A recent addition to Breed national days... Launched by The Woof Book Group in 2020 to honor this special breed and rich history.
The Alaskan Malamute was named the official dog of the 49th state on April 18, 2010, thanks in part to children at Polaris K- 12 School in Anchorage.
Did you know that dog lovers fondly refer to the Alaskan Malamute by such cute nicknames as Mal or Mally?
The name Malamute comes from the people with whom the breed lived, the Malamiut Inupiaq people.
here are striking similarities between the Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky, and the two breeds are commonly confused. The primary difference lies in the dog’s size, with the Malamute standing at 25 inches and the Siberian Husky 22 inches in height, and the Malamute weighing 85-95 pounds for a male and 75 pounds for a female, with the Siberian Husky weighing approximately 45- 60 pounds for a male, 35 – 50 pounds for females.
The weight class difference between these two breeds also informed their differing uses as sled-pullers – Huskies were prioritized when speed was of the essence whereas Malamutes were used for pulling extra-heavy cargo.
Malamutes are both long-distance runners and a working dog breed. They were bred not just as sled-pullers like the Huskies but also to help around the farm, to carry stuff, as guard and watchdogs, and more.
This means a few things from a modern pet owner’s point of view. First, your Malamute will require plenty of outdoor time every day, at least 90 to 120 minutes of it. Secondly, this outdoor time doesn’t include yard time – that’s extra and it’s also beneficial but not enough on its own.
Thirdly, Malamutes don’t just need to jog around, they need to do things – this is a working breed. So, consider stuff such as sledding, carting (pulling a cart), skijoring (pulling someone on a ski), agility classes, and so on.
Alaskan Malamutes are very opinionated and willful dogs. This makes early obedience training an absolute must if you want to be able to get your Malamute to do anything. Even more so, given these dogs’ size and power, such training is essential if you want them to be safe around others.
Content from 10 Fascinating Facts about the Alaskan Malamute, Y. zhelyazkot