** About the Alaskan Malamute **
Although we love the Alaskan Malamute, not everyone is suited to the breed. We hope to provide sufficient information about Alaskan Malamutes throughout our website (or to refer you to other sites containing information) that will enable you to make an informed decision whether to adopt an Alaskan Malamute as a member of your family. It is imperative that the puppy you select SHARES your happiness about the commitment you've made in selecting an Alaskan Malamute as your lifelong companion and grows to become a healthy and well-behaved member of your family.
The Alaskan Malamute was recognized for AKC registration in 1935. The Alaskan Malamute is one of the oldest Arctic sled dogs and named after the native Innuit tribe called Mahlemuts, who settled along the shores of Kotzebue Sound in the upper western part of Alaska. The Mahlemuts are believed to have developed the breed to pull sleds and as a pack animal. The Alaskan Malamute is the native Alaskan Arctic breed, cousin to the Samoyed of Russia, Siberian Husky (Kolyma River Region), and the Eskimo dogs of Greenland and Labrador.
The Alaskan Malamute is a true pack animal with the natural instinct to "lead or be led." Originally bred to be a freighting dog, this breed's strength is second to none. Therefore, leash training must begin early if you wish to enjoy long walks together!
Alaskan Malamutes are athletic dogs who love the outdoors, but, also thrive as house pets. Alaskan Malamutes are patient with children, however, they should always be supervised during play. The Alaskan Malamute is an affectionate, friendly dog - not a "one man" dog, but a loving companion who LOVES to play.
See http://www.akc.org/breeds for breed standards and other pertinent information.
The Alaskan Malamute requires regular exercise to maintain optimum health. We recommend a large, fenced yard, or, if your Alaskan Malamute is to be a house dog, you should have access to a park or a doggy day care - to permit your Alaskan Malamute to run. If you are the athletic type, your Alaskan Malamute will make a great running partner. If you are the woodsy-type, your Alaskan Malamute may be trained to carry a back pack and will love wandering the woods and countryside with you!
ADOPTION OF AN ADULT vs. A PUPPY
Whether to purchase a puppy or adopt an older Alaskan Malamute requires some soul-searching. The Alaskan Malamute adapts easily to its human companion and environment and, in most cases, the adoption of an adult Alaskan Malamute can be more rewarding than the purchase of a pup.
While a puppy is playful and adorable, a puppy represents a greater responsibility in terms of housebreaking and training. Only you can determine whether your lifestyle and/or home environment is best suited for a puppy or an adult dog. If you are the least bit hesitant about your ability (or degree of patience) to properly train a puppy, please check our website for the availability of an older Alaskan Malamute. On two (2) occasions, we have been asked to find a replacement home for a puppy purchased from us. Sometime back, we were able to place three (3) adult Alaskan Malamutes whose owner had closed his kennel. In both instances, we were able to locate new homes nearby.
IT IS OUR POLICY THAT, IF FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER, A FAMILY IS NO LONGER ABLE TO KEEP A PUPPY PURCHASED FROM US, CONTACT US AND GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLACE THE PUPPY/DOG WITH A NEW FAMILY! IF WE ARE UNABLE TO RE-HOME THE PUPPY/DOG, WE WILL MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HIS/HER RETURN HOME!
We also assist fellow breeders in locating new homes for Alaskan Malamutes "retired" from breeding programs by posting pictures on the page entited, "Adult Alaskan Malamutes Availabe for Adoption". In such cases, we post as much pertinent information about the Mal as provided us and list the owner's contact information.
If we don't have an adult Alaskan Malamute available for adoption, contact an Alaskan Malamute rescue organization about adopting an older Alaskan Malamute. Often, older Mals are placed for adoption merely because, for one reason or another, their owner(s) can no longer care for them. There will likely be an "adoption fee," however, a reputable rescue organization will have had the dog spayed/neutered (if not already spayed/neutered upon placement with the organization) and its shots will be current. In most instances, those persons within the organization will have had an opportunity to interact with the dog and will be able to place the right adult dog in your home (once your interests and home environment are known).
Also, consider searching Alaskan Malamute breeders who have "retired" breeding stock in need of a loving and nurturing home in their "golden years".
Remember, FIRST AND FOREMOST, it is important that BOTH you and the puppy and/or dog you select are happy with your decision to adopt an Alaskan Malamute!
Training. See subtitle under "Kennel Operation." It has been our experience that the Alaskan Malamute learns very quickly, however, possesses a short attention span (bores easily). We have found that training is best kept to 15-20 minute intervals, but, that training "sessions" may take place as often as you have time. Commands should be kept simple, i.e., "sit", "down", "walk", or "stay," and must be consistent. The use of hand signals together with verbal commands is recommended as well.
The Alaskan Malamute is extremely eager to please and, therefore, it is important that your puppy/dog is praised vigorously when he/she obeys your commands. Personally, we use treats as a training tool only occasionally and only in the beginning. We prefer the praise method (for those instances when treats are unavailable).
A majority of our adult dogs were purchased as puppies and became accustomed to other pets (particularly, cats) at a young age while housed in our home. Since they now reside in outside pens, we have noted that, while inside the house, the dogs pay little attention to the house cats and make no move to harm the cats. Nevertheless, when the dogs are permitted to run our fenced yard, they are closely supervised - a small animal of any kind running across the yard becomes fair game when 2 or more Mals are running loose. We tend to make certain that our outdoor cats are on the exterior of the fence before releasing the dogs from their pens into the yard.
Other Pets. It has been our personal experience that other pets are not a problem with the Alaskan Malamute PROVIDED he/she is introduced and socialized at an early age. Provided, also, that you have successfully established YOURSELF as "alpha" in the household. As adults, introductions to new pets should be closely supervised.
