The Alaskan Malamute
Breed History
The first Alaskan Malamutes were bred by the Malemute people (Mahlamuits or Mahlemuts), an Inuit tribe who lived around the Kotzebue Sound area of western Alaska. As well as pulling sleds, the dogs were used to locate blow-holes on seal hunts and as watchers and hunters.
They became distinct from the other northern breeds as the early Inuit peoples migrated across the Arctic from Siberia to Alaska and Greenland. Variations in the different breeds came about as a result of differences in conditions incluing type of work, geography and amount and type of snow. The Siberian Husky developed as a much lighter boned dog known for it's speed and agility. The slightly larger Greenland Dog had to survive in much harsher conditions and was used to pull heavier loads.
In the late 1890's and early 1900's the Alaskan Malamute became more widely known as a breed as a result of the Alaskan Gold Rush. Sled Dog racing became a popular pastime of the many gold prospectors who flooded into the area and in 1908 the newly founded Nome Kennel Club organised the first All-Alaska Sweepstake race.
In 1935 the Alaskan Malamute Club Of America was formed and soon afterwards followed the recognition of the breed and registration of the first Alaskan Malamutes with the American Kennel Club. At this time two different strains or "types" of Malamute were being bred.
Milton and Eva ("Short") Seeley had been breeding from dogs acquired from, amongst others, Arthur Walden who bred and trained the dogs used in Admiral Byrd's Antarctic Expedition in 1928. Under their kennel name "Kotzebue" they were able to develop a line which produced dogs uniform in type. Their foundation dogs can be found behind most of today's Malamutes pedigrees in the UK.
For the first 30 years that Malamutes were registered with the AKC, all those registered were Kotzebue dogs. However at the same time that The Seeleys were developing their line, Paul Voelker was busy developing his own line - The M'Loots. While The Seeley's had been much more precise about the selection of dogs that they would use in their breeding programme, Voelker used a much wider range of Arctic dogs resulting in a very different, larger type to that of the Kotzebue dogs. Again, many of the M'Loot foundations dogs can be found behind today's dogs pedigrees.
In 1960 the AKC Breed Standard was changed to reflect the characteristics of the M'Loot dogs.
In reality, many of today's dogs are actually a combination of Kotzebue and M'Loots lines, although some pure Kotzebue kennels do still exist.
The first Alaskan malamutes to come to the UK were brought by The Preston's in 1959. They brought with them three of their dogs and bred three litters before returning to the US. More Malamutes began to arrive in the uk during the 1960's with some more notable imports including Kimiska's Arctic Sea Hawk of Highnoon, Malnorska's Gypsy Lady of Jacbar, Can Ch Malnorska's Danikka of Highnoon and Am Ch Fire 'N' Ice In Conclusion arriving in the 1980's.
The Alaskan Malamute Club was founded in 1964 and, now known as the Alaskan Malamute Club Of The UK.
The Alaskan Malamute has been gaining in popularity in recent years. In 2006 the Kennel Club granted full Championship status to our breed which will enable dogs to compete for Challenge Certificates and ultimately become UK Champions. The breed is now one of the more numerically large breeds in the Working Group and regularly takes top group placings at Championship Shows. There are now over 70 UK Champion Alaskan Malamutes.
They became distinct from the other northern breeds as the early Inuit peoples migrated across the Arctic from Siberia to Alaska and Greenland. Variations in the different breeds came about as a result of differences in conditions incluing type of work, geography and amount and type of snow. The Siberian Husky developed as a much lighter boned dog known for it's speed and agility. The slightly larger Greenland Dog had to survive in much harsher conditions and was used to pull heavier loads.
In the late 1890's and early 1900's the Alaskan Malamute became more widely known as a breed as a result of the Alaskan Gold Rush. Sled Dog racing became a popular pastime of the many gold prospectors who flooded into the area and in 1908 the newly founded Nome Kennel Club organised the first All-Alaska Sweepstake race.
