The dog that is now the Alaskan Malamute is the result of years and years spent in a harsh climate: now it is hardened and does not suffer at all, but let us imagine what it has been through and what natural selection this breed has undergone. The name Malamute most likely derives from the population among whom they lived and with whom they shared days, cold and “picnics” in the snow: the Malhemute .
In Alaska, where the Malamute mainly lived, at a certain point in history it was invaded by pioneers and the breed also suffered a raid: it was greatly degraded due to crossbreeding with dogs of other breeds .
In 1926 this dog was “adopted” by the United States who thought to preserve its breed officially. In fact the Alaskan Malamute is made in USA. Despite the sociable character that we will learn to know later, the muzzle maintains a “wolf” shape, including the slightly cold but absolutely fascinating look.
Alaskan Malamute Weight and Height
The Alaskan Malamute has the unmistakable appearance of a sled dog, it is of medium size and between males and females we are around 60 cm and 35 kg. In particular, females measure 58.4 cm on average for 34 kg, males must measure at least 63 cm and weigh 38 kg.
By saying that Malamutes look like wolves , it has been said everything, then. We can focus on the fur, one of their peculiarities that drives many people crazy. The coat stands on end on the body, it is hard – we consider that it is a dog for bad weather – and has a woolly and very thick undercoat. The colors allowed by the Malamute breed standard are numerous, and vary from light gray to black, brown, from gold to dark red, with the belly, the muzzle, the feet and the paws strictly white.
The body structure is vigorous, very muscular but still agile, the wolf head also includes powerful jaws, “smiling” lips and small, triangular ears. The eyes are almond-shaped, not too large and always brown in color, the tail is long and covered with thick fur.
Another characteristic of the Alaskan Malamute is the elegance of its movements and its proud bearing. When walking or running it always expresses great power, its gait is rhythmic and loose, optimizing energy and time.
Below is a wonderful Alaskan Malamute with his owner, Scott.
Alaskan Malamute: character
The Malamute has a wonderful character and is not at all wild. In fact, it is not at all good as a guard dog because it does not know how to be aggressive and approaches all human beings “in friendship” . A little too much, to distinguish the bad guys.
This does not mean that he is not intelligent, on the contrary, but simply that of the guard is not his business. He has been pulling sleds for years and years, and in fact has an exceptional sense of direction, inherent in his DNA. He is sociable but always maintains, from the DNA of a wolf and of sparsely inhabited lands, a marked independence but also a strong curiosity. The Malamute is a playful and docile dog: never seen to be inappropriate or ferocious.
With the owner he is a very faithful dog, but he is also with the rest of the family to whom he shows endless affection. He is without a doubt the ideal dog for all those who love being outdoors and in his company, he is trainable quite easily but it is very important to make it clear from the start that we are the leader of the pack.
Malamute Training
The Alaskan Malamute is a hierarchical dog, he is used to being in contexts where roles are well defined, therefore in order to live with other animals, especially with other dogs of different breeds, he must have a clear idea of the hierarchy that guides relationships between dogs.
For the rest he has no problems and his training is not difficult. Always for hierarchy, we must tell our Malamute right away that we are the boss, we humans, and not him, in the family. It is not necessary to instill fear in him, just have a firm hand, and gain his trust and his esteem, then he will listen to us and we can continue to educate him with sweetness and firmness.
In general the Malamute is not a territorial dog , it lives with the idea of a pack. With maturity, males tend to become more dignified, while females of the Alaskan Malamute remain more expansive.
Alaskan Malamute Care
The Malamute , given its history and its first occupation as a sled dog, is clearly a frugal dog and therefore has few needs. For the coat, a couple of brushings against the grain a week are enough, daily only during the moulting period. It is important to take care of the cleaning of the ears and general, with weekly washing of the external ear pavilions and a monthly bath. Be careful that with the fact of having the undercoat, the Malamute is not easy to wash.
Our Malamute is in good health , but a six-monthly check-up by the vet for feces and urine is always a good idea, just to be on the safe side, but one way to ensure few problems is to feed him well. This means serving the Malagute a daily ration of excellent quality food in a bowl, to which we add one or two spoonfuls of oil, for hair care.
Malamute: price
The price of Alaskan Malamute puppies depends on various factors, first of all the shade of the coat colors and the pedigree must be evaluated. Of course, assuming that it is a Malamute puppy in excellent health. From breeder to breeder the prices are very different and this creates confusion, to give an idea they go from 1000 euros to 1500. Pedigree included and required of course.