Below are some frequently asked questions that we are asked. If you have another question that is not on this list then please e-mail us at pups@PlatinumEskies.com or call 704.990.8030.

1. What makes Platinum Eskies different from any other breeders of American Eskimos?
   We are as professional in quality and in service as a large kennel or pet store yet we are small enough to actually socialize every puppy. Since we only have 2-3 litters per year & Charity is at home all day, we have ample time socializing each pup. Kennels and pet stores are not able to place as must attention on each pup as we do. You may read more about our distinctions on our About Us page.
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2. What does it mean to "socialize" your puppy ?
   Socializing involves several things. It involves consistently handling the puppies every day they're with us. It involves having several different people interacting with each puppy. It even involves training your puppy to be crate-trained, to be used to loud noises, and to be car and potty trained. Eskies that leave Platinum Eskies have had the healthiest emotional state that can be achieved by a breeder.
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3. Why is socializing an eskie important?
   If an eskie is not socialized two consistent problems occur. 1) The eskie may become excessively shy and consistently urinate when scared or excited. When guest are over they may stay in the corner and continually bark and never accept strangers. 2) The most common and most dangerous problem of not socializing an eskie is "fear biting." "Fear biting" is when the eskie will bite out of fear especially when they walk away.
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4. What does it mean to "dew claw" a puppy?
   Dew clawing is the process of removing the "thumbs" of a puppy typically at the age of 2 or 3 days old. It is a very safe procedure much like cutting the umbilical cord. Many eskies when they get older will have their dew claws caught on fabric and will have it injured. Having an adult eskie dew clawed is a very painful and expensive procedure. Many problems can be avoided if the breeder would spend the extra money and dew claw the pups at a very early age.
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5. How does the puppy selection process work?
   We do not require our buyers to select their puppy until they are 4 weeks old. This gives the puppies time to develop physically and emotionally. We observe and note the personalities of each puppy as they are growing. By 4 weeks of age they have enough of a distinct personality to share with the buyers. Though we have never had a "bad" puppy in a litter there are still distinct personality traits that some buyers desire. At 4 weeks of age we will give the personality descriptions of all the females to the 1st female depositor and the males to the 1st male depositor. Once they make their choice we go down the line based on which buyer placed their deposit first. We do not sale the 1st pick of the litter for any more than the last. That would not be fair. Pictures are posted of the litter at 1 day old, 1 week, 3 weeks old & 5 weeks old on our Available Pups page.
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6. Is your dog registered and if yes, to what registry?
   Yes. Our dogs are registered with the oldest and largest eskie registry in the world, United Kennel Club. Information about this registry can be found on their website. UKC and AKC (American Kennel Club) are the only registries that Platinum Eskies would recommend buying an eskie from. Many of the others do not have the standards that UKC and AKC have. Buyers receive their UKC paperwork when they pick up their puppy.
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7. What kind of puppy food to you feed your pups?
   We feed our puppies Solid Gold Hundchen Flocken puppy food. This puppy food is a 5 star rated dog food according to DogFoodAnalysis.com. There is no corn in this puppy food and all the main ingredients are named meat products (Lamb, Lamb Meal, Ocean Fish Meal). The primary grains in the food are millet, rice and barley. Millet is a good quality grain, easily digested and non-allergenic. Rice is also a good quality grain and source of carbohydrates, protein and fibre. Barley is a further good quality grains, but rice bran is a grain fragment and filler. Canola oil is a good source of linoleic acid. We recommend that each puppy continues to be fed this very common but very good puppy food. For the same cost as Eukanuba and Science Diet, (both only 1 star rated dog foods) you can feed your puppy a high quality puppy food.