In 1935 the Alaskan Malamute Club Of America was formed and soon afterwards followed the recognition of the breed and registration of the first Alaskan Malamutes with the American Kennel Club. At this time two different strains or "types" of Malamute were being bred.
Milton and Eva ("Short") Seeley had been breeding from dogs acquired from, amongst others, Arthur Walden who bred and trained the dogs used in Admiral Byrd's Antarctic Expedition in 1928. Under their kennel name "Kotzebue" they were able to develop a line which produced dogs uniform in type. Their foundation dogs can be found behind most of today's Malamutes pedigrees in the UK.
For the first 30 years that Malamutes were registered with the AKC, all those registered were Kotzebue dogs. However at the same time that The Seeleys were developing their line, Paul Voelker was busy developing his own line - The M'Loots. While The Seeley's had been much more precise about the selection of dogs that they would use in their breeding programme, Voelker used a much wider range of Arctic dogs resulting in a very different, larger type to that of the Kotzebue dogs. Again, many of the M'Loot foundations dogs can be found behind today's dogs pedigrees.
In 1960 the AKC Breed Standard was changed to reflect the characteristics of the M'Loot dogs.
In reality, many of today's dogs are actually a combination of Kotzebue and M'Loots lines, although some pure Kotzebue kennels do still exist.
The first Alaskan malamutes to come to the UK were brought by The Preston's in 1959. They brought with them three of their dogs and bred three litters before returning to the US. More Malamutes began to arrive in the uk during the 1960's with some more notable imports including Kimiska's Arctic Sea Hawk of Highnoon, Malnorska's Gypsy Lady of Jacbar, Can Ch Malnorska's Danikka of Highnoon and Am Ch Fire 'N' Ice In Conclusion arriving in the 1980's.
The Alaskan Malamute Club was founded in 1964 and, now known as the Alaskan Malamute Club Of The UK.
The Alaskan Malamute has been gaining in popularity in recent years. In 2006 the Kennel Club granted full Championship status to our breed which will enable dogs to compete for Challenge Certificates and ultimately become UK Champions. The breed is now one of the more numerically large breeds in the Working Group and regularly takes top group placings at Championship Shows. There are now over 70 UK Champion Alaskan Malamutes.
Breed Standard
(The Kennel Club, January 2009)
A Breed Standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function. Absolute soundness is essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be careful to avoid obvious conditions or exaggerations which would be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed. From time to time certain conditions or exaggerations may be considered to have the potential to affect dogs in some breeds adversely, and judges and breeders are requested to refer to the Breed Watch section of the Kennel Club website here http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/services/public/breeds/watch for details of any such current issues. If a feature or quality is desirable it should only be present in the right measure.
General Appearance - Heavily boned, powerfully built, not too compact and never appearing short on the leg.
Characteristics - Sled dog capable of surviving in Arctic temperatures and of pulling heavy loads at steady speeds.
Temperament - Affectionate, friendly, loyal, devoted companion but not a ‘one man’ dog, playful on invitation, generally impressive by his dignity after maturity but tends to show dominance to other dogs.
Head and Skull - Head broad, powerful, not coarse, in proportion to size of dog. Skull broad between ears, gradually narrowing to eyes, moderately rounded between ears, flattening on top as it approaches eye, rounding off to moderately flat cheeks. Very slight but perceptible stop. Muzzle large in proportion to size of skull, scarcely diminishing in width or depth from stop. Nose black except in red and white dogs when it is brown. Pink streaked ‘snow nose’ acceptable.
Eyes - Brown, almond-shaped, moderately large, set obliquely. Dark eyes preferred, except in red and white dogs where light eyes are permissible. Blue eyes highly undesirable.
Ears - Small in proportion to head. Triangular in shape, slightly rounded at tips, set wide apart, at back of skull. Ears forward when erect. When dog is working sometimes folded against skull.
Mouth - Upper and lower jaws broad with large teeth, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck - Strong and moderately arched.
Forequarters - Shoulders moderately sloping; forelegs heavily boned and well muscled, straight as far as pasterns which are short, strong and almost vertical viewed from side.
