Training and education of the Alaskan Malamute

03/23/2019 Irina Malinina 3 comments

The Alaskan Malamute is an indigenous dog breed that is rightfully considered very ancient. When you look at these animals, you immediately remember the harsh northern regions, merciless blizzards and blizzards, dog sleds crossing endless snowy plains. And also real male friendship, the hard and often unsuccessful work of gold seekers.

The Alaskan Malamute is so close to the harsh nature that sometimes it is hard to believe that this animal has become a real pet and successfully lives next to humans. After all, the dog's appearance still makes him look like a wolf.

The breed got its name thanks to the tribe, among whom it was very popular. The tribe was called Malemute. The Malamute dog has been in danger of extinction more than once, but was able to survive against all odds. Today the breed is one of the TOP most popular breeds in the world.

Alaskan Malamute - a brief description of the breed

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It is unlikely that anyone will be able to pass by a Malamute without looking back at this large dog with a striking appearance. A beautiful, strong dog simply radiates energy. The animal is very friendly and in dire need of human attention.

In addition to good nature, stubbornness and a tendency to dominate are considered a distinctive character trait of the Malamute.

Moreover, the dog, so reminiscent of a wolf, tries to dominate everyone: other animals and its own owner. That is why you should not leave questions regarding upbringing and training to chance, so as not to end up with an ill-mannered aggressive creature.

The Malamute is known for having its own opinion on any event, carefully considering any issue and making decisions independently.

Those who consider the Malamute a working dog are not mistaken. Harness work has been the main occupation of dogs of this breed for a long time. That is why they cannot imagine their life without movement. If you don't give your dog enough physical activity, it will turn into a weak-willed, lazy creature, only vaguely reminiscent of a powerful sled dog.

The Malamute dog breed is no longer considered exotic. There are a sufficient number of these dogs in Russia. And every year they become more and more popular. And how can you not pay attention to a generous, intelligent and devoted dog?

Only that person will make friends with a Malamute who seeks devotion and love in return for his good attitude. It will not be possible to achieve servility, unconditional obedience and every minute obedience from this dog.

Caring for an Alaskan Malamute

Alaskan Malamutes have thick coats that require regular grooming. These dogs need to be brushed at least several times a week. It is also worth taking care of your dog's teeth; brush your Malamute's teeth at least three times a week. Also, trim your dog's nails on time.

Alaskan Malamutes shed twice a year. During this period, the dog loses a large amount of hair in clumps, but do not worry, this is normal.

The Malamute has a very thick coat and needs to be brushed. Twice a year, in spring and autumn, the Malamute sheds heavily.

When a Malamute is bored and poorly trained, he may destroy everything in your apartment. He can also very deftly snatch something edible from a shelf, even if that shelf is seemingly inaccessible.

In a public place, it is better to keep your Malamute on a leash, because he may not want to follow your command. Also, the owner needs to have sufficient strength, because if the Malamute makes a jerk, he can drag you very far. Malamutes are always alert and ready to rush after prey.

We advise you to read: Dog breed Great Dane

Finally, Malamutes love to dig. Therefore, if you have a house with a garden, think carefully about what is more important to you.

You don't have to worry about bathing these dogs either. In fact, even in hot weather, the Alaskan Malamute does not need to take baths. You can use dry shampoo once every two months. However, in general, these dogs themselves take care of the cleanliness of their coat. At the same time, Alaskan Malamutes do not have a bad smell and are not dirty.

Comparison with Husky

A very common statement is that the Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky are similar in many ways. People who are far from dog breeding often even confuse these breeds. I would like to note that there are still some common features in the appearance of these two breeds, but the differences are many times greater. You can immediately notice them if you put a photo of a malamute and a photo of a husky next to each other.

Husky has shorter and softer hair, its eyes can be blue, brown, yellow, even multi-colored. In general, the Husky is more compact. A distinctive feature of huskies is their great mobility. They are very passionate, nimble, nimble, but at the same time less hardy than Malamutes.

If we compare the strength of these two breeds, it turns out that Malamutes will also take the palm here.

The only thing that is similar is the character of these dogs. Both breeds are quite headstrong, are considered poor watchdogs and require good exercise.