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8. When's the earliest we can pick up our puppy?
   Every puppy is completely weaned and eating hard puppy food by the time they are 6 weeks old. On the other hand, we require our pups to be at least 8 weeks old to be picked up or shipped.
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9. How much does it cost to ship a puppy?
   Platinum Eskies uses Delta/Northwest Airlines to ship their puppies. They have proven to be very trustworthy and have taken care of every puppy we have shipped and every puppy we have received. Delta/Northwest allows Platinum Eskies to ship a puppy and have the buyer pay for the shipment upon arrival. The average ticket anywhere in the continental US for an eskie puppy at 8 weeks old is around $220-$260. Insurance can be purchased for an additional $5-$10 if you desire. We do ask that you simply pay Platinum Eskies $135 for a decent travel crate and for the mandatory Interstate Health Certificate.
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10. What type of shots and tests are given to each puppy?
    Each puppy is examined by the vet just a few days after birth. Each puppy is dewormed at 2 weeks, 4 weeks & 6 weeks old. Right before pick-up each puppy is given their "puppy shot." The puppy shot is Duramune Max 5 which is the vaccine for coronavirus, parvovirus, distemper, parainfluenza, adenovirus type 2 (and hepatitis) plus four leptos. Also the pups will be given their bordetta (kennel cough) vaccine with Intra-Trac III ADT.
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11. When should I go to my veternarian after picking up my puppy?
    Each of our puppies come with a Warranty that requires you to have your puppy checked by a vet within 72 hours after picking up your puppy. Your vet will need to check for any communicable diseases during that period. Your vet will also recommend a time to get follow-up "puppy shots." Most vets recommend puppies to be revaccinated every 2-4 weeks until 12 weeks old.
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12. Do you provide a warranty?
    Yes, we provide a warranty. Details about what is covered, what is not covered, and how it is covered can be found on our Warranty Page.
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13. Do you provide an extended warranty?
    We highly recommend NuVet vitamins and if you order online by clicking on the NuVet Lab logo or through our reference number (85927), so that we can track your use for 2 years, we will extend our warranty an additional year. Dysplasia and other health defects is not only about genetics. It has as much to do with diet and proper antioxidents as anything else. NuVet makes it easy for the breeder to track those who continue to use their product and thereby allowing us to reward them by extending their warranty.
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14. What is NuVet?
    Providing a higher nutritious valued food, helps to prevent fast growth, less bone problems, less vet bills, and a longer life. We strongly recommended buyer to continue to give puppy 1 NuVet Plus wafer each day which is a powerful antioxidant that gives a tremendous boost to the immune system to prevent skin and coat problems, and creates a defense against over fifty major diseases, including hip and elbow dysplasia, and extending the life span of your dog.  Please take time and CLICK HERE to read about NuVet. Back to Top
15. How do I train my puppy?
    This is a very detailed questions that would take pages to answer. Potty training is probably the most asked question. Every buyer will receive our Puppy Training Manual to help answer these common questions. You may see the training manual by CLICKING HERE.
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16. What do I need when picking up my puppy?
    We recommend that your bring a small travel crate, some large bath towels, a small collar, a basic leash (NOT a retractable leash because they fear them at first), paper towels, garbage bags, some chew toys, water and a food and water dish.
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17. What size collar and travel crate do I need for my puppy?
    