Body - Strong and powerfully built, chest strong and deep; back straight but not level, sloping slightly downwards from shoulder to croup. Loins well muscled, never so short as to interfere with movement. No excess weight.
Hindquarters - Hindlegs broad and powerfully muscled through thighs; stifles moderately bent, hock joints broad and strong, moderately bent and well let down. Viewed from behind, hindlegs vertical, standing and moving true, in line with movement of front legs. Legs indicate tremendous propelling power.
Feet - Large and compact, toes close, well arched, pads thick and tough, toenails short and strong. Protective growth of hair between toes.
Tail - Moderately high set, following line of spine at start then curving gently upwards. At rest may hang straight down. Well furred and carried over back when dog is working, not tightly curled to rest on back, nor short furred and carried like a fox brush, but giving appearance of a waving plume.
Gait/Movement - Single tracking at trot is normal but movement not too wide or too close at any gait. Easy, tireless, rhythmic movement, produced by powerful drive from hindquarters.
Coat - Thick, coarse guard coat, not long and soft. Dense undercoat, from 2.5-5 cms (1-2 ins) in depth, oily and woolly. Coarse guard coat stands out, with thick fur around neck. Guard coat varies in length as does undercoat, but in general coat of medium length along sides of body, increasing somewhat around shoulders and neck, down back and over croup, as well as in breeching and plume.
Colour - Range is from light grey through intermediate shadings to black, or from gold through shades of red to liver, always with white on underbody, parts of legs, feet and part of mask markings. Markings either caplike or masklike on face. Combination of cap and mask not unusual. White blaze on forehead, white collar, or spot on nape permissible. Heavy mantling of unbroken colour acceptable, broken colour extending over body in spots or uneven splashings undesirable. Only solid colour permissible is all white.
Size - Height: dogs: 64-71 cms (25-28 ins); bitches: 58-66 cms (23-26 ins). Weight between 38-56 kgs (85-125 lbs), size consideration not to outweigh type.
Faults - Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.
Note - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Published with kind permission from The Kennel Club
© The Kennel Club
General Appearance - Heavily boned, powerfully built, not too compact and never appearing short on the leg.
Characteristics - Sled dog capable of surviving in Arctic temperatures and of pulling heavy loads at steady speeds.
Temperament - Affectionate, friendly, loyal, devoted companion but not a ‘one man’ dog, playful on invitation, generally impressive by his dignity after maturity but tends to show dominance to other dogs.
Head and Skull - Head broad, powerful, not coarse, in proportion to size of dog. Skull broad between ears, gradually narrowing to eyes, moderately rounded between ears, flattening on top as it approaches eye, rounding off to moderately flat cheeks. Very slight but perceptible stop. Muzzle large in proportion to size of skull, scarcely diminishing in width or depth from stop. Nose black except in red and white dogs when it is brown. Pink streaked ‘snow nose’ acceptable.
Eyes - Brown, almond-shaped, moderately large, set obliquely. Dark eyes preferred, except in red and white dogs where light eyes are permissible. Blue eyes highly undesirable.
Ears - Small in proportion to head. Triangular in shape, slightly rounded at tips, set wide apart, at back of skull. Ears forward when erect. When dog is working sometimes folded against skull.
Mouth - Upper and lower jaws broad with large teeth, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck - Strong and moderately arched.
Forequarters - Shoulders moderately sloping; forelegs heavily boned and well muscled, straight as far as pasterns which are short, strong and almost vertical viewed from side.
Body - Strong and powerfully built, chest strong and deep; back straight but not level, sloping slightly downwards from shoulder to croup. Loins well muscled, never so short as to interfere with movement. No excess weight.
Hindquarters - Hindlegs broad and powerfully muscled through thighs; stifles moderately bent, hock joints broad and strong, moderately bent and well let down. Viewed from behind, hindlegs vertical, standing and moving true, in line with movement of front legs. Legs indicate tremendous propelling power.
Feet - Large and compact, toes close, well arched, pads thick and tough, toenails short and strong. Protective growth of hair between toes.