History of appearance

The history of the origin of Malamutes is replete with many facts. These dogs were popular among both the Malemute tribe and the Eskimos. The main task of the dogs was to drag heavy loads and ride in a sled. The dog was used to help hunt seals and polar bears.

"Feverish" stage

The “Gold Rush” that hit Alaska contributed to the growth of the dog population. The fact is that gold miners assessed the external characteristics and working abilities of the breed.

There were a lot of people who wanted to mine gold and get rich. But not everyone was able to adapt to the harsh conditions of Alaska. Many were not even able to reach their destination. These events are described very well and colorfully in the book by Jack London.

There is also a negative side to the fact that the dog was so popular among gold miners. Gold miners began randomly crossing Malamutes with other dog breeds, wanting to increase their speed and endurance. It was quite expected that the number of purebred representatives of the breed has greatly decreased.

Present tense

But, as you know, everything in the world passes, and the gold rush passed. The Americans switched to sports and became interested in luge competitions. There was a need to return the breed to purity, because only a true representative with pure blood could win the races with dignity. Targeted work has begun to increase the number of Malamutes.

The breed achieved official recognition throughout the world in 1935. At the same time, the first standard was developed.

During the Second World War, there was an urgent need for sled dogs. A large number of Malamutes were sent to the front, from where they never returned. Callous people often left dogs to die of hunger.

There are known cases of simply terrible attitude of forwarders who have been to the Arctic towards Malamutes. Arctic dogs were simply blown up after they had completed their mission and provided the necessary assistance to people.

The next desire of mankind to restore the breed reached its peak at the end of the war. In 1947, work began again, requiring a large amount of material costs and human effort. The population began to grow, and in the early 70s it was already known outside the country.

The Alaskan Malamute breed was recognized as the symbol of the United States in 2010.

Dog appearance (standards)

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Dimensions

The Malamute dog has an average weight of 35-38 kg. Males are characterized by a height of 60-63 cm, females are slightly lower, their height usually does not exceed 59 cm.

Wool

The Malamute's coat consists of hard guard hair and a soft and rather dense undercoat.

The animal's fur is always a little oily. Nature provided this property so that the Malamute does not freeze in cold winter conditions and does not get very wet when in contact with water.

Colors

The standard allows colors such as black and white, light gray, sable, and blue. On the head, paws and lower part of the body, the predominant color is white.

Unevenly spaced color is undesirable.

Head

The dog's head is massive, wide, but at the same time always proportional to the body.

Teeth and jaws

Powerful jaws are characterized by a scissor bite. The teeth are always large and sharp.

Eyes

The eyes are usually small and characterized by an almond shape. Brown color is the predominant color.

Body and limbs

Malamutes are distinguished by well-developed muscles and have strong bones. The animal's limbs are straight.

The hairy paw pads allow the Malamute to move easily through the snow without falling through.

Tail

In a calm position, the dog's tail is lowered; when excited, it rises up. It has a rounded shape, but the tip does not touch the animal’s back.

Rock defects

All deviations from the requirements established by the standard are defects. The most common are the following:

undershot or overshot;
deviations in height or weight in one direction or another;
blue eye color;
male cryptorchidism;
excessive fearfulness;
causeless aggressiveness.

Malamute character

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Malamutes only superficially resemble cute and fluffy bears. But the character of dogs is quite complex. These pets are very independent and need a firm hand from their owner. Otherwise, the dog will demonstrate disobedience, anywhere and at any moment when he pleases.

Attitude towards the owner

The Alaskan Malamute becomes strongly attached to its owner and needs constant contact and communication. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the Malamute’s life was spent in a pack among its brothers, and the animal remembers this at the genetic level. This is why you should not keep your Malamute at a distance in an enclosure; the dog simply will not understand the meaning of your action and may lose trust in you.

The Malamute simply thrives when he is the center of attention of his “pack.”

Attitude towards children

A small child in the family is not a reason to give up the idea of getting a Malamute. There are many examples that dogs of this breed and children can live peacefully side by side. Of course, a Malamute will not make a good nanny, but aggression towards children is unusual for him.

It is very good if the baby and the puppy that appears in the house grow up together. In this case, they will become best friends and will play and play pranks together.

