Alaskan Malamute Dog

The Alaskan Malamute Dog is a very sweet-tempered and affectionate companion. Although his wolf-like general appearance can be awe-inspiring, he is not vicious and is not intended as a guard dog. Alaskan Malamutes are glad to see anyone approaching their homes, including those with malicious intent. This is a purely working breed that was initially developed for pulling sleds. Alaskan Malamutes are highly reminiscent of other arctic dog breeds, such as the Samoyed, Siberian Husky and Eskimo dog.

Alaskan Malamute Dogs have been around for about 3,000, and they are named after Mahlemiut tribesmen, who actually stood at the cradle of the breed. Malamutes are a little different from other renowned breeds of dogs, and they haven’t sustained much genetic influence by other breeds, except a few attempts to improve the breed that took place around the turn of the 20th century. The Malamute of today looks similar to what he was like many centuries ago.

The Malamute breed belongs to the Spitz group of dogs. He has a very dense double-coat featuring a profuse and wooly undercoat. The coat is particularly dense on the tail, which is often referred to as “plume”. The tail is carried over the back, and sometimes dogs use it to keep the nose warm. The coat is an excellent protection against inhospitable arctic weather; therefore, Alaskan Malamute Dogs can withstand cold very well. Coat colors include grey and white, black and white, red and white, sable and white, or pure white. The body is robust and compact, neither slender nor too heavy.

Although Malamutes are remarkably enduring and laborious dogs, they are not fast runners and hence they do not do well in speed racing contests. Their function is limited to pulling freight, in which these dogs are second to none. It takes a little bit of knowledge to own a Malamute, since they can be hard to train due to their obstinate nature. Alaska Malamutes are pack dogs, and they are friendlier toward other dogs, especially those of the same size, than dogs usually are. They are not territorial, but sometimes can pick on smaller pets. Alaskan Malamute Dogs are excellent companions for children, but they should not be left around small children unsupervised because of their great strength.

Alaskan Malamutes live about 10 years. Cancer is the main cause of premature death (about 40%). These dogs are generally healthy, but one has to be on the watch-out when choosing a breeder to buy a puppy from. In order to minimize the risk of getting a puppy with hereditary malfunctions, you should study each dog’s pedigree very carefully. There are a number of genetic diseases common to the Alaskan Malamute Dog, such as progressive retinal atrophy, cataract, chondrodysplasia etc.