Tail - Moderately high set, following line of spine at start then curving gently upwards. At rest may hang straight down. Well furred and carried over back when dog is working, not tightly curled to rest on back, nor short furred and carried like a fox brush, but giving appearance of a waving plume.
Gait/Movement - Single tracking at trot is normal but movement not too wide or too close at any gait. Easy, tireless, rhythmic movement, produced by powerful drive from hindquarters.
Coat - Thick, coarse guard coat, not long and soft. Dense undercoat, from 2.5-5 cms (1-2 ins) in depth, oily and woolly. Coarse guard coat stands out, with thick fur around neck. Guard coat varies in length as does undercoat, but in general coat of medium length along sides of body, increasing somewhat around shoulders and neck, down back and over croup, as well as in breeching and plume.
Colour - Range is from light grey through intermediate shadings to black, or from gold through shades of red to liver, always with white on underbody, parts of legs, feet and part of mask markings. Markings either caplike or masklike on face. Combination of cap and mask not unusual. White blaze on forehead, white collar, or spot on nape permissible. Heavy mantling of unbroken colour acceptable, broken colour extending over body in spots or uneven splashings undesirable. Only solid colour permissible is all white.
Size - Height: dogs: 64-71 cms (25-28 ins); bitches: 58-66 cms (23-26 ins). Weight between 38-56 kgs (85-125 lbs), size consideration not to outweigh type.
Faults - Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.
Note - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Published with kind permission from The Kennel Club
© The Kennel Club
Breed Health
As well as the usual range of health issues which any dog owner should concern themselves with, there are a number of health issues which the potential Alaskan Malamutes owner / breeder needs to be aware of. The two main health concerns are Hip Dysplasia and Hereditary Cataracts. It is strongly recommended that all Alaskan Malamutes should be tested for both of these problems, regardless of whether or not the dogs are to be bred from. The Kennel Club and the British Veterinary Associationrun health schemes which aim to gather scientific data on Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia and Hereditary Eye Diseases.
Hip Dysplasia ~ Resulting from an abnormal structure of the hip joint, all dogs have hip dysplasia to a certain degree, even if it is minute. The problem is particularly problematic in large breeds of dog and the Alaskan Malamute is no exception. Diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia is done by x-raying the pelvic area which is done at the vets. It is recommended that Malamutes are tested at no younger than 12 months old. The x-rays are sent to the British Veterinary Association who's panel of experts scores the x-ray. A score is given which indicates the degree of hips dysplasia in each hip joint. The scores of all tested dogs are collated and used to work out a breed average score. The lower the score, the better. Any dog with higher than average hip scores either should not be bred from, or should only be bred to dogs with very low scores.
Hereditary Cataracts ~ Simple eye examinations can detect the presence of cataracts. HC is becoming more commonplace in Malamutes and this is largely due to breeding from affected dogs, either knowingly or unknowingly. There is no excuse for not testing all Malamutes but especially breeding stock, however it is known that dogs can be "carriers" of the HC gene without actually being affected. The precise genetics of this and other hereditary diseases are still unclear. By carefully studying the pedigrees of potential breeding stock and researching the incidence of HC in related dogs, it is possible to identify possible carriers and therefore avoid breeding from such dogs. The KC/BVA scheme aims to provide valuable information which can be used in genetic research.
Gastric Dilation & Volvulus (Bloat) ~ As with any large, deep chested breed, Bloat is one of the most serious and life threatening conditions that face the Malamute, so much so that any Malamute owner should arm themselves with the information that will help them spot potential Bloat as early as possible. The condition is not really fully understood and there are numerous theories about causes and risk factors. GDV occurs when the stomach fills with gas (dilation) and twists (volvulus). Treatment usually involves surgery to untwist the stomach but if not done so early enough, this can still lead to death quite quickly. If left untreated, dogs with GDV will die, sometimes within a couple of hours of the first symptoms appearing so uregent action is required. Signs to look out for can vary between cases so we would strongly recommend that you read up about causes, reducing the risk and in particular what to look out for. This is a useful website.