There are cases when a baby is born into a family where an adult Malamute dog already lives.

In this case, parents should set boundaries between the dog and the child and make it clear to the pet that the human child is untouchable.

A dog is unlikely to pay attention to a newborn baby dozing in a stroller, but when the baby grows up and begins to travel around the house on his own, exploring the world, he will definitely attract the attention of a malamute.

At these moments, an adult should always be nearby, because the dog can harm the child. She won't do it on purpose. Most likely, everything will happen unintentionally, due to the different sizes of the animal and the child. A huge shaggy dog can also frighten a little fool.

Attitude towards strangers

If an impressive and large dog so impressed you with its size that you decided to use it as a guard, I would like to warn you in advance that this idea does not make sense. By nature, Malamutes are so friendly and non-aggressive that they will greet everyone who decides to look into your home with joy and curiosity. A dog will never use its frightening appearance to scare a person.

Raising a Malamute puppy at 2 months

At 2 months old, your Alaskan Malamute puppy is still at home, in quarantine after the first vaccinations, and he is not yet allowed to go for walks. Therefore, it’s time to start raising a puppy in familiar home conditions.

The first step is teaching the puppy to go to the toilet in a diaper . At the same time, it should be remembered that any learning is a rather complex thing, and when you see the first positive results, you should not think that your puppy has already understood everything, but you should continue training according to the method, so that after a while you do not have to start all over again.

The second important point will be to accustom the puppy to a collar and leash . Yes, yes, this should be done at home, so that by the time the puppy goes outside for the first time, wearing a collar will not be additional stress for him, but is already a familiar thing, and he can begin to explore the world around him, rather than trying get rid of an unknown object.

Care and maintenance

The best place to keep an Alaskan Malamute is in a private home.

Choosing a place to live

You can prepare a spacious enclosure with a good booth for the animal. The northern breed is not afraid of frosts; it will endure them with ease. The disadvantage of keeping an enclosure will be the lack of communication with a person, without whom the contact breed simply cannot live. If you need to keep it in an enclosure, you should still give your pet enough attention.

You shouldn’t be surprised if in just a few hours the malamute digs through the entire enclosure and even makes a dig. The dog loves to dig. This is due to the need in the distant past to get food from the ground, digging up and eating small rodents.

Anyone who claims that apartment living is not suitable for Malamutes is deeply mistaken. Dogs of this breed live successfully in cities. The golden rule, which you should definitely adhere to when living in an apartment, is a long daily walk.

Malamutes have a tendency to dig holes even when living in a city apartment. It doesn’t matter what is under your pet’s paws: flimsy laminate or expensive parquet, he will try to find food under it.

The Malamute simply needs early socialization. The dog needs to be taken to places where it will see people and animals, hear unfamiliar sounds and get used to them so as not to be scared in the future.

Walk and Groom

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You should definitely walk your dog, keeping it occupied with various games during the walk. The Malamute will happily bring a stick or ball to its owner. You can make a slingshot or slingshot to throw objects as far as possible and give your dog the opportunity to get the most out of his energy.

Caring for an Alaskan Malamute is simple and no different from caring for other dog breeds. The main attention should be paid to the pet's fur, periodically combing it using special slickers. During seasonal shedding, which occurs twice a year, the dog will have to be brushed daily. For this purpose, you can buy a furminator, which can make your life much easier.

If you do not treat the combing procedure with due attention, the dog's fur will become tangled and tangles will appear.

What will fly around your apartment is not poplar fluff, about which many songs have been sung, but dog fluff, which can cause a bad mood and subsequent allergies.

You need to bathe your pet as soon as it gets dirty. In summer, this procedure is done more often; most owners claim that Malamutes love water procedures.

If your dog is participating in shows, bathing should be taken very seriously. Experienced owners use different shampoos for light and dark areas of the coat.

This is due to the fact that white wool is more likely to become dirty. And black hair, when using the wrong shampoo, can lose its brightness and natural shine.

After bathing, be sure to wipe the dog dry and dry its fur additionally. Wet wool tends to pill.

