Alaskan Malamute
The Alaskan Malamute is a large breed of dog and a member of the Spitz group of dogs, it is also the state dog of Alaska. It was originally bred to be a sled dog. It is similar to the Siberian Husky. Other related dogs include the Samoyed and the American Eskimo dog. These dogs tend to range between 41 kilos and 34 kilos. The females are noticeably smaller than the males. This breed comes in various standard colours which are mixed in with white, including grey, sable, red and black. The build of this dog is heavy boned and compact. The tail is bushy and is carried over the back, it is occasionally corkscrew shaped. Some Malamutes are even still being used as sled dogs for people needing to get around the frozen landscape. They are even used in competitions such as skijoring, bikejoring, canicross and mushing. If you are considering getting this breed it is important to note that their dense coat generally means that a colder climate is best. The Alaskan Malamute is descended from dogs which came from tribe of the Mahlemuts an Inuit tribe, this tribe is based in the north west of Alaska. During the Klondike Gold rush they were a very popular breed getting the gold hunters to and from the locations. The Malamute is one of the oldest dog breeds. It can be traces back to up to 3000 years ago, some dog remains have even been found which suggest the dog breed may be 30,000 years old/.
Temperament
It is fair to say that the Alaskan Malamute is a head strong breed, because of the nature of the environment it has grown up in it is a very hardy breed. It is widely believed that they are a hard dog to train, as training must be consistent and varied to keep this intelligent dog interested. It is important to note that this breed does not go well with other small animals, as it has a tendency to terminate their existence with extreme prejudice. However it is sure that it may be possible to train them out of this behaviour given good enough training. Malamutes tend to be quite friendly towards humans, however they do not necessarily keep their affection only for owners, and thus as guard dogs they are less than useful, as they may end up just slobbering over robbers rather than scaring them away. This breed tends to be fairly quiet compared to other breeds. It is advisable to have them under leash or fenced, otherwise they may run away.
Grooming and care
The coat of the Alaskan Malamute is very dense and double layered, as would be expected with a dog which is acclimatised to harsh winters. The undercoat is about 1 to 2 inches thick and woolly and oily. The other coat is coarse and varies in length. They will grow a winter coat and shed in spring, which needs to be dealt with.
Health
The median life expectancy of this breed is 10 years, with the major cause of death being cancer. The most common health problem in this breed has identified as being hip dysplasia and cataracts.