignore him like the breeder suggested, especially since he was covered in pee by the morning. I called a dog trainer who told me to ditch the crate (she’s not a fan, I should add) as it seemed to be stressing him out. She suggested starting from scratch: letting him sleep in the living room (he prefers the floor tiles to his bed) and sleeping in the room with him for a week to reassure him. We’ve done that and he’s lovely; he doesn't even wake up during the night and manages to hold it from 11pm until 6am.
But here’s the problem: for several evenings now, after his dinner and a quick toilet walk, Cosmo gets really hyper once we’re back inside. He jumps on us, on the sofa, and bites us quite hard. Nothing works: not saying ‘no’ (which I don't think he understands anyway), not trying to redirect him with a toy, nor ignoring him (which is hard because he goes for your feet and calves). Even leaving the room doesn't work, as he just starts again the moment we come back. We’ve tried putting him in the downstairs loo (since we’re not using the crate anymore), but he just goes right back to it as soon as he’s out. We’re at our wits' end, and my husband and daughter are actually starting to get scared of him because he’s so persistent with the biting. We read that we should tire him out, but since these ‘episodes’ happen right after his meal, we’re worried about the risk of bloat. Other than that, we take him out regularly during the day for toilet breaks, plus two longer walks in the morning and late afternoon around the block (about 20 minutes each time, at his own pace).
So, that’s the situation. We really need your advice because we’re struggling to cope. This is our first dog so we’re not used to this, and with the lockdown, there are no puppy classes or home visits from trainers available...
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When he’s biting you, getting all wound up and is impossible to manage, you shouldn't shut yourself away for that long. Half an hour is far too long; it won't make any sense to him. Plus, it just stresses him out even more, which isn't the goal at all. He’ll only end up acting out and starting to nip again. It’s his behaviour that should tell you when to come back: as soon as he’s calm, you’re good to go. That’s what will make him understand that being calm is the expected behaviour and what makes you come back to him, which is what he wants. It’ll get him thinking so that, in the future, you can return sooner or perhaps not even have to leave in the first place. But if you’re gone for ages because he won’t settle, then for me, that’s not right—he won’t understand anything and it means something isn’t working (maybe there are too many things in the lounge for him to get into so he’s just letting off steam, the timing is off, and so on). I think it would be much simpler to teach him to go to his bed and stay there...
Cheers everyone for your detailed replies. I think we’ll try the various suggestions in order, given where we’re at: a big play session before his meal. If that doesn’t work, we’ll try taking ourselves away for half an hour (fingers crossed Cosmo doesn’t wreck the lounge...), and then, if that still doesn’t do the trick, I’ll try the advice from "Nordic attitude". As for commands, it’s all a bit of a struggle at the minute as he’s only just got the hang of ‘sit’—and even then, only when he feels like it. So, it’ll be tough to settle him down with that. I might try making him a snuffle mat to keep him occupied during those times. Anyway, any more tips are very welcome!
Personally, I think every puppy has their mad moments. My dog used to unroll the toilet paper, run off with my slipper, and jump all over me, nipping at me (has anyone else ever had that happen?!). My mum's dog could be a bit more rough and would leave us with bruises. Looking back, I noticed a massive difference: my mum's dog stayed with its mum for 8 weeks (and was an only puppy), while mine was with its mum for 11 weeks.
Nordic Attitude, I’d still say there’s a difference between a Husky and an Eurasier, as the latter has a much lower prey drive. Some primitive breeds are more suited to scavenging than actual hunting.
I’m not going to give you any advice since I’ve never actually had a puppy, but every now and then after his evening meal, Sky gets a massive case of the zoomies in the garden – so it’s definitely not just a puppy thing.
This mad half-hour, which always seems to happen at the same time, reminds me of when babies have a proper cry at the end of the day – that moment where they just bawl their eyes out to let off steam and release all the day's tension.
I can't remember who it was that suggested wearing oven mitts to play-fight with your puppy, but it’s a great shout to protect your hands from those needle-sharp little puppy teeth!
I agree with you that there’s always a bit of a "witching hour" at dusk where they get a bit hyper. But that period is more or less manageable depending on what activities you've had the puppy doing just before.
For that time slot, you suggested a "play" session but with rules—once it’s finished, it’s finished.
And even though I’m a firm believer in the bathroom time-out (as you all know!), I think he’s still a bit too young for that, so I’d go for a little post-dinner walk instead.
When Padja gets a bit hyper in the evening and wants to roughhouse, but it's too late to head out, what really works for us is practising commands. It helps her switch off and keeps her occupied indoors. We do sit, stay, and down, followed by a bit of scent work using objects or treats. But the absolute highlight is our little agility course—though "agility" is a bit of a stretch! Basically, I'll get her to stay, then I’ll move behind a jump which is actually just my broom resting on the floor 😅 and call her over!
Then we might do a tunnel made out of a cardboard box, or the "which hand?" game where I hold out both fists and she has to choose. It’s a bit of a gamble since there's only a treat in one of them! There are loads of little games like that where the commands are subtly hidden in the fun.
In short, there are plenty of variations of "command" games that keep her busy, give her a good mental workout, and help her wind down. Plus, it really reinforces her obedience and makes her more focused on me.
A few years ago, every spring, six lambs were born in the field right next door to us. We could see them from our windows and every evening, around 6.30 pm, they’d set off in single file for a mad dash, tearing around for a good five minutes before suddenly calming down!
@Emla
Actually, if it’s the situation I’m thinking of (the 'puppy zoomies' or the evening crazies), and if it’s anything like the puppies I’ve raised up until now: playing with him earlier in the day won’t stop these evening outbursts from happening. With Léon, it happened like clockwork when we got back from the park, even though he'd spent plenty of time playing with me and other dogs there. It was really down to the time of day and the routine (coming home from the park) that went with it.
In any case, you obviously need to play with your puppy (and teach him self-control during play), and it’s certainly worth seeing if playing before his dinner helps reduce the post-meal antics.
But as far as I'm concerned, it’s something completely separate from this evening ‘mad half-hour’.
I don’t have an explanation for it. I don't know why puppies do it, but so many of them do. It’s very predictable—both the dog’s reactions and the owner’s, who usually ends up feeling a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing.
I'm not saying you should just let him do whatever he wants.
But rather that you should suggest playing before his meal, with clear rules (no nipping or the game stops), followed by a short walk after he’s eaten to avoid that hyper behaviour.
As for him going upstairs, no, I don't think so. Send him to his bed to settle down before you head up.
At this age, they learn boundaries through play; that's exactly when you need to show him: we can play, but it's by my rules. As for the sofa, that’s up to you, but even if it’s tempting to bring them up for a cuddle, I personally think that should be a privilege for a well-trained adult dog—or even not at all for some. This also means you should be the one sitting on the floor with him for a cuddle, and once that’s over, the pup goes back to his bed while you go back to the sofa.