It would be a good idea to regularly examine your pet's ears and remove dirt from them. If discharge appears from the eyes, it is worth wiping the dog’s eyes with hygiene lotion. If the discharge is purulent, you should contact your veterinarian, as it is quite possible that the dog has contracted conjunctivitis.

Malamute claws are trimmed very rarely. An active animal wears them down naturally.

Feeding

Special attention should be paid to the issue of feeding your pet. You need to immediately decide on the type of feeding so as not to injure the animal or harm its health. Many people believe that any food that is advertised hourly on TV is better than natural food.

It is not always so. On TV, low-quality feeds that do not contain the necessary components are often praised. You should not feed your pet economy class food. If you are going to make a choice in favor of dry food, then you need to choose those that have a class no lower than premium.

The advantage of natural food is that the owner himself can control its quality. But here you also need to take into account that feeding must be correct and well-balanced.

Veterinarians recommend not mixing dry food with natural food.

Alaskan Malamute training

This breed is very intelligent and can learn a lot, but it must enjoy it. The problem is that even a well-trained Malamute will sometimes disobey commands if he is in a bad mood.

When choosing activities with your Malamute, remember its origins. Carrying heavy objects, sleds, and car tires corresponds to its natural purpose. Such types of activities free him from accumulated energy. An alternative is long bike rides. If the Malamute does not have enough physical activity, he will direct his energy in another direction that is undesirable for the owner.

The Malamute, like most northern dogs, is very stubborn. This quality is difficult for owners who would like to have a perfectly obedient dog. The Malamute learns commands very quickly, but at the same time carries them out only when he sees the meaning in it. Competent Malamute training and the ability to treat the dog with understanding are essential to successfully owning this breed.

Education and training

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Raising a pet should be done from an early age. Moreover, we should not forget for a minute that the breed is stubborn and has a constant desire to dominate everyone. In this process you need to be patient, only then can you hope for a favorable outcome.

From the first days, the baby must clearly understand what can be done and what cannot be done.

The owner must be consistent in his requirements and force the pet to strictly follow the established rules.

A cute fluffy bear cub who has settled in the house will naturally win your heart. Before you know it, he will climb into your bed or curl up next to you on the sofa. Everything would be fine, but the baby will grow up very quickly and take over your bed or sofa. And it is unlikely that it will be possible to re-educate him as an adult. That’s why it’s worth immediately clearly establishing the rules and following them constantly.

The Alaskan Malamute is very inquisitive and immediately grasps everything on the fly.

This breed can remember a command the first time and even repeat it several times. But this is usually where it ends: the dog loses interest in monotonous actions and stops performing them.

A pack dog needs a leader. A person should become not only a pet’s friend, but also an undisputed leader. At moments when the animal does not want to obey, he needs to be reminded who is the leader of your “pack”. A weak and weak-willed person will not even notice how he begins to obey his own dog.

Training a Malamute is a rather difficult task that not every owner can successfully complete. Only determination and strict adherence to your goal will help you complete this task.

If possible, you can attend training courses. A professional will tell you how to quickly and correctly achieve your pet’s obedience.

The key to success is also the physical labor of the animal. It must be remembered that the Alaskan Malamute is in dire need of exercise, it is simply vital for him. It is worth fully satisfying his need for physical activity, and by the beginning of the training process you will get a more obedient animal.

Malamute puppy training, when to start

Training an Alaskan Malamute puppy must begin from the very first days

the presence of a dog in your home. There is an opinion that puppies should be trained no earlier than 6 months, but this opinion is erroneous, although quite widespread. From infancy, you need to instill in your dog the rules of behavior in your home, what is allowed and what is prohibited.

Often new puppy owners worry that training from the first days will be excessively stressful for the dog. This is only possible if outdated rigid methods are used, and with the right approach, training from the first days will be, on the contrary, very useful, since it allows you to immediately establish contact

with the puppy and build a trusting relationship.

Dog health

Overall, the Alaskan Malamute is considered a healthy dog breed and often lives to be 12-15 years old.

Proper nutrition and care will definitely extend the years of your pet's life.

Representatives of the breed are still prone to certain diseases. The most common are the following:

hip dysplasia;
diabetes;
eye diseases;
skin diseases;
epilepsy;
bloating.

