Alaskan Malamute

Chaska

Often confused with the Siberian Husky, the Alaskan Malamute is one of the oldest Arctic sled dogs. Heavy boned, with powerful shoulders and a deep chest, it’s built to work in rough, cold terrain, but is also an affectionate, friendly companion.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

This breed has a long body that is compact and heavy-boned, making it strong and durable. Resembling a Nordic type with its powerful build, the Alaskan Malamute was bred less as a racer and more to haul heavy loads. It has a tireless, balanced, and steady gait. The eyes are "wolf-like" but the dog’s expression is soft. The thick, double coat has a dense, oily, and woolly undercoat and a rough outer coat that provides insulation.

Weight 

Male 84 – 123 lb (38 – 56 kg) 

Female 84 – 123 lb (38 – 56 kg) 

Height 

Male 25 – 28” (64 – 71 cm) 

Female 23 – 26” (58 – 66 cm)

PERSONALITY AND TEMPERAMENT

An Alaskan Malamute is a loveable, charming, people loving dog. Malamutes will make friends with anyone and everyone, and love to play. Their friendly nature means they don’t make good watch or guard dogs, but they are fantastically sociable around your guests and visitors and wonderful with children. Your Malamute’s strong prey drive means that he should be supervised around smaller animals and non-canine pets. Though a playful dog, Alaskan Malamutes tend to mature into mellow, relaxed and easy going pets that are a content member of the family and cause little trouble. A Malamute was bred to work and the breed was originally used to haul sleds and freight, so they need a substantial amount of exercise and mental stimulation. This is not a breed that will live happily as a couch potato, so owners need to be prepared to take their Malamute on long and vigorous walks – jogging is even better! Due to their size and energy they are not suitable for life in an apartment and will do best in a house with a large enclosed garden. Be sure to install a high fence with a buried base as your Malamute loves to explore and dig.

The Alaskan Malamute is a true pack dog and hates to be left alone. If you will not be able to stay with your dog throughout the day, then a Malamute is not a suitable breed for your lifestyle as he will become stressed, anxious and upset leading to behaviour problems such as destruction. Generally, Alaskan Malamutes get on well with other dogs but they may show dominance to dogs of the same gender. Despite the Malamute’s wolf like appearance your Malamute is wonderfully gentle and can be trusted around children, though they should be trained to treat children with particular care and not be left unsupervised while with children. As your Malamute was bred to be a working dog and he has a lot of energy to burn up, he will thoroughly enjoy agility classes. It’s important to train your Alaskan Malamute from an early age and to teach him that he is not dominant over the rest of the household. These dogs are large and require a confident owner who will show the Malamute an air of authority in order to create a submissive, content pet who shows respect. Most Malamutes are fairly quiet, however they do like to occasionally howl or let out a ‘woo woo’ sound which is typical for the breed.

CARE

As the dog can run for great distances, it needs adequate exercise daily, in the form of a good run or walk on a leash. The breed is fond of cold weather and loves to pull a sledge or cart through snow. It can be comfortable in cold or temperate climates, but should be kept indoors during summer. The Alaskan Malamute's coat, meanwhile, needs to be brushed weekly and even more frequently during the shedding season.

HEALTH

The Alaskan Malamute, which has an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years, occasionally suffers from gastric torsion,seizures, hemeralopia, and polyneuropathy. The major health problems that can ail the breed are canine hip dysplasia (CHD) and cataract, while minor concerns include osteochondrodysplasia (OCD) and hypothyroidism. To identify some of these issues, a veterinarian may conduct eye, hip, and thyroid exams on this breed of dog, as well as tests for osteochondrodysplasia.

LIFE SPAN 12 to 15 years

HISTORY AND BACKGROUND

Although the origin of the Alaskan Malamute is not clearly known, it is generally considered to be a descendant of the Mahlemut dog. An ancient Inuit tribe, the Mahlemut were the native people of Norton Sound, an inlet on the northwest coast of Alaska.

Mahlemut is derived from the word Mahle, which is the name of an Inuit tribe, and mut, which means village. Just like many dogs belonging to the spitz family, this breed developed in the Arctic region and was shaped by difficult climatic conditions.

Originally, the dogs functioned as partners when hunting for polar bears, seals, and other big game. Because the Alaskan Malamute was strong, large and fast, it could easily perform the task that would require many small dogs, such as carrying the large carcases back to the master's home. The Malamute became so intertwined with people's lives, that it soon was regarded as a member of the family, no longer treated as a mere pet.

In the 1700s, foreign explorers of Alaska -- many who came during the gold rush of the late 19th century -- were genuinely impressed with the large dogs and the owners' affection for them. They entertained themselves by staging races and weight-pulling contests among the dogs. The native Alaskan Malamutes were eventually crossbred with each other and with the dogs brought by settlers, in order to create good racers or to provide the large number of dogs required for gold searching activities. This posed a threat to the purity of Malamute breed.

A dog-racing enthusiast in New England, however, obtained viable specimens of the breed in the 1920s, and began to develop the native Malamute.

As the breed garnered fame, it was used in various means. In 1933, for example, some Malamutes were selected to aid Adm. Richard Byrd with his Antarctic expedition. The Malamute was again used in the Second World War, to act as a pack animal, freight hauler, and search-and-rescue dog.

The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1935 and since then it has become popular as a faithful pet and impressive show dog.

Raven