Our Eurasier puppy is getting aggressive in the evenings

@Constanze2108

I’m not sure that at this stage, in his little 10-week-old puppy brain, that’s actually what’s going on.

If you told me: my 3-year-old dog is squaring up to me and growling when I try to get into the kitchen, and asked if he'd think he's got the "upper hand" if I left the room? My answer would be different, lol!

But this little puppy? He’s probably just trying to "let off steam" through interaction with you (playful, admittedly, but out of control, and something I don't think we should encourage). He’s likely not trying to claim any territory or resources. He couldn't care less about the room he’s in; he’s not trying to drive you out, it’s you he’s interested in. In this context, he doesn’t gain anything when you leave the room. He loses everything.

So, this approach seems to work for a 10-week-old puppy.

For a 10-week-old... but it won't necessarily work, and won't necessarily mean the same thing to him, when you leave the room in another "confrontational" situation.

That’s why I think it’s more relevant to teach the dog that when he’s mucking about, HE is the one who ends up confined (in a room, in his bed, etc.). Because that will be easier to apply later on to other situations and puppy training hurdles. For example... my 10-month-old dog is pestering the guests. You aren’t going to ask all the guests to leave the room. But you can, however, tell him to calm down or face being put in time-out.

The only "plus" I see to walking away rather than picking the dog up to isolate him is that it avoids all contact and interaction (which is necessary if you have to take him to another room), which could get him even more worked up, or even be taken as validation of his behaviour (he gets over-excited, you give him attention). "Walking away" nips that rising excitement in the bud more quickly.

@Emla

Except biting your owners isn't playing :)

Playing in such a state of "frenzy", especially after meals, isn't healthy in my opinion and shouldn't really be encouraged.

There’s the whole rest of the day for playing!

In fact, when my puppy Basile (who is 18 months younger) used to have these kinds of episodes, my dog Léon would straight up tell him off.

It was actually quite counterproductive because he just wound him up even more by barking ^^'

But he was definitely trying to get him to stop, anyway.

Thanks for the quick replies, everyone!

Regarding the idea of leaving the room (for us, we can only really go upstairs because we have an open-plan kitchen and living area), my husband is wondering if that might signal to the dog that he’s got the "upper hand" in terms of hierarchy, since we’re the ones leaving the room rather than him. Is there any truth to that? I’m inclined to think my husband is applying human logic rather than a dog’s perspective here. What do you all think?

What I went for back then, which seemed like the simplest option, was to put him in time-out in a separate room. I’d give him a heads-up beforehand about what I was going to do, to give him the chance—gradually, as it certainly didn't happen overnight!—to learn how to settle down on his own.

So I would say to him, ALWAYS in the same calm, low voice, without too much emotion so as not to wind him up even more: “Calm down or you’re going in time-out.” I’d give it about 5 seconds and if he didn't settle, I’d put him in the designated room. In our house, this was the kitchen with a baby gate across the door; he could still see us going about our business in the living room, but he couldn't pester us. It’s honestly the ideal setup and, in my view, much better than shutting them away in a room with a closed door. As I led him there, I’d repeat the phrase “time-out” so he really understood the connection. I’d hold him by his collar (gently) to take him to the kitchen, but if your dog reacts when you try to grab the collar by nipping or mouthing, it might be a good idea to leave a lead attached and trailing on the floor after a walk, so you can just pick that up when the time comes.

Quite often, he’d just start acting up again as soon as we let him back into the living room. No big deal. As they say, training is all about repetition. You just start over: exactly the same phrase (“Calm down or you’re going in time-out”), the same tone of voice, and exactly the same consequence (“time-out”) if he doesn’t settle. And this time, leave him there a little longer, as the previous time clearly wasn't enough for him to switch off.

You could potentially leave him a few things to take his frustration out on in the room where he’s being isolated. With my second puppy (who had much less intense “mad moments”—he mostly just jumped around without being “aggressive”), I’d leave things like old cardboard boxes for him to shred, though don't do this if your dog swallows the cardboard as it's a choking hazard. A stuffed Kong can do the trick too, or maybe some dry food hidden in the corners of the room. Obviously, it's better if all this is already in the “time-out” room before you put him in there; you don't want him thinking you're giving him treats to calm him down, as that feels a bit too much like rewarding the behaviour. He should just happen to find them there on his own.

I honestly wonder what these breeders are thinking, advising new owners to just lock a puppy in a crate without any transition whatsoever and ignore their crying. How can anyone want that kind of start in a new home for a puppy they’ve seen being born?

You aren’t the first person to mention this, and it’s actually quite worrying.

If you want to use a crate as part of a dog’s training, it has to be introduced gradually so as not to cause them any distress!

As for the rest, what you’re describing is relatively classic; it’s the "evening zoomies" that many puppies get (very often after they’ve been out!).

Yours does seem to have quite "aggressive" outbursts (do you really get the impression, looking at him, that he wants to hurt you, or is he just playing in an uncontrolled way?), whereas other pups will just settle for running around like mad and bumping into all the furniture.

Mine used to stalk me all over the house in a state of high agitation (specifically trying to hump my leg) and would bark at me quite frantically—almost aggressively—if I pushed him away. I won't lie, at the time it really threw me, and I wondered if my dog was going to turn into some kind of total nutter. But he was lovely the rest of the time.

Long after the fact, from talking to other owners, I realised that this evening "meltdown" is pretty common in puppies and can manifest in different ways. It’s as if they lose all self-control, like they’re possessed.

Well, I’ll start with the end result: mine grew out of it, and he didn't turn into a complete nutter ^^ even if he is still quite a high-strung dog.

I don’t have a "magic trick", but the first point is that no, it isn’t (at least not necessarily) linked to a lack of exercise.

On the contrary, I get the impression it’s a way for the puppy to vent a buildup of stress, frustration, and excitement from the day by letting it all literally "explode".

That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s over-stimulated either, but it certainly doesn't justify stimulating him even more.

Your approach seems right to me; you just need to be a bit more consistent. By that, I mean putting him in another room OR leaving the room yourself as soon as the first signs of a tantrum appear (don't let him start getting "worked up" while you ignore him hoping it’ll stop on its own). Just choose one technique and stick to it, rather than trying both.

Hi Emla,

I was also thinking earlier about whether I should give him a proper play session before his meal. I’ll give it a go tomorrow to see if it makes any difference and I'll keep you posted.