Breed Information

You want an Alaskan Malamute? Do you really know the dog, its character, its needs and all its little quircks?

For sure they are very cute. We personally think that there are NOT any puppies in the world that beat those little furry friends that are the malamutes. It is also true that they are very affectionate, love humans, playing and pleasing….but boy! Living with a mal is not always, if not never, relaxing! There can be a great friendship between humans and malamutes, but for this, one has to understand the dog’s character and its needs.

Under here are little pointers that are a MUST KNOW before you decide if an Alaskan Malamute is the right breed for you.

  • THE CONTRACT - To welcome a malamute in one’s life is to take on the responsibility of the dog’s well being, its health and happiness during ALL of its life. The malamute will not learn to fly on its own after a few years. So…Are you ready to share your life (and this during 12 years or so) with your four legged friend? This means having to repeat the same things over and over again, walk and exercise him/her EVERYDAY, give him/her the attention and nursing that he/she deserves? If you are not….well…your house could quickly become the victim of a bored malamute that chews away daily frustrations on the house furniture. And if the dog is outside, well, your yard will look like the moon surface, full of holes and some ARE deep!! Please take the time to inform yourself on Alaskan Malamute and ask yourself if this is the right dog for you.
  • DOMINANCE/INDEPENDANCE - Malamutes are stubborn, and very intelligent. Your four legged friend will test your patience at times. He could also confront your authority as the leader and decide to do his own thing. For example…One time, you could ask him to come in the kennel and have to ask him a few times without response. No. Do not worry, your dog is not likely to have turned deaf overnight, he/she hears you very well but…..does not want to come in AT THE MOMENT. It is then very important to teach the puppy at a very young age what is its place in the pack and the family.
  • PACK ANIMAL - Malamutes have a strong knowledge of pack hierarchy. If you do not teach your young puppy that YOU are the boss with appropriate training, this could bring behavioural problems in the future. The pup will take it as he/she is the Alpha around your family and guess what…..the little fur balls grow fast and reach up to 120 pounds at time. Please inform yourself to us and other breeders for tips on raising a malamutes before you make any decisions.
  • ENERGY!!!!!! - The Alaskan Malamute is a dog that WANTS to move!! It is a working dog and must spend its energy in different activities EVERYDAY!! And just so you know, to tire one of them, you have to walk for quite a distance. The Alaskan malamutes are sled dogs and can pull a charge of more the 2000 pounds on their own…but if sledding does not interest you, malamutes will be content in activities like hiking, backpacking, jogging, roller blading, bike joring and skijoring, for example.
  • FENCES - Mals are professional diggers and you need a good fence to keep them in. For a good fence, you need to dig in the dirt and place the fence 1 to 2 feet deep and this should keep them in. If your mal gets out (this happens mostly when you are not looking) he WILL roam around the neighbours houses, you can be sure. He will not wait around on your property. He WILL chase around cats and small animals, and could get hurt as well with all kinds of hazards.
  • GROOMING - Alaskan Malamutes shed BIG TIME, and this, twice a year. During this time, if he/she is in the house, brushing twice a day will be required to minimize the hair rolling around in your house. Even with that, 1 to 2 months of hair loss is to be expected.
  • GUARD DOG - NO. Malamutes are not guard dogs, they love humans and trust them too much to be effective as guard dogs.

If you are still further interested in one of these great, gentle and truly amazing dog, please read the following, which contains VITAL information on Alaskan Malamutes.

Link So You Want to Own an Alaskan Malamute?

Link Responsible Dog Ownership

Link Breed Standard

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