Malamute dog

History of origin

Malamutes first appeared in the Malmute Eskimo tribes who lived along the Anvik River in Alaska. The Eskimos used these dogs to carry heavy loads in extreme arctic conditions.

Breeders distinguish two types of Alaskan Malamutes: M’Loot and Kotzebue. M´Loots are distinguished by their large size and various colors – from wolf to white. Kotzebue has only one color – wolf, while they are less aggressive and very mobile.

The breeder Paul Volcker was engaged in the M’Lut line, he did not officially register his dogs. Kotzebue was bred by Arthur Walden and the spouses Milton and Eva Seeley: they developed breed standards and officially registered it in 1935. And although breeders are still arguing which of the Malamutes is “correct”, both species are very popular all over the world.

Breed description

Malamutes are very large dogs with a strong physique and well-developed muscles. They have a broad head with wedge-shaped, erect ears, dark brown eyes, and an expressive black nose. The paws are of medium length, strong, with pubescent pads, and the tail is lowered or raised above the back.

Thick coat of medium length and dense undercoat allows Malamutes to easily endure frost and wind. The colors of dogs are very diverse: wolf, gray, gray-white, black-and-white, pure white.

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Character

Malamutes are very friendly dogs; due to their large size and soft coat, they are often called “bears”. These dogs are always ready to respond to an invitation to the game, and they themselves will amuse the owner with their funny tricks. Malamutes are very fond of children and feel great in a family environment.

As for getting along with other pets, it should be remembered that Malamutes often begin to dominate other dogs. Therefore, the owner needs to introduce the puppy into the “dog society” as soon as possible, stopping any attempts by the pet to make “showdowns”.

If you decide to get a Malamute to guard the house from intruders, then this is a bad idea. These dogs are absolutely non-aggressive and very friendly, so they will rather wag their tail in front of a stranger than attack him. The dog will lick a thief who has climbed into the house, as if he were a close friend of the family, and nothing can be done about it. Malamutes bark very little, but they love to “talk” with the owner, whining hoarsely.

Care and maintenance

Malamute is unsuitable for keeping in an apartment – firstly, it is hot there, and secondly, it is crowded. The ideal place for this breed is a house with a spacious yard where the dog will run around calmly, having the opportunity to go home at any time. You can put a booth in the yard – malamutes love to jump on the roof and look around their possessions with a majestic view.

When you get a Malamute, be sure to enclose the area with a high fence. Malamutes enjoy solitary walks and can run away. Also, these dogs are known to be good diggers, so you can put a box of sand in the yard and train your dog to dig there, and not your favorite beds.

Malamutes do not require careful care and are unpretentious in content. They need to be combed out about once a week, and during molting (twice a year) it is better daily, otherwise shreds of wool will lie all over the house. It is also enough to wash them a couple of times a year, while you can not be afraid of the smell of a dog. You should also regularly trim the claws on the paws with a special claw cutter.

Do not worry that such a large dog as a Malamute is difficult to feed, because they eat very little. You need to immediately decide what to feed the dog – dry food (only premium!) or the right “natural”. A dog can be given raw meat (beef, chicken, turkey, lamb), low-fat cottage cheese, quail eggs, boiled vegetables (with the exception of potatoes). The main rule: exclude sweet, salty and starchy foods from the diet. Do not forget that consultation with a professional will help you choose the right diet and protect your pet from digestive problems in the future.

Education and training

Malamute should not be bought for beginners, because it is easy to make mistakes in raising a puppy of this breed, which will then be difficult to correct. They have a complex character and they often refuse to carry out one or another command. It is also worth noting that Malamutes are very intelligent, but can become stubborn if they get bored.

Unfortunately, Malamutes are often “rejected dogs”: a person falls in love with a cute puppy, and later can not cope with a large and stubborn dog – and he ends up in a shelter or on the street. You need to know that this breed is prone to dominance, so it is important to immediately show who is the boss in the house. Follow the simplest rules – the dog eats after the owner, enters the house also after him, leaves – on command.

If he has already taken the place of the leader, then it will be very difficult and even impossible to retrain him. Patience is important – the pet needs to constantly prove that the leader is the owner.

Start with the simplest commands – as a puppy, the Malamute should already know what it is to give a paw, sit, lie, voice, beside. Do not scold the dog if it does not understand something the first time, do not raise your voice at it and do not raise your hand. She will not become more understanding from this, and you will easily lose contact with the animal. All training should take place in the form of a game, after a correctly completed task, you need to praise the dog – give a treat or pat on the head.

The Alaskan Malamute is a working breed. He really needs loads: long and frequent walks on foot and by bike or active games. If you take your dog on a hike, he can carry a backpack with food and water on his back.

Health and disease

Despite the fact that Malamutes are hardy dogs that are not prone to genetic diseases, they often suffer from gastric volvulus, eczema, reduced nose pigmentation, eye diseases, dysplasia and dwarfism.

In order for the dog to be healthy, it is necessary to put a comprehensive vaccination and repeat it every year. Also, every quarter you need to treat the dog from worms, clean the ears every two weeks so that there are no infections, monitor the health of the coat and teeth. In the summer it is necessary to give a special remedy for ticks.

Popular questions and answers

We talked about the Malamute breed with veterinarian, zoo engineer Anastasia Kalinina.