Family Dog From the Great North

Of the dogs that bear a passing resemblance to their wolf forbears, few are quite so wolfish in appearance as the Alaskan Malamute. Their shaggy fur, piercing eyes, and strong bodies make them formidable creatures, but they are also man’s best friend on the frozen tundra of Alaska, where temperatures can become dangerously low and where travel is oftentimes difficult for normal modes of transportation. If you are thinking of getting a dog for your family, few breeds have proved themselves as much as the Alaskan Malamute!

The Malamute’s Temperament

The Malamute were once upon a time used as sled dogs in Alaska, and in fact they still are to this day; their physical size and strength lend themselves to tasks that require high levels of endurance, while their unique coats render some protection against the cold. In that environment, the breed needed independence in its behavior if it was to reliably survive in the otherwise unwelcoming climate that the dog and its owner found themselves in. Consequently, your Malamute will likely display a remarkable amount of independence, a tendency towards resourcefulness, and the ability to adapt to whatever situation it faces.

Malamutes also have a high prey drive – all the better to help them survive in the cold northern climes – and so they will sometimes chase small animals, as well as other dogs. Despite this behavior, the dogs are actually quite friendly, especially when their trainer goes out of their way to teach the breed to be kind and thoughtful towards other animals.

What Your Malamute Needs

While Malamutes must be taught to behave appropriately towards smaller animals, they are naturally quite nice to people. While this makes them excellent family dogs and companions, they are actually not very good at being watchdogs, as they are simply too kind-hearted and nice to display the distrust and violence that you want in a watchdog! Indeed, the Malamute is a remarkably quiet dog, though they are prone to occasionally howl.

Their nimble and gentle physicality, combined with their intelligence, independence, and kindness, makes the Malamute the perfect family dog. If you live somewhere warm, don’t worry – so long as you provide a cool indoor environment and a nice pool of cold water, your Malamute will be perfectly comfortable. If you live somewhere cold, well, all’s the better for them! Your Malamute really just requires one thing: you!