The Alaskan Malamute are one of the oldest breeds in the world. These impressive friendly dogs enjoy working, so they excel at any dog sports, with pulling weights being a favourite.
Best suited to outdoor pursuits, they need plenty of outdoor space to keep them out of trouble. They are playful, but if left alone or boredom sets in, they will howl and destroy furniture or anything else they can find.
Malamutes keep their puppy-like ways into adulthood and love to play. They will take any chance to escape and instinctively chase animals across fields or anything else that catches their eye. You need to make sure they do not escape from your garden. They will attack cattle or anything else that looks tasty.
They can be aggressive with other dogs, especially the same sex. They would be better kept as the only dog in the household. Neighbourhood cats had better not venture into your garden, with an Alaskan Malamute on the prowl and have even been known to kill.
Even though Malamute’s are powerful and large dogs, they are rubbish watchdogs, are very friendly, and love everyone they meet. If you are after a guard dog, you better look elsewhere.
They are independent and intelligent, making them challenging to train, but anything is possible, with the key being consistency and assertiveness.
Malamutes have waterproof double coats. They will shed their coats heavily twice a year. Shedding usually lasts around three weeks, and they replace ALL their hair. You can shorten shedding with regular brushing. During this shedding, expect to find it everywhere until it is over. Once shedding is over, they only lose a small number of stray hairs.
If you have a problem with hair, stay away from this breed!
Alaskan Malamute Stats
Early white explorers arrived in Alaska. They discovered a hardworking, amazing breed of dog kept by the indigenous tribes. The “Mahlemut” tribes around the Norton Sound area of Alaska kept this superior work dog who was less “wild”, more tractable, and capable of enormous work.
- Weight -34kg – 39kg
- Size – 59cm – 64cm
- They live for 8-10 years