You should definitely monitor your pet’s health and promptly rid it of fleas and worms.
It is recommended to drive roundworms quarterly for preventive purposes. For therapeutic purposes (if there are worms, or there was a very long break between runs), the parasites are driven twice, with an interval of 10-14 days. The presence of fleas should also not be ignored, since in addition to the discomfort they cause the dog, these parasites often become carriers of various diseases.

Under no circumstances should you skip vaccinating your dog. Timely vaccination is the key to your pet's health.

How to choose a Malamute puppy

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If you have read a lot of information and surfed the Internet for a very long time in search of the ideal dog and settled on the Malamute dog breed, you should also decide on place to buy a puppy. Purchasing a baby secondhand through an advertisement will not give you guarantees that you have become the owner of a purebred representative of the breed. Therefore, the best option would be to visit a nursery or a professional breeder who has the appropriate documents and excellent reviews.

Malamute puppies are all cute, one more beautiful than the other, but still you shouldn’t grab the first one you come across. Spend at least an hour of your precious time observing the behavior of the puppies: their attitude towards their mother, towards strangers, towards each other.

You should not give preference to a child who has pronounced leadership habits. Most likely, this pet will try to take a leading position throughout its life, which will certainly cause a lot of problems for its owner. But an overly shy puppy is not considered the best choice. An insecure dog that is afraid of people will also create certain difficulties.

Focus your attention on a moderately mobile puppy, try to pick him up. The baby must make contact and not show aggression.

You should not ignore the appearance of the puppies. They must be well-groomed, healthy, and have a shiny coat. Discharge from the eyes, ears, dirt around the anus, and bad breath should definitely alert you. In this case, you should doubt the quality of the breeder’s work.

If no complaints have arisen against the owner of the nursery and you have made your choice, you should definitely talk to the breeder and ask him any questions you may have. You definitely need to understand the type of feeding, find out about worming and vaccinations that were carried out. A professional and specialist in his field will provide you with a lot of information and give you a huge amount of advice, using which you will make your life much easier.

Socialization of a Malamute puppy at 3 months

Three months is an important stage in introducing an Alaskan Malamute puppy to the outside world. Your first walks should be short and not too tiring for the puppy.

At this age, the puppy’s nervous system is forming.

, so it is necessary to show him as much as possible: noisy streets, large crowds of people, etc. This must be done very carefully, gradually, over and over again increasing the time spent in noisy places, so as not to overload the puppy and not frighten him.

It is also necessary to introduce the puppy to friendly dogs and people.

so that later the puppy does not develop aggression or cowardice caused by the fear of new things and the inability to communicate and make new acquaintances. And this is currently, unfortunately, not uncommon in the behavior of adult dogs, but a fairly common problem with which people turn to our specialists for help.

The emergence of new places leads to new rules that need to be consolidated:

Now you can and should go to the toilet on the street, rather than steadfastly endure and carry everything home;
Not every new person or dog wants to communicate, so you don’t need to run headlong to meet everyone;
Not all food is healthy, so it should only be taken from the owner’s hands.

Training a puppy follows the same principles as at 2 months. It should be remembered that at this age puppies develop conditioned reflexes quite easily, but they are also quickly forgotten, so you should not scold the puppy for not following commands, especially if they have not been repeated for a long time, but you should pay more attention to learning new things and repeating already learned material .

Pros and cons of the breed

Each breed has positive and negative points.

The advantages of the Alaskan Malamute include the following:

stunning appearance;
good attitude towards children;
good nature;
ease of care;
absence of causeless barking;
long life expectancy.

Disadvantages of the breed:

constant desire to be a leader;
difficulty in education and training;
excessive independence;
the need for a strong and confident owner;
the need for frequent and long walks with good physical activity.

Alaskan Malamute and other pets

The Malamute really dislikes cats and other small pets.

Malamute is a pack animal. Although this can be said about any other dog, the Malamute is accustomed to life in a pack. In the Arctic they are always kept in a group. The need for communication in this breed is especially strong.

The Alaskan Malamute has less need to live among its fellow tribesmen than, for example, a husky. He can, with close contact with family members, do without sharing with other dogs.