Alaskan Malamute - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
This is very ancient dog breed, with their origin going back thousands of years. It is impossible to track down their ancestry, but according to the scientific research they might have east Asian origin and might be related to Greenland dogs, Canadian Eskimo dog or Siberian Husky. What we know for sure is, that they were developed in Alaska by Innuit tribes. They actually got their known after a tribe called Mahlemuts. The dogs were used to hunt seals, chase away polar bears, and pull heavy sledges loaded with food or camp supplies.

2) Gold rush
Since the 18th century, explorers were fascinated by the strength of the Alaskan Malamute and in the 19th century, during the Gold Rush, they were often time used as sled dog. During this time, the Alaskan Malamute, just like almost all other local native dogs, was interbred with other breeds and they almost lost their purity. It was not until the 1920s, when the breeders tried to purify the breed again.

3) Exercise

The Alaskan Malamute is a working dog, and you should give them some job to do, otherwise, they will find some job themselves. And believe, you will probably not like the job, because it might include a lot of digging and howling. This breed loves to go for a jog or a long walk anytime and they are good at some dog sports, for example weight pulling, recreational sledding or canicross.

4) Size
The Alaskan Malamute is a big dog with average height between 56-66 cms which is 22-26 inches and weight between 34-38 kgs, which is 74-84 pounds, but it is not uncommon to see much larger Malamutes, up to 45 kgs, which 100 pounds. There is quite a big size difference between the males and females.

5) Friendly dogs
This dog has pretty soft expression in their eyes and even though they are large and strong, they do posses outgoing, playful and friendly personality. They want to be friends with most people, even with strangers, which is a reason why they are not the best guards. They are just too welcoming. But this is a pack animal and they are loyal to its pack, so when they feel the family is in danger, they tend to be pretty protective.

6) Not for novices
This is definitely not the best choice for unexperienced or even novice dog owners. This is an intelligent, independent, big, strong and quite stubborn breed, which is a hard combination to deal with properly and if you fail the training and socialization with dog of this size and strength, you have a big problem.

7) Howling
This is not a big barker, actually it is pretty rare to hear them bark, but that does not mean they are not communicating vocally. They are expressing themselves with the famous woo woo sound and loud howls.

8) Eyes

Have you ever seen an Alaskan Malamute with blue eyes? Well than it was probably a very big Siberian Husky or an Alaskan Malamute crossbreed. Purebred Alaskan Malamute should always have dark almond shaped eyes, most commonly in brown color, but they should never have light colored blue eyes.

9) Fence
The Malamutes love to live outdoors, but you should have a good tall fence which is also burried several inches bellow the ground. It is because Malamutes really love to dig and they are capable of easily dig under the fence. Also, they are good at climbing, which is why high fence is necessary as well.

10) Coat
The coat of the Alaskan Malamute is beautiful. They have extremely thick and coarse outercoat and very very dense undercoat. Thanks to that, they can tolerate very cold temperatures. If you are living in a region with higher temperatures, it is important to never shave the coat. It is not only insulating in the cold, it is also insulating in warm weather. If you shave your dog, he will be more prone to heatstroke or sun burn.