Origin

This breed originated from the northern most states of USA, Alaska. They were named after the Mahlemuit Inuit tribe.Alaskan Malamutes are generally a breed of Nordic dogs. They have generally evolved from the Arctic wolves. They were used by the Eskimos thousands of years ago as a source of transportation. This breed is very well known for number of abilities like racing, sledging, searching etc. Sometimes they are considered as the best sledge dogs.

General Description

The Alaskan Malamute is a strongly built arctic breed. They have a large, atheletic and muscular body with a broad head and dignified expression. Their ears are triangular in shape and stand erect. Alaskan Malamute has a curly tail which curls almost in a loop shape over their back. They have brown eyes resembling that of the wolf. These are basically double coated dogs basically found in black, grey and white colours. There may be dark spots also on their body.

Character

Alaskan Malamutes are very friendly and loyal in nature but they love to be independent. They are an energetic breed and have the capacity and strength of doing works like sledge pulling, carting, racing etc as I told before also. This breed is very much fun loving and dedicated to their families and they are highly recommended for families with old children. They become more and more calm as they grow aged and they are very much dignified in nature and very good to strangers also. They are perfect for outgoing and that’s the reason Alaskan Malamute cannot be used as watch dogs. Except exceptional situations The Alaskan Malamute is easy to train and at the same time they are very much eager to learn manners. Their tone is almost same as that of the wolves.

Temperament

Alaskan Malamute proves to be an excellent, loyal and intelligent breed. They are also very much friendly in nature. They are so much friendly in nature that they are not at good as guard dogs. In spite of being intelligent they sometimes behave in a rigid manner. A watch must be kept on them as they have a good instinct and can be sometimes harmful against small animals.

Training

Training Alaskan Malamutes is not a big deal. Like other breeds they can also be taught useful skills. But in their case training should start at a young age as they can grow up to 100 pounds. Starting training late may cause problems on your part. Obedience training is very necessary for this breed as they may become stubborn if they do not get that.

Health

Just like many other breed this breed also have a chance of getting affected from hip dysplasia. They also suffer from some genetic problems. Alaskan Malamutes are generally very good in nature but some may have a tremendously harsh and bad temperament. It is recommended not to purchase form a dog mill or something like that. Their life span is generally 12-15 years and average litter rate is 6.