Mary Allen
The Malamute is a friendly and loyal dog. They are extremely people-friendly and great cuddlers. However, the Malamute tends to be stubborn and stubborn.
He needs a firm hand and consistent training. He also doesn’t like being alone and needs a lot of exercises. He prefers to live outside in a pack, where he shows first-class social behavior.
Alaska Malamute – a friendly and loyal dog
This Spitz is one of the oldest sled dogs, although it is even more robust than the Siberian Husky and has such strength and endurance that it was also used as a pack animal over long distances in the past.
Because of these dogs, the Mahlemut people were envied by the other Inuit people for a long time. This only changed with the invention of motorized sled vehicles.
Appearance
This strong and stocky dog features a square build with a broad head. At the top, this goes over a gentle stop and a long snout into a black nose mirror.
The brown, almond-shaped eyes are medium-sized and slanted. The small, triangular ears are set wide apart and carried erect or curled back. The fur consists of a dense, soft undercoat with hard and thick top hairs that stick out from the body. Coat colors accepted are white, light gray to black, or golden yellow to dark red, with white markings on the belly, legs, and muzzle. The bushy tail with a high base is carried low when at rest, e.g. during work over the back.
Care
This dog’s coat needs little maintenance. During moulting, it is best to use a coarse comb with double-row metal tines to remove loose hair from the undercoat.
Temperament
The Malamute is consistently a calm, friendly, and loyal housemate. However, he seems to be aware of his intelligence and physical superiority, because he often behaves in a dominant way. With such a powerful dog, this can become a problem that should be counteracted through consistent early training.
He is an excellent worker and is suited to both hunting and family life. The Malamute loves company and seeks approval. The dog particularly appreciates being spoken to, responding with a modulated whine. This breed barks very little and is not suitable as a guard dog. Malamutes are sometimes intolerant of other dogs.
Upbringing
Despite his friendly nature, this dog needs to be trained with a firm hand. So he needs an owner who will show him who is master and who understands the character of this dog. Under the guidance of such a master, the Malamute can learn a great deal – the dog even does corrective exercises quite well, even though it will usually be inferior to the representatives of the herding group at the competition level.
Attitude
It is fairly straightforward if the muscle man is well trained and socialized and if he also has ample opportunity for physical activity. He’s hardly suitable for the city, and he doesn’t like great heat at all. Its fur is easy to care for but sheds regularly and extensively.
Compatibility
Alaskan Malamutes are generally very good with children – in fact, they are friendly to everyone, which suggests that they are not ideal guard dogs. Malamutes can be quite dominant against dogs of the same sex, but this is the exception rather than the rule. Cats are not exactly the best friends of Malamutes, so it may be necessary to get the dog used to this company from a young age, then handling can be arranged relatively easily.
Movement
Exercise is arguably the major focus of raising an Alaskan Malamute. The dog needs a lot, or rather a lot of exercises. So if you know that you don’t have time to ride your bike next to the dog for at least an hour a day, you should refrain from buying one right away. In most countries, there are associations that organize sled dog competitions – in summer or when there is a lack of snow also with carts. Malamutes are comfortable both in and out of the house – but they don’t like being alone. You should always keep the dog on a leash and make sure that it obeys all commands well, otherwise, it will be gone too quickly.
History
The Alaskan Malamute takes its name from the Mahlemut Inuit, a nomadic Eskimo people of northwest Alaska who have always needed a very strong, resilient, and reliable sled dog. Centuries ago, Alaskan hunters and fishermen created the Malamute as an ideal helper from primeval Nordic Spitz types, which served them not only as a draft animal but also as a guard and hunting dog.
Later it accompanied many explorers on their polar expeditions, and today it is preferably used for sled dog races, where it excels less for its speed than for its tremendous endurance.