alaskan malamute owners talk to me
Discussion
anybody have a alaskan malamute on here?
currently im looking at getting a puppy and a alaskan malamute has taken my eye but reading about has made me think its not the right dog for me.
some basic research i have came across there:
hard to train
indepentent
very energetic
sheer there coat twice a year
need vigourous exercise
although im looking for an active dog from what im reading im thinking they may be a bit too much for me. im also looking for a dog that can be trained well to make life easier.
ive noticed huskys have became a bit of a trend lately with more and more popping up and i know huskys require the same amount if not more work than malamutes yet people seem able to keep them as pets.
just wondering if there are any owners on here who can give their experience.
currently im looking at getting a puppy and a alaskan malamute has taken my eye but reading about has made me think its not the right dog for me.
some basic research i have came across there:
hard to train
indepentent
very energetic
sheer there coat twice a year
need vigourous exercise
although im looking for an active dog from what im reading im thinking they may be a bit too much for me. im also looking for a dog that can be trained well to make life easier.
ive noticed huskys have became a bit of a trend lately with more and more popping up and i know huskys require the same amount if not more work than malamutes yet people seem able to keep them as pets.
just wondering if there are any owners on here who can give their experience.
Hi,
You will find all the information you need on here.
www.dogbreedinfo.com/alaskanmalamute.htm
Hope this helps.
Andy..
You will find all the information you need on here.
www.dogbreedinfo.com/alaskanmalamute.htm
Hope this helps.
Andy..
We have a 16 month old husky / malamute cross and he can be a bit of a handful. Very demanding, strong and still tries to assert dominance, less so since being castrated which we got done at 6 months. But also very trusting, good in unfamiliar environments (we took him away for a long weekend in a hotel last year) and a real character. Never agressive towards other dogs even when provoked. I think it is as much about the mental stimulus as the physical - he learns very quickly - the destruction of things happens when he is left alone and gets bored. My fiancee doesn't work full time so this is not too much of an issue for us and when alone he is in a utulity room with nothing of value.
It's not true to say that you can never let them off the lead but it is probably best done in enclosed environments. He will return eventually! Actually he is pretty good now and will return for treats or if he has been tired out by a faster dog. I would never let a dog off the lead near roads anyway.
We generally do at least two 30 minute walks (on lead) every day and then longer ones at the weekend with some time running free. We do have our own field and paddock (about two thirds of an acre) which he can roam in but we are currently in the process of having to put in a collar / fence system to re-train his boundary appreciation since he has worked out how high he can jump and escaped for the first time recently.
Even so he generally now crashes out in the evenings and has always slept through the night on his own. He does also have a bit of collie in him so he may lack a bit of stamina, tends to bark more than a true husky and he will also quite happily play fetch. So may be a bit different from a pure breed but definitely has some of their traits.
The malting is not a particular issue and he also keeps himself very clean (almost like a cat).
I am trying out some husky mushing at the end of this month with the intention to train him to do some pulling. I would like another one but my fiancee is not convinced yet!
Anyway here are some photos of Arnie:
It's not true to say that you can never let them off the lead but it is probably best done in enclosed environments. He will return eventually! Actually he is pretty good now and will return for treats or if he has been tired out by a faster dog. I would never let a dog off the lead near roads anyway.
We generally do at least two 30 minute walks (on lead) every day and then longer ones at the weekend with some time running free. We do have our own field and paddock (about two thirds of an acre) which he can roam in but we are currently in the process of having to put in a collar / fence system to re-train his boundary appreciation since he has worked out how high he can jump and escaped for the first time recently.
Even so he generally now crashes out in the evenings and has always slept through the night on his own. He does also have a bit of collie in him so he may lack a bit of stamina, tends to bark more than a true husky and he will also quite happily play fetch. So may be a bit different from a pure breed but definitely has some of their traits.
The malting is not a particular issue and he also keeps himself very clean (almost like a cat).
I am trying out some husky mushing at the end of this month with the intention to train him to do some pulling. I would like another one but my fiancee is not convinced yet!
Anyway here are some photos of Arnie:
Edited by saw2 on Friday 14th January 14:48
I will echo most of what has been said regarding malamutes.
Our mal is nearly twelve years old and is named Jazz.
She is a gentle and loyal friend and has never been too demanding with regard to exercise, particularly in her latter years.
She has been very healthy until two years ago. She now suffers from epilepsy.
Her feeding regime is simple. Raw chicken, raw fish, biscuit and fresh veg trimmings.
She has always kept herself very clean.
Now the negative points...
She is very predatory. I can only let her off the lead in enclosed areas. She will run after rabbits, squirrels, ducks, partridges, etc.
She won't stop until she realises her quarry has got away. On the lead she ignores almost anything, only getting shirty with an occasional dog, seemingly for no reason.