About Alaskan Malamutes:

The Alaskan Malamute is a people-orientated, friendly, and a devoted companion.  It loves children and is the eternal puppy.  While it is an outdoor dog, it is happiest drawing a sled or wheeled cart.  Malamutes also love to play in water dishes, so keeping them from turning their water over can be a challenge.  Because of their thick, insulating double coat, they do not deal well with high temperatures.  They should not be left out in the heat of summer. One of the oldest northern sled dogs, the Alaskan Malamute comes from the northwestern region of Alaska.  It is related to other arctic dogs, such as the Samoyed and the Siberian Husky of the Soviet Union, and the Eskimo dogs of Greenland and Labrador, but its exact origins are unknown.  Russian explorers.  Upon first traveling to western Alaska, reported seeing dogs pulling huge sleds across the ice.  Other adventurers described teams of dogs used by an Innuit tribe called the Malamutes.  Whence the breed’s name.  Unlike other sled dogs, which are bred for speed, the Malamute became known for its unbounding endurance, loyalty, and ability to haul heavy loads.

Care and Exercise:

Full coat needs to be kept clean, well brushed, and free of parasites.  Tends to shed heavily in spring and early summer, when it needs daily brushing to remove excess hair. Keep toenails clipped or filed so that long nails do not break down feet; this routine is best started when dog is a puppy.  Wipe ears using baby oil on a cotton swab, and check teeth for tartar regularly.  This breed needs a lot of exercise and intensive obedience training. Permit it to fulfill its sled-dog instincts by allowing it to pull a sled in winter or let it drag a wheeled cart anytime.  Keeping dog in a large, fenced yard is ideal.  Do not allow it to run loose or to get fat.  Dog is happiest in cool weather; does not do well in extreme heat and humidity.

Recommended Households:

This large breed is suited for the country, not the city.  It needs a family that will spend time with it-training.  Exercising, and loving it. If allowed to become bored, the Alaskan Malamute can be troublesome and make a nuisance of itself by barking and by chewing up its owner’s things.  This is a highly specialized dog, bred for a particular purpose.  It should have plenty of outdoor space.  Unless trained early and well, the Alaskan Malamute can be a problem around livestock—or neighborhood cats.