    Each puppy will only weigh around 6-8 lbs when taken home. Therefore, an extra-small to a small collar is needed. Realize that the pup will grow out of his/her collar quite fast so don't spend a lot of money on it. Regarding the crate, you will want to buy the smallest one you can find. You will be using this crate to crate-train your puppy and it needs to be small. In fact, most crates are not small enough. You want your puppy to be able to lie down in it at night and that's it. You do not want to give your puppy any room to be able to use the restroom on one end and sleep on the other. Platinum Eskies will start crate training every puppy and by the time they are 6 weeks old they will be able to hold their restroom all night. The only way this is possible is having all the pups bundled together is 1 small crate. This discourages them greatly from using the restroom because they absolutely abhor laying in their own mess. They may do it once but that's it. Once again, the puppy will grow out of the crate, so don't spend a lot of money on it.

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18. What is your address and other contact information?
    You can find that information and direction on how to get to my home by going to the Contact Us page.
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19. I have questions about the American Eskimo as a breed:
    Information on American Eskimos temperment, care, history and health can be found in detail on the American Eskimo page.
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20. Are you on Facebook?
    YES! We have developed a "fan page" so you can join us. We post pictures, updates and comments on our FB page. Also it gives you the opportunity to post your pictures, ask questions and give comments. This way, we truly can be a "life-time of support." To see our page just click on the Facebook logo to the right!
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21. Do you have an Extended Training Program?
    Yes. Platinum Eskies has a very successful and extensive training program called "Puppy Academy." Platinum Eskies has trained a number of puppies successfully in this program. Puppy Academy is not a simple "Puppy Kindergarten" program consisting of classes 2-4 times a week with a trainer. Your puppy will be trained extensively by Platinum Eskies, drawing on years of experience training American Eskimos. Because the pups are raised in our home, we are able to earn the puppies' love, trust & respect prior to training. Also, because Platinum Eskies is so experienced, consistent & detailed, they are able to see Puppy Academy pups achieve amazing results by the time they graduate at 12 weeks of age. Most puppies that have graduated from Puppy Academy are better trained at 12 weeks of age then most dogs are at 12 months of age! Below is a week by week breakdown of what is taught in Puppy Academy.
    Week 5-6
    TAUGHT: The puppy will begin the process of being crate-trained. By this age, each puppy has already been weaned from their mother and are eating puppy food only. The puppies will be separated only at night and confined to a small crate to sleep in. This will train the puppy to learn to sleep alone (no screaming puppy for the first few nights!) & more importantly, to hold their restroom for long periods of time. Platinum Eskies will begin by waking up in the middle of the night to potty each Puppy Academy puppy. Each day, Platinum Eskies will lengthen the time between potty breaks. This will strengthen the puppies bladder and bowel control which is crucial to successful potty training.
    Week 7-8
    TAUGHT: By age 8 weeks, all of our regular puppies are taken home. This gives Platinum Eskies extra time to begin extensive potty training. By this age, most of our puppies will be able to hold their restroom for 6-8 hours at night. The puppies develop trust in the trainer that they will potty them at appropiate times. The trainer will begin having each puppy walk around their home, watching intently for the pups to start "pottying". Once they show a sign, they will immediately be taken outside and rewarded/praised for holding it. Potty training will continue in earnest until the pup is taken home at 12 weeks of age. At this 7-8 weeks, basic obedience training with clickers (so you can easily continue training at home) will also begin. It will begin with leash training and with "sitting." In addition, other commands such as "down/lay", "stay", "come" will be introduced.
    Week 9-10
    TAUGHT: Extensive training of basic obedience commands of "sit", "lay/down", "stay" & "come" will continue. Also during this time, each puppy will begin stair training. Many eskies have a fear of stairs but if introduced slowly & appropriately at a young age, they will have no problem running up & down almost any type of stairs. Also each Puppy Academy puppy will be car trained and go on safe "field trips" to get each puppy accustomed to different environments & people. During this time we will continue "groom training." This will involve training the puppies to get bathed, blow dryed, nails clipped, teeth brushed & ear cleaned. Puppy Academy puppies will also begin to be taught how to appropriately interact with people & how to behave in a home. No biting hands, feet, or clothing is allowed. No chewing the furniture, digging on wood floors or getting in the trash is allowed.
    Week 11-12
    TAUGHT: For multiple weeks and for dozens of hours each Puppy Academy puppy has been potty trained, crate trained, leash trained, stair trained, car trained, groom trained, basic obedience trained & extensively socialized. Almost every command is understood by this age although some may not yet be mastered. "Repetition is the mother of all learning." Each Puppy Academy puppy will now be tested during these final two weeks with multiple distractions & repetition to make sure each puppy is worthy of Puppy Academy graduation. You can view a puppy graduate on our Youtube page by clicking HERE.
    Cost: $750. An additional deposit of $200 is due to reserve any puppy enrolled in our extensive Puppy Academy.
    

    
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22. What are your prices for your puppies?
    Platinum Eskies are not the Wal-mart of American Eskimos. We have very high quality standards and the one of the best breeder's programs around. Finding a puppy should never be like shopping for a vehicle. Not all puppies are bred equally. We require a $300 deposit to reserve a puppy and the remaining balance of $900 ($1200 total) is due upon pick-up or before shipment of the puppy.
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23. How do I reserve a puppy?
    1. Read through this FAQ page- We have designed this page to be as informative as possible. Even if you choose not to go with us we believe reading through every question and every answer will help you in your search for the right breeder and American Eskimo.
    
    2. Fill out our online questionnaire (www.PlatinumEskies.com/Questionnaire.html)- BEWARE of any buyer that won't ask you questions except how to pay for your dog. They are obviously only breeding for money and not for the betterment of the breed.
    
    3. If you are approved then we will give you the directions to place your $300 non-refundable deposit (the deposit is refundable if we do not have a puppy available for you. Example: We have all females born when you reserved a male) with credit card, debit card, PayPal, or cashier's check/ money order. Please do NOT send money until you have first contacted us and have been approved.
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