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| Additional Information: The Alaskan Malamute is the oldest of the sled dogs, it is named after an Inuit tribe called the Mahlemuts. It has a thick course outer coat which is medium in length and on the neck has a mane of thicker fur and a dense, woolly undercoat. They should be groomed every day as they are very heavy shedders. Malamutes are a friendly and affectionate pack breed and although they are loyal to their owner they are also loyal to the whole family and they also love to have lots of attention. They are not just affectionate to family but also to strangers as well and as such do not make good guard dogs in fact they ever hardly bark! Malamutes are intelligent dogs and can become bored easily so good mental and physical stimulation is essential to keep them out of mischief. They need at least one hour of hard exercise a day. Although good with people it can be a different story with other dogs so good early socialisation with other dogs is essential, they can also be predatory towards smaller animals so again early socialisation with other small household pets is a must. Two points we must stress young children should never be left alone with a Malamute as though the dog wouldn’t purposely hurt a child they need to learn at an early age just how fragile a child is to prevent accidental injuries. Secondly Malamutes are pack animals if you leave them on their own they will become sullen and withdrawn and this will cause behavioural problems. Malamutes are a hardy breed and really only suffer from a few ailments: hip dysplasia, chondrodysplasia (dwarfism) and some suffer from copper and zinc deficiencies. Average lifespan is 9-14 years | |||||||||||||
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