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Alaskan Malamute
Description:
The Alaskan Malamute is a very strong and powerful Nordic dog breed with a deep chest and solid body. The Alaskan is one of the North American spitz dog breeds and was often known as a wolf spitz. The breed is characterized by a wolf-like expression and wedge-shaped head with erect padded ears and brown eyes. Male dogs range from 24 to 27 inches and female dogs from 23 to 25 inches at shoulder height. Malamutes can weigh from 75 to 100 lbs. The breed has a medium-long coarse water repellent outer coat with a dense soft undercoat. All colors are permitted in this breed and can range from gold and red through grey and black. The Alaskan's most common colors are light grey to black with white under body and white markings on the dogs face, legs and feet.
Alaskan Malamutes are members of the American Kennel Club (AKC) Working Dog Group.
Alaskan Malamute Pictures:
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History:
The Malamute is the oldest breed in the Artic and although its origin is obscure, it certainly descended from wolves. These artic dogs were native to Alaska and were bred many centuries ago by a nomadic Eskimo tribe called Mahlemuts. The Alaskans were developed as all-round sled, pack, hunter and guard dogs. The breed is a superb and tireless sled dog which is much stronger than a Siberian Husky. Alaskans were ranked 58th out of 154 dog breeds in 2004 AKC registrations.
Temperament:
Malamutes are lively, tolerant and friendly dogs but should be carefully watched around cats and small dogs. In fact they really shouldn’t be raised in a family with small animals. Malamute puppies and adolescents require early obedience training because they turn into powerful and strong willed adult dogs who want to rule the household. This breed, while family friendly, should be supervised around small children. The Malamutes are not particularly good guard dogs or watch dogs as they are friendly to all strangers. The Malamutes love to please their owner and can be trained to be well mannered. The Alaskan requires a lot of attention, especially in the first two years otherwise it can turn destructive when bored. These dogs should have an experienced dog owner because of the need for firm handling and thorough obedience training.
Exercise:
This breed requires a lot of outdoor exercise and is not suited for apartment or even small yard living. The Malamutes don’t like excessive heat or humidity and require the run of a large yard for living space.
Grooming:
Alaskans blow or lose their thick undercoat in the spring and summer and if possible should be professionally trimmed. Their coat should be brushed at least once and preferably twice per week. Regular bathing is unnecessary as the malamutes coat sheds dirt readily and the dog is clean and has little odour.
Health Issues:
The breed has a lifespan of 10 to 14 years and are generally very hardy dogs. The Alaskans can suffer from hip dysplasia and eye problems. Information on some of these genetic diseases can be found in our article Hereditary Diseases in Dogs.
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