Canine Companions. Canine companions should be non-aggressive by nature and it is preferable that such companions be comparable in size and temperament. Additionally, because the Alaskan Malamute tends to be same-sex aggressive, future canine companions should be the opposite sex of your Alaskan Malamute and it is best to introduce "companions" within the first year of age ("visitors" generally don't share living space, attention, etc.). Also, canine companions must not be food-aggressive ... Alaskan Malamutes are not adverse to eating from another's bowl!
Feline Companions. Introductions to feline companions must be done at an early age! This is especially true if your cats have not been declawed! Most of our Alaskan Malamutes were acquired as puppies and were introduced to cats immediately ... we've never had an problem with our Mals' interaction with cats - unless the cat scratches them. However, a couple of our Mals were acquired as adults and had not been socialized with cats previously. When they come upon one of our barn cats, they will stand and wait for the cat to run, then, give chase. So, their interaction with the cats is closely supervised.
Children. Alaskan Malamutes are fine with children, but, because of the Mal's size, interaction with small children should be closely supervised. Again, introductions to children should be done at an early age. It is equally important that children be taught to be kind and respectful ... a "bad experience" is traumatic for both the child and the Mal - and neither may recover fully from the experience!
Shedding. While our dogs were housed indoors, we found that the shedding was easily controlled by a daily brushing. Since our dogs have taken up residence in outdoor pens, they tend to shed profusely - especially in Spring AND late-summer (during the Spring, the loose undercoat is recycled - a small pile left in the pen soon becomes the material of which birds' nests are made)! I use a "rake" to reach the undercoat and comb the dogs thoroughly. We have found that the addition of Veterinary Formula Shed Stop atop the dogs' food once daily, aids in preventing excessive shedding. Thankfully, most of our dogs relish the individual attention given during a brushing!
See links below for information related to Harness/Dog Sledding/Pulling Equipment and/or Veterinarian Supplies, Vitamin/Mineral Supplements, etc.
The above site has been recommended to me by the couple who own Chinook and Yukon, both of whom compete in weight-pulling!
I have found Revival Animal Health to be an excellent source from which to purchase most of my pets' needs, i.e., vitamin/mineral supplements, vaccinations, tick/flea/fly repellents.
Educational Sites Regarding Health Issues of Large-Breed Dogs
Canine Hip Dysplasia ("CHD"). Canine hip dysplasia is a developmental orthopedic disease. When a dog has hip dysplasia, it has an abnormal development of the ball-in-socket joint that makes up the hip. In a dysplatic hip, the ball (the head of the femur, or thighbone) and the socket (the acetabulum, a portion of the pelvis) do not fit together snugly.
Diagnosis. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals ("OFFA") provides a network by which dogs may undergo a radiological exam at 2 years of age to ascertain whether a dog has hip dysplasia. See the OFFA-link below for more detailed information. However, there is now another technique that shows promise in allowing an earlier and more sensitive detection of hip dysplasia - PennHIP.
PennHIP is a multifaceted radiographic technology (x-ray) for hip evaluation. It consists of 3 separate radiographs: the distraction view, the compression view and the hip-extended view. More importantly, for breeders striving to enhance their breed and eliminate hereditary defects, the PennHIP method is proven capable of estimating the susceptibility for CHD in dogs as young as sixteen weeks of age (versus the two years required for the OFA exam).
I cannot stress enough that "ordinary" x-rays will not always confirim hip dysplasia, especially in young dogs under 1 year of age. In the younger dog, bones and muscles are still developing and growing ... the younger dog is more active and, thus, more prone to injury not easily observable. Care should be exercised during the first 18 months of your Alaskan Malamute's growth to ensure that his/her "infrastructure" full matures and can support his/her weight and level of activity.
Cause/Prevention. Hip dysplasia is a genetic disease and, thus, it would seem that the solution to alleviating the disease would be to, first, refrain from breeding two dysplastic dogs. However, the difficulty in preventing hip dysplasia is that not all dogs with hip dysplasia will show signs of the disease. Thus, many seemingly normal dogs are bred together and hip dysplasia is kept within the gene pool.
There is good news, however! The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFFA) has recently published its findings following several years of evaluating the Alaskan Malamute for hip dysplasia, among other orthopedic ailments. Of 12,720 evaluations, the OFFA has determined 87.5% of those evaluated were "normal". See Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Statistics and Data.
Environment/Nutrition. Environmental and nutritional factors also play a role in hip dysplasia among those progeny from breeding pairs OFFA-certified clear of hip dysplasia. Obesity is a risk factor for the development of both arthritis and hip dysplasia. Dog food that has been over-supplemented with extra proteins, vitamins and minerals to make puppies grow faster can create orthopedic problems in large breed dogs that may lead to hip dysplasia and arthritis. Dogs fed a calorie-limited diet will reach the same adult size as their overfed counterparts more slowly, but, with a considerably reduced likelihood of developing arthritis or hip dysplasia. Large breed puppies should be fed a pet food especially formulated for large breed puppies.
See Queso pictured below right! Queso is a daughter of our Pumpkin and Dakota and now lives in Pennsylvania. She has been trained to carry a pack while wandering the mountains and woods with her human companion, David. David has been kind enough to provide us with many photos of Queso as they explore Nature's wonders! Please visit Pumpkin's "family album" to view additional pictures of Queso in the great outdoors!
Also, let's not forget Chinook and Yukon! They recently placed 1st and 2nd in their first weight-pulling competition! I've created a page entitled "Chinook and Yukon" to showcase their accomplishments! And, they've recently welcomed another member to their happy family ... Jonah! From the photos provided by their parents, Chinook and Yukon have bonded very well with Jonah!
