Alaskan Malamutes are excellent pets for families with children. However, the dogs are large and powerful and require supervision whenever spending time with young people.
FURRY FEET
The feet of the Alaskan Malamute have heavily furred webbing between thickly padded toes. The webbing allows them to stand on snow for long periods of time. Their paws are able to withstand frigid temperatures for several hours.
Gastric dilatation/volvulus (also called bloat) affects many large, deep-chested breeds, including the Alaskan Malamute. A dog’s stomach fills with gas and fluid, twists and then pinches the stomach’s blood vessels, resulting in severe swelling and the rather quick onset of shock, progressing to death if not treated immediately. Research has isolated some enviromental factors that may contribute to the condition in addition to the dog’s body structure. These include gobbling large amounts of food, exercising too close to mealtimes, gulping water and having an excitable temperament. Bloat may be preventable through simple daily precautions that are easy to incorporate into your routine. Ask your vet about preventives and how to recognize symptoms, as an affected dog needs immediate veterinary attention.
Hypothyroidism is a common problem that affects many Alaskan Malamutes. The most common signs that a thyroid problem may be present include lethargy and recurrent infections. Hair loss and cutaneous infections may also be seen. Since many drugs and illnesses affect levels of thyroid hormones in the blood, hypothyroidism is one of the most difficult endocrine diseases to diagnose. Fortunately, treatment is quite simple through the use of medication.
A Malamute puppy and child who grow up together form a very special bond of closeness.
SEARCH AND RESCUE
The Alaskan Malamute is very valuable as a search-and-rescue dog. The double coat helps to protect them from severe weather conditions and allows them to work for hours when looking for trapped victims that may have been buried in heavy snowfall during an avalanche.
A breed standard is a written description established and formulated by a breed club, outlining a particular breed’s ideal representation in both body and temperament. It is the accepted description of a breed. The standard is used to describe all characteristics of a breed (both good and bad) and specifies which characteristics are considered acceptable or unacceptable. Breeders, owners and judges use the breed standard to evaluate individual dogs. Without an accepted standard, it would be impossible to have an accurate, reliable means of identifying a dog’s faults and recognizing positive characteristics.
Breed standards do change over time, but parent clubs and organizations do their best to maintain the necessary specifics to preserve the function of a breed. It is not unusual for one person’s opinion and perception of the standard to differ from another’s. Such variation is an important part of maintaining a breed’s balance. What should be most important to breeders, judges and owners is the need to keep and produce dogs that represent true type in their breed.
THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB STANDARD FOR THE ALASKAN MALAMUTE
General Appearance: The Alaskan Malamute, one of the oldest Arctic sled dogs, is a powerful and substantially built dog with a deep chest and strong, well-muscled body. The Malamute stands well over the pads, and this stance gives the appearance of much activity and a proud carriage, with head erect and eyes alert showing interest and curiosity. The head is broad. Ears are triangular and erect when alerted. The muzzle is bulky, only slight diminishing in width from root to nose. The muzzle is not pointed or long, yet not stubby. The coat is thick with a coarse guard coat of sufficient length to protect a woolly undercoat. Malamutes are of various colors. Face markings are a distinguishing feature. These consist of a cap over the head, the face either all white or marked with a bar and/or mask. The tail is well furred, carried over the back, and has the appearance of a waving plume.
The Malamute must be a heavy boned dog with sound legs, good feet, deep chest and powerful shoulders, and have all of the other physical attributes necessary for the efficient performance of his job. The gait must be steady, balanced, tireless and totally efficient. He is not intended as a racing sled dog designed to compete in speed trials. The Malamute is structured for strength and endurance, and any characteristic of the individual specimen, including temperament, which interferes with the accomplishment of this purpose, is to be considered the most serious of faults.
Size, Proportion, Substance: There is a natural range in size in the breed. The desirable freighting sizes are males, 25 inches at the shoulders, 85 pounds; females, 23 inches at the shoulders, 75 pounds. However, size consideration should not outweigh that of type, proportion, movement and other functional attributes. When dogs are judged equal in type, proportion, movement, the dog nearest the desirable freighting size is to be preferred. The depth of chest is approximately one half the height of the dog at the shoulders, the deepest point being just behind the forelegs. The length of the body from point of shoulder to the rear point of pelvis is longer than the height of the body from ground to top of the withers. The body carries no excess weight, and bone is in proportion to size.
Head: The head is broad and deep, not coarse or clumsy, but in proportion to the size of the dog. The expression is soft and indicates an affectionate disposition. The eyes are obliquely placed in the skull. Eyes are brown, almond shaped and of medium size. Dark eyes are preferred. Blue eyes are a Disqualifying Fault. The ears are of medium size, but small in proportion to the head. The ears are triangular in shape and slightly rounded at the tips. They are set wide apart on the outside back edges of the skull on line with the upper corner of the eye, giving ears the appearance, when erect, of standing off from the skull. Erect ears point slightly forward, but when the dog is at work, the ears are sometimes folded against the skull. High set ears are a fault.
The skull is broad and moderately rounded between the ears, gradually narrowing and flattening on top as it approaches the eyes, rounding off to cheeks that are moderately flat. There is a slight furrow between the eyes. The topline of the skull and the topline of the muzzle show a slight break downward from a straight line as they join. The muzzle is large and bulky in proportion to the size of the skull, diminishing slightly in width and depth from junction with the skull to the nose. In all coat colors, except reds, the nose, lips, and eye rims’ pigmentation is black. Brown is permitted in red dogs. The lighter streaked “snow nose” is acceptable. The lips are close fitting. The upper and lower jaws are broad with large teeth. The incisors meet with a scissors grip. Overshot or undershot is a fault.
Neck, Topline, Body: The neck is strong and moderately arched. The chest is well developed. The body is compactly built but not short coupled. The back is straight and gently sloping to the hips. The loins are hard and well muscled. A long loin that may weaken the back is a fault. The tail is moderately set and follows the line of the spine at the base. The tail is carried over the back when not working. It is not a snap tail or curled tight against the back, nor is it short furred like a fox brush. The Malamute tail is well furred and has the appearance of a waving plume.
Correct tail carriage for dog when not working.
Incorrect tightly curled