Other Health Issues ~ Some less common issues which seem more widely known in the US include Chondrodysplasia, or Dwarfism, and Coat Funk.
Hip Dysplasia ~ Resulting from an abnormal structure of the hip joint, all dogs have hip dysplasia to a certain degree, even if it is minute. The problem is particularly problematic in large breeds of dog and the Alaskan Malamute is no exception. Diagnosis of Hip Dysplasia is done by x-raying the pelvic area which is done at the vets. It is recommended that Malamutes are tested at no younger than 12 months old. The x-rays are sent to the British Veterinary Association who's panel of experts scores the x-ray. A score is given which indicates the degree of hips dysplasia in each hip joint. The scores of all tested dogs are collated and used to work out a breed average score. The lower the score, the better. Any dog with higher than average hip scores either should not be bred from, or should only be bred to dogs with very low scores.
Hereditary Cataracts ~ Simple eye examinations can detect the presence of cataracts. HC is becoming more commonplace in Malamutes and this is largely due to breeding from affected dogs, either knowingly or unknowingly. There is no excuse for not testing all Malamutes but especially breeding stock, however it is known that dogs can be "carriers" of the HC gene without actually being affected. The precise genetics of this and other hereditary diseases are still unclear. By carefully studying the pedigrees of potential breeding stock and researching the incidence of HC in related dogs, it is possible to identify possible carriers and therefore avoid breeding from such dogs. The KC/BVA scheme aims to provide valuable information which can be used in genetic research.
Gastric Dilation & Volvulus (Bloat) ~ As with any large, deep chested breed, Bloat is one of the most serious and life threatening conditions that face the Malamute, so much so that any Malamute owner should arm themselves with the information that will help them spot potential Bloat as early as possible. The condition is not really fully understood and there are numerous theories about causes and risk factors. GDV occurs when the stomach fills with gas (dilation) and twists (volvulus). Treatment usually involves surgery to untwist the stomach but if not done so early enough, this can still lead to death quite quickly. If left untreated, dogs with GDV will die, sometimes within a couple of hours of the first symptoms appearing so uregent action is required. Signs to look out for can vary between cases so we would strongly recommend that you read up about causes, reducing the risk and in particular what to look out for. This is a useful website.
Other Health Issues ~ Some less common issues which seem more widely known in the US include Chondrodysplasia, or Dwarfism, and Coat Funk.
So you want a Malamute?
If you are thinking about getting a Malamute, there are several pieces of advice that we would give you.
Can you provide what a Malamute needs?
You certainly need to consider your suitability as Malamute owners and be totally honest with yourselves about you ability to provide all of the things that a Malamute needs to be healthy, happy and safe. A good honest review of the Malamute's breed characteristics can be found on the "Your Pure Bred Puppy" website. We suggest you read this and ask yourself "Is that what I want?" because that's what you could get, particularly if the following advice is not followed!
Do your homework - there are a range of books available on the breed and a wealth of information on the internet. Some useful links can be found on our links page. There are several very useful books on the breed which are listed on our recommended reading page. Some are out of print and so can be expensive and very difficult to get hold of but those are the books which we would recommend most highly if you an get your hands on a copy.
Meet a Malamute - try and meet as many Malamutes and their owners as possible to help you to get a rounded picture of the Malamute as a breed and get advice about Malamute ownership. Visit dog shows, either local Open shows where many now have Malamute classes scheduled, or the much bigger Championship Shows which happen throughout the year around the country. Information on the date and venue for these shows can be found on the websites in the "showing links" section of our links page. Go along to a rally during the winter months. Again dates and venue can be found through the websites in the working links section. Visiting these events will give you the opportunity to see many Malamutes, talk to their owners and experience some of the fun that malamute owners have!! Please just bear in mind that many people will be competing in their various activities so may be busy getting dogs ready at certain times.
Buying a Malamute
You have two choices here, well two sensible choices anyway. You could find a reputable breeder and buy a puppy aged 8 weeks. The other option is to offer a home to a needy rescue Malamute who has lost his or her home through no fault of their own.
