Crate training a 10-week Samoyed

A 10-week-old Samoyed in their first week home — this is actually the ideal moment to get crate training right, because there are no bad habits to undo yet. Crate training works when the crate becomes a genuinely positive space, and the right crate size and type matters more than most people realise, as does how you introduce it in those first few days. To point you toward exactly the right setup: what size is your pup now, roughly — and are you planning to use the crate mainly at home, or do you need it to work for car travel too?

Exactly right — male Samoyeds typically land between 20 and 30kg fully grown, so you're looking at a large dog eventually. The temptation is to buy a crate for the adult size now, but that actually backfires with puppies. A crate that's too big removes the den feeling they instinctively like, and it also gives them enough room to toilet in one corner and sleep in another — which undermines house training. The practical solution is a crate with a divider panel, so you can start with a smaller space and expand it as he grows. For a Samoyed you'd want to end up at around 107cm (42 inch) length. Has he shown any reaction to the crate yet, or has he not seen one at all?

Good — starting fresh is the best position to be in. My recommendation is the Midwest Homes for Pets iCrate, in the 42-inch size with a divider. It's a double-door folding wire crate that comes with a divider panel included, so you can section it down to roughly a third of the full length for a 10-week pup and gradually open it up over the coming months. Wire construction is ideal for Samoyeds specifically — they're a breed that runs warm and needs airflow, and wire gives them a clear sightline to the room which helps with initial anxiety. The folding design also means it stores flat if you need it out of the way. For the first introduction tomorrow: put it in a busy room, leave the door open, toss some kibble inside without any pressure for him to enter, and let him investigate entirely on his own terms. No closing the door for at least the first day. That first impression sets the tone for everything that follows.

Yes, but keep it simple and washable to start with. A thin fleece blanket or a flat pad is better than a thick plush bed at this age — partly because puppies chew, and partly because if he has any toileting accidents in the crate early on, you want something you can throw in the wash without any drama. Once he's reliably clean in the crate at around 12 to 14 weeks, you can upgrade to something more cushioned if you want to. One useful tip: if you have something that smells of the breeder or his littermates — even just a cloth they sent home with him — put that in there. Familiar scent is genuinely calming for a pup in the first week and makes the crate feel less like an unknown space.

That blanket is worth its weight — use it. To summarise what you need: the Midwest iCrate 42-inch with divider is the right buy for a Samoyed, it'll take him from puppyhood to adulthood without needing a second crate, and the wire construction suits the breed well. Introduce it tomorrow with the door open, let him find it on his own terms, and you'll be in a strong position by the end of the first week. The fact that you're thinking about this before the crate even arrives is exactly the right approach.