Description

The Alaskan Malamute is an incredibly beautiful dog but one that has much more in store for its owner than its looks. This breed is larger, too, so size is an important consideration in selecting this pet over others. They are great pets for families that can provide for their characteristic qualities of eagerness and overpowering at times. This is a highly energetic style of dog but one that is ideal for pleasing their owners. You will need to provide enough physical activity to keep him healthy.

A key to owning an Alaskan Malamute is to truly know what you are getting into. Because these dogs are very intelligent animals, they often provide an overall level of excitement and will test your patience. They are clever and looking for ways to intrigue you. If you are considering this pet, be sure that you have plenty of time for playing and exercising your Alaskan Malamute. He will demand it of you!

The Alaskan Malamute is a working class dog and this is evident right from the start as they are generally well built, very strong animals. As a pet owner, you do need to take into consideration just how powerful this breed of dog will be. While the Alaskan Malamute is a dog that is dependable and built for working, they are also very predatory animals and care must be paid to smaller animals in the home.

In addition, you should be sure to have a fenced in yard or some other way to allow the dog to remain on your property as they are prone to exploring as well as taking off as the predator. In addition, they like to dig.

One consideration for the Alaskan Malamute is their coat. They can live anywhere, but their coats are very heavy and this requires being kept cool in extremely high temperatures.

Coat Description

As for their coat, they are densely double coated dogs. It can be compared to that of the Siberian Husky with its dense, northern coat.

You can tell the dog is an authentic pure blood by its almond shaped eyes. Only brown eyes should be found. A dog with blue colored eyes is a mixed breed in the Mal.

History

Perhaps one of the most undisputed facts about the Alaskan Malamute is that he is one of the most unaltered breeds found today. They are descendants of dogs that lives with the Mahlemut Tribe that was located in upper portions of western Alaska. These were very distinctive and necessary animals and often were just as important to the people in their area. They helped with virtually all facets of life including hunting and working with them as well as living with them.

In and around the time of the Klondike Gold Rush, these dogs were quite in demand and although many tried to breed them with other dogs for later sale or to somehow improve the breed, most attempts seemed to have failed. The Alaskan Malamute is one of the oldest known breeds of dogs today with DNA proof backing this claim.

An important note to remember about these dogs was what they were breed for. Unlike other Alaskan breeds, the Mal was breed for its ability to pull weight and for other large workloads. They were often able to pull hundreds of pounds of weight and could move villages and camps when they worked with other Alaskan Malamutes.

Temperament

In most cases, the Alaskan Malamute is going to be a highly energetic dog. As a pet this will mean providing constant attention and physical activity for the dog especially as they grow and need physical fitness to stay healthy. You will find that these dogs are very intelligent and can be trained to fill your needs as well.

The Alaskan Malamute is also known for being a very independent dog. It does not need or want other animals with it most of the time. He will be a loyal pet and will often provide you with the protection that you need. Yet, there will be times when your Mal, as they are often called, will not obey you. For example, as these dogs are often used in sledding, it is not uncommon to hear of an Alaskan Malamute not listening to his or her owner and saving their life in the process. They are independent in thought but not often negatively so.

These dogs are also friendly animals in terms of living in the family unit. While they do not always like other pets around them, they do very well when it comes to having other family members. You will find that they are also very loving and affectionate towards you. In fact, many of them do not make very good guard dogs because they are too trusting and affectionate of people.

It is important to note that puppy Alaskan Malamutes is much more energetic and hyper even than adult dogs. As they age they often mellow into dependable, calmer pets, especially when they are provided with enough attention and exercise.

Thyroid Disease - High Risk

The Alaskan Malamute ranks #31 among all breeds for autoimmune thyroiditis prevalence. There is a high risk of obtaining a dog that will develop thyroid disease. For this reason you should make sure you, or your breeder, are testing all dogs before breeding.  It may even be a good idea to test dogs that you don't plan on breeding so that any instance of disease can be traced back to breeding pairs and eliminated.

You can download the full report (on all breeds) by the Michigan State University Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health. Here

Other Health Problems

The Alaskan Malamute does have some health conditions that should be paid attention to. For example, they are known to have hip dysplasia and often have chrondodysplasia and inherited polyneuropathy (muscle tone and weakness problems). Another problem that is often found is that in their eyes. They are prone to developing cataracts and often have vision problems as they begin to age.

These dogs are generally very healthy animals. In fact, most of their common health problems are those that are considered normal in larger breeds of dogs. You'll find that they are often caused by aging rather than disease of the dog. Purchasing a recognized dog with a lineage can help to reduce occurrences of health problems like that of chrondodysplasia, or dwarfism in the dogs. You can also minimize the health problems of your dog by providing proper health care to the dog from the time that it is born and throughout its lifetime. Be aware of where you purchase your puppy, too as puppy mills are common for the Alaskan Malamute.

It is also important to be sure that your Alaskan Malamute is fed properly for health. He will likely eat less than you imagine that he will, but he will eat quickly and without proper exercise this can be a problem for his health. Be sure that the dog eats a proper diet and one that promotes good nutrition.