Reputable breeders
I would strongly recommend that you find a breeder who you are happy with and that meets the following criteria:
Where to find a reputable breeder
My best advice is to visit a large dog show or rally event where you will find several breeders with their dogs all under one roof, so to speak. Use the opportunity to talk to people. Get recommendations from owners and most importantly look at dogs, lots and lots of dogs! If this isn’t imminently possible, next stop is the AMCUK breeders list. Champdogs website is also a fairly good source of breeders information and contact details. At least on there any adverts are for KC registered dogs only. All of the above advice should still be followed wherever you find your breeder though.
Avoid classified ads and free ads. Certain websites contain adverts for some very dubious breeders and are often used by puppy farmers.
Also be very wary of breeders who breed several different breeds and who deliberately cross-breed. With Malamutes, you need to find a breeder who has an obvious passion for the breed and is concerned with the breeds future.
As you can see, all this extra research takes time and so you should be prepared to wait for the right puppy to come along.
Re-homing / Rescue
There are some really genuine cases of Malamutes needing re-homed which, after a change in circumstances in their long term home, have been taken back in by their breeder, sometimes years down the line. These dogs will come with a lifetime of support from their breeder and full service history so to speak. You will occasionally find such dogs on our re-homing page.
Many of the dogs appearing in breed rescue, however, are largely due to some of the breeding activities of the less reputable breeders who produce puppies in abundance and sell to any unsuspecting buyers with money to spare, without any kind of check as to their suitability and prior knowledge of the breed. Believe it or not many people who buy from these breeders are unprepared for the growing Malamute and are surprised at how big they grow, how hairy they are and how boisterous and challenging they can be!
Unfortunately some of the dogs sold by puppy farmers and disreputable breeders and then given up by their new unprepared owners have become aggressive or unmanageable and are sadly unable to be re-homed. I do not need to tell you what fate usually befalls these poor dogs.
For those dogs that are lucky enough to be found by either Alaskan Malamute Rescue or by one of the welfare charities, they are spayed / neutered, assessed, offered training where required and then offered for re-homing. Some of these dogs’ histories are somewhat vague, or perhaps non-existent and sometimes traumatic. They all deserve a second chance.
Cross-bred Malamutes
There are a growing number of breeders who are cross-breeding and producing dogs with a variety of names including Huskamutes, Northern Inuits, British Inuits, Tamaskan Dogs and Utonagan. They are all essentially crossbreeds using a combination of German Shepherd Dogs, Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes, some first generation crosses, others 2nd or 3rd generation. Some are sold with the claim that they are part wolf which, of course, is highly unlikely and certainly illegal in the UK. Please do not be fooled into buying one of these dogs in the belief that it will become a recognised and KC registered breed in it’s own right. They cannot be registered and therefore cannot be shown or entered into any other KC endorsed activity including working in harness!
I am not necessarily against crossbreeds as such, however any potential owner should be sure of what they are buying and not pay over the odds. They should certainly not be paying anywhere near the cost of a pure bred pedigree Malamute, let alone pay more because of it's fancy sounding name! Owners of crossbreeds should also consider that, despite some claims on some cross-breeders websites, crossing two breeds does NOT mean that you are going to get the best of both breeds, in fact quite often the opposite!
I have seen advertisements for Malamutes cross-bred with other large breed dogs which can be difficult enough in their own right. I dread to think what a Malamute x Akita or a Malamute x Rottweiler could will turn out like but I do know I don’t want to be around when it hits adolescence!!
Can you provide what a Malamute needs?
You certainly need to consider your suitability as Malamute owners and be totally honest with yourselves about you ability to provide all of the things that a Malamute needs to be healthy, happy and safe. A good honest review of the Malamute's breed characteristics can be found on the "Your Pure Bred Puppy" website. We suggest you read this and ask yourself "Is that what I want?" because that's what you could get, particularly if the following advice is not followed!
