Alice White
This plush, good-natured dog with a funny name actually belongs to one of the strongest and hardiest working breeds that the Melmute, a tribe of ancient Eskimos that lived in the upper reaches of the Anvik River in Alaska. Malamute is not as fast and agile as some of his northern brothers – sled dogs, but speed is not the main thing in his work: after all, his task is to transport heavy loads over long distances, and he is used to doing it with great dignity.
Malamutes are very hardy and can move loads weighing up to 400 kg. Due to their skill, these dogs are also frequent participants in weight-pulling competitions – weight pulling. By the way, you can start training a malamute in carrying weights only when its muscles are finally formed – and this will happen no earlier than when the dog is one year old. In addition to its main purpose, the malamute is also known as a participant in animal therapy: he gladly visits patients in hospitals and gives them a good mood. The Malamute is a sturdy dog with well-developed muscles, strong legs, and dense paws, thanks to which he walks on the snow with ease. He has a fairly wide head, erect ears of a triangular shape, a bushy tail, raised above his back when the dog is not working. The coat of the Alaskan Malamute is coarse, thick, of medium length, does not allow moisture to pass through, and in the warm season, it becomes less dense and shorter. The color of these four-legged creatures can be different: there are shades of gray, black, and red in their various combinations, and these dogs almost always have marks on the crown or on the muzzle. The only allowed single color of Malamutes by the standard is white. The height at the withers in these dogs ranges from 58 to 64 cm, weight – from 34 to 38 kg. Malamute is always energetic and interested in everything that happens, as evidenced by his lively, curious and at the same time alert brown eyes. By the way, blue eyes in these dogs are considered a major drawback and a reason for disqualification. Malamute is an intelligent and friendly dog, but sometimes it is wayward and stubborn, and in order to raise it with dignity, you will have to put in a lot of effort, so if you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to hire a good instructor for your pet, otherwise, he will sit for you on the neck. From an early age, teach the malamute to other animals, otherwise, it may develop aggression and hunting instinct towards them (especially for small animals or birds). But as a watchman, malamutes are not strong – they are hampered by their too friendly attitude towards people, which they have developed for a long time (before aggressive dogs were destroyed, because because of the specifics of their work, the fate of a person depended too much on them). And what kind of a Malamute is a guard, if he doesn’t even know how to bark: instead of the typical dog barking, the Malamutes make funny sounds, and even with such intonation that it seems that he speaks the same language as you.
Another of the ancient instincts of the Malamute (and his favorite pastime) is the constant desire to dig the ground (they used to hunt rodents in this way and feed on them), so it is better to immediately put a box of sand in his yard so that he has a personal place for his digging fun … In his free time, this “big bear” (as his fans call him) loves to play, but in games, he is very fussy and demands variety (probably, these are the consequences of his monotonous “work”). So if you constantly throw a ball at your pet, he will quickly get bored with this activity. But constant physical activity is necessary for this creature, otherwise, its inexhaustible energy will turn into a destructive force. In summary, the Malamute is not a dog for everyone, and you shouldn’t start it just because you bought into its cute appearance. Be prepared to provide such a demanding pet with plenty of playgrounds, regular exercise and walking, constant attention, and tremendous human love.
