How to Crate Train an American Eskimo Puppy

There was a time when we could commonly see American Eskimo dogs performing a range of complicated tricks in circuses around the world. Today, these adorable, all-white pups are becoming extremely popular as pets. They are highly intelligent and easily trainable. The most important thing to keep in mind is that as long as you remain consistent and show your Eskie plenty of love, he will happily learn any trick you want to teach him, including how to go into and stay in his crate.

Dogs are, by nature, inclined to seek out a safe place or den where they can go to get away from everything. In the wild a den is a dry place in the storm, a place to hide from predators, even a place to raise a family. In your home, your pup will come to see his "den" as a safe place where he can go to get away from too much excitement, take a nap, and to stay when you are not home. 

Training your Eskie to use his crate is far less about making him stay in a secured crate out of trouble and more about making it a home, at least to him. Be careful not to use time in the crate as a form of punishment. When you do that, you make it almost impossible to train your dog to see the crate as his den. He will have such a negative impression of the crate that almost nothing will entice him to go inside willingly.

On the other hand, as long as you use positive reinforcement methods, your pup will soon come to see his crate as his personal "den." Bear in mind that all dogs learn at different rates, so be very patient and keep working with your Eskie. In time you will find he not only accepts the crate, but you will probably find him napping in there frequently. 

The younger your pup is when you start working on crate training, the better. But, at the same time, you can teach an adult Eskie this same behavior. One of the most important things about this training is that you must have the right size kennel. You'll need a smaller one while your pup is young and then a larger one once he outgrows the first--or a larger one that can be partitioned into a smaller space for the puppy months.

Beyond this, you need all the creature comforts of home for your pup. This includes a mat or wall to wall carpeting (a soft floor to lay on), a big comfy bed, some colorful toys to play with while he is in his crate, and a blanket you can use to cover the crate to turn it into a nice, dim cave. Of course, you will also need a healthy supply of your pup's favorite stinky treats.