Do your homework - there are a range of books available on the breed and a wealth of information on the internet. Some useful links can be found on our links page. There are several very useful books on the breed which are listed on our recommended reading page. Some are out of print and so can be expensive and very difficult to get hold of but those are the books which we would recommend most highly if you an get your hands on a copy.
Meet a Malamute - try and meet as many Malamutes and their owners as possible to help you to get a rounded picture of the Malamute as a breed and get advice about Malamute ownership. Visit dog shows, either local Open shows where many now have Malamute classes scheduled, or the much bigger Championship Shows which happen throughout the year around the country. Information on the date and venue for these shows can be found on the websites in the "showing links" section of our links page. Go along to a rally during the winter months. Again dates and venue can be found through the websites in the working links section. Visiting these events will give you the opportunity to see many Malamutes, talk to their owners and experience some of the fun that malamute owners have!! Please just bear in mind that many people will be competing in their various activities so may be busy getting dogs ready at certain times.
Buying a Malamute
You have two choices here, well two sensible choices anyway. You could find a reputable breeder and buy a puppy aged 8 weeks. The other option is to offer a home to a needy rescue Malamute who has lost his or her home through no fault of their own.
Reputable breeders
I would strongly recommend that you find a breeder who you are happy with and that meets the following criteria:
- All puppies bred are registered with the UK Kennel Club and all registrations are endorsed with the requirements “not to be bred from” and “not to be exported”. Some breeders will give you all kinds of excuses why their pups are not registered, why their registrations are not endorsed or why the "papers" are not currently available but I personally would not accept any excuse. Some breeders may claim to register their pups with alternative registration schemes. My advice is avoid these and ask yourself “WHY are they not registered with the KC?” Endorsements are the means by which the breeder of a puppy remains in control of when, whether and by whom that puppy is, in turn, bred from. This ensures that only standard-fitting, healthy and physically and mentally sound dogs are used for breeding in future.
- All of the breeders dogs, not just “breeding stock”, are tested for the known health concerns within the breed – in Malamutes these are Hip Displasia and Hereditary Cataracts. Details of the relevant tests can be found on our breed page.
- Really good breeders are likely to have a waiting list for puppies although this is less the case now than it used to be just a couple of years ago.
- You should expect to be vetted very carefully by a responsible breeder and asked lots of questions about you, your family, your circumstances, what you intend to do with the dog etc. to help the breeder to try and ascertain whether they think you are suitable for Malamute ownership. If you do not get asked questions then chances are the breeder will sell to anyone and therefore will not care much what happens to the dogs once they have your money. You can be sure that they will not care what they have bred either so health checks etc. are unlikely to have been carried out
- Puppies are allowed to leave for new homes certainly not before 7 weeks and preferably after 8 weeks of age.
- All puppies leave for their new homes with a pack of information including their registration papers, diet sheet, free insurance details and particularly a signed contract which outlines the conditions of the sale. It should include a clause which clearly states that the breeder will take back any puppy, at any stage, if the new owner is unable to keep the dog for any reason.
- You should be able to see the Dam (mother) of the puppies and at least see pictures of the Sire (father). You should be able to see all of the puppies with their Mum. You should be given access to the pedigree and hip / eye certificates of BOTH parents.
- Membership of a breed club, preferably the Alaskan Malamute Club of the UK, is recommended and you may wish to use a breeder who is on the AMCUK breeders list . Any AMCUK member is expected to abide by the AMCUK Code of Ethics.
- Some breeders may be members of the Kennel Club Assured Breeders Scheme. Again this does not guarantee the quality or sound health / temperament of any puppies produced but it does require it's members to abide by certain standards when breeding.
- Whether or not the breeder is a member of either or both of the above clubs / schemes, you should assure yourself that the breeders ethics are sound – How old is the Dam? She should be over 2 years old. Has she been bred from before? If so, how long ago? She should not have a had a litter within the last 12 months and should have had at least one season in between litters. Use the AMCUK Code of Ethics as a benchmark, even if they are not actually on the Club Breeders list.
