So you want to own an Alaskan Malamute
The Alaskan Malamute is the largest sledge dog native to North America. Unlike its "racing cousin's", the Malamute is specifically built for heavy freighting. His strength and endurance is second to none.
Though you will see Malamutes smaller and some larger, the ideal freighting size is 23"/75 lbs for females and 25"/85 lbs for males. Their double coats are thick and course, enabling them to withstand severely cold temperatures. The oily, water repellant texture needs little maintenance except when shedding, when the undercoat must be removed to promote healthy skin. Malamutes can tolerate most climates, though extra care is necessary to keep them comfortable in hot weather. They come in a variety of colours, the most common being grey and white and black (seal) and white. Distinctive and varied facial markings make each a unique specimen.
Malamutes are self-confident, strong-willed, independant thinkers, intelligent and affectionate friendly dogs, unsuitable for guard work, although their siza and appearance alone will usually discourage intruders. They are happiest as outdoor dogs, given sufficient companionship, but many thrive as house pets. They deman attention, and failing to receive enough, will become nuisances, howling like wolves and digging holes that would put any backhoe to shame. Malamutes are patient with children, but like all large dogs, should be supervised during play. For athletic people, Malamutes are ideal. They love backpacking, hiking and sledding. They can do well in obedience even though their great joy in life is to entertain the audience with a series of comedy antics.
The Malamute is a large pack oriented animal with the natural instinct to lead or be lead; therefore training and obedience lessons must begin at a very early age. This breed cannot be allowed to grow uplacking controlled socialization with humans and animals as they can become dominating over people they don't respect and quite aggressive with other dogs of their same sex.
Buyer Questions
Questions a purchaser / puppy owner might ask:
Are the puppies registered with CKC or AKC?
If they are not, then they are not purebred, under Canadian law. Purebred
dogs MUST be registered under a legitimate organization. Selling the puppies
for less money with, or without papers, is illegal in Canada. Frequently,
breeders will take two 'pets' which were sold so as to be specifically excluded
from a breeding program, only to breed them together, to make puppies. The
resulting puppies are not registered.
What are the parents like?
It is not uncommon to not be able to meet the sire of the litter as they
may live far away or may have been 'used' via frozen or chilled artificial
insemination (AI). But the mother should be available. Unfortunately, some
mothers may have died or become extremely ill while delivering the puppies
and it may be a legitimate reason why the mother is not available for viewing.
Carefully watch their behavior with the puppies and with humans. Neither
parent should normally be under 12 months of age, although accidental breedings
do occur. The breeder however would be truthful about this from the beginning.
What health tests were performed on the parents?
Many health tests that are available, for both the Alaskan Malamute and
any other breed, to detect genetic problems with dogs. That said, many breeders
opt to use and apply some, all, or none of the health tests available to
them. Health tests that are available to Alaskan Malamutes, along with the
general cost for the test, include certification against:
- hip dysplasia ($300+) (OFFA,
PennHIP,
OVC)
- elbow dysplasia ($50)
- CERF eye certification against hundreds of eye defects ($35)
- thyroid disorders($50+)
- heart defects ($50)
- long coat testing ($50)*
* 'Coat testing' for the long coat gene is NOT a health or disease check.
It simply determines if an Alaskan Malamute is clear of carrying the long
coat gene, carries one copy of the long coat gene or is a long coat. It
has no proven scientific relationship to health and should not be presented,
as such.
What guarantees concerning health and temperament are offered?
No dog is immune to all problems. Genetic screening limits the reproduction
of health defects. Using properly-tempered dogs inhibits the production
of poorly-tempered dogs. But nothing can be 'guaranteed' free of disease.
It can however be warrantied against diseases, temperament issues, etc.
What warrantee is the breeder offering? They range from a monetary refund,
or a replacement dog, to the return or euthanasia of the defective dog.
Be clear on what the breeder offers in case your puppy becomes affected
with a disease. Generally, having to return your 'sick' pet, to secure a
replacement or return of money, is an unacceptable practice, designed to
specifically ensure you will not be using a warrantee. Almost no one would
part with a pet they have had for months or years for a few hundred dollars
and the type of unscrupulous breeder who would offer it, knows it.
What are the responsibilities of the pet purchaser (you)?
It is highly likely you, the purchaser, will have some obligations to follow,
as per the breeders standards. Pets should be neutered or spayed, at reasonable
ages and proof of such an occurrence might be required. Your breeder might
ask you, or contractually obligate you, to X-ray for dysplasia or test for
thyroid, eye, heart disorders when the puppy is old enough. While these
things do cost money (and the breeder might agree to pay for it) it also
means they care about the 'pet' quality puppies they are producing and not
just the single 'show' quality dog they might be keeping. They want to know
how the how litter turns out.
Many breeders want their puppies to go to 'indoor' homes instead of the
kennel situations they keep their dogs in. What and how a breeder keeps
their dogs, is far beyond the normal care and cost associated with one or
two pets. Many breeders have heated indoor / outdoor kennels, heated water
buckets, shift 'sets' of Malamutes from indoors to outdoors. If someone
is not prepared to have their puppy living with them, they probably are
not prepared for owning a dog in the first place.
What does the breeder do with their dogs?
They should be attending conformation shows or working their dogs. They probably belong to an all breed club, the Alaskan Malamute Club of Canada or the Alaskan Malamute Club of America or Alaskan Malamute Rescue. Ask to see their membership cards, certificates. They should be proud to show them. ANYONE can list on a Web site they BELONG to a club, whether or not they do. They should be able to show recent paperwork for either conformation championships (not necessarily the dog they bred from) or from working achievements, whether awards or pictures. If the only visible thing you can see that breeder doing, is breeding, go elsewhere. They should also be able to provide a reference or two of happy buyers of their puppies, or possibly another breeder, or dog club member if they haven't been breeding much or have few litters.
Other basic questions for the pet purchaser:
- Do they have a waiting list?
- At what age are the puppies released to new homes?
- Have the pups been vet checked?