- I personally would only ever buy a puppy from a breeder who has proved their dogs’ value either in the show ring or on the trail, but preferably from one that has been relatively successful in both arenas.
- Local Authority Licensed Breeders are, in our opinion, likely to be commercial dog breeders and are by their very nature, often in it for the money. Do not accept a Local Authority License on it's own as any guarantee that these breeder will be breeding in accordance with the KC or Breed Club rules or ethics.
- AVOID PUPPY FARMERS AT ALL COSTS. This is not always as easy as you might think. If you follow all of the above advice and ensure that you have satisfied yourself that the breeder is genuinely passionate about the breed and concerned with both the future of the breed in general and your puppy in particular, then you can't go too far wrong.
Where to find a reputable breeder
My best advice is to visit a large dog show or rally event where you will find several breeders with their dogs all under one roof, so to speak. Use the opportunity to talk to people. Get recommendations from owners and most importantly look at dogs, lots and lots of dogs! If this isn’t imminently possible, next stop is the AMCUK breeders list. Champdogs website is also a fairly good source of breeders information and contact details. At least on there any adverts are for KC registered dogs only. All of the above advice should still be followed wherever you find your breeder though.
Avoid classified ads and free ads. Certain websites contain adverts for some very dubious breeders and are often used by puppy farmers.
Also be very wary of breeders who breed several different breeds and who deliberately cross-breed. With Malamutes, you need to find a breeder who has an obvious passion for the breed and is concerned with the breeds future.
As you can see, all this extra research takes time and so you should be prepared to wait for the right puppy to come along.
Re-homing / Rescue
There are some really genuine cases of Malamutes needing re-homed which, after a change in circumstances in their long term home, have been taken back in by their breeder, sometimes years down the line. These dogs will come with a lifetime of support from their breeder and full service history so to speak. You will occasionally find such dogs on our re-homing page.
Many of the dogs appearing in breed rescue, however, are largely due to some of the breeding activities of the less reputable breeders who produce puppies in abundance and sell to any unsuspecting buyers with money to spare, without any kind of check as to their suitability and prior knowledge of the breed. Believe it or not many people who buy from these breeders are unprepared for the growing Malamute and are surprised at how big they grow, how hairy they are and how boisterous and challenging they can be!
Unfortunately some of the dogs sold by puppy farmers and disreputable breeders and then given up by their new unprepared owners have become aggressive or unmanageable and are sadly unable to be re-homed. I do not need to tell you what fate usually befalls these poor dogs.
For those dogs that are lucky enough to be found by either Alaskan Malamute Rescue or by one of the welfare charities, they are spayed / neutered, assessed, offered training where required and then offered for re-homing. Some of these dogs’ histories are somewhat vague, or perhaps non-existent and sometimes traumatic. They all deserve a second chance.
Cross-bred Malamutes
There are a growing number of breeders who are cross-breeding and producing dogs with a variety of names including Huskamutes, Northern Inuits, British Inuits, Tamaskan Dogs and Utonagan. They are all essentially crossbreeds using a combination of German Shepherd Dogs, Siberian Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes, some first generation crosses, others 2nd or 3rd generation. Some are sold with the claim that they are part wolf which, of course, is highly unlikely and certainly illegal in the UK. Please do not be fooled into buying one of these dogs in the belief that it will become a recognised and KC registered breed in it’s own right. They cannot be registered and therefore cannot be shown or entered into any other KC endorsed activity including working in harness!
I am not necessarily against crossbreeds as such, however any potential owner should be sure of what they are buying and not pay over the odds. They should certainly not be paying anywhere near the cost of a pure bred pedigree Malamute, let alone pay more because of it's fancy sounding name! Owners of crossbreeds should also consider that, despite some claims on some cross-breeders websites, crossing two breeds does NOT mean that you are going to get the best of both breeds, in fact quite often the opposite!
I have seen advertisements for Malamutes cross-bred with other large breed dogs which can be difficult enough in their own right. I dread to think what a Malamute x Akita or a Malamute x Rottweiler could will turn out like but I do know I don’t want to be around when it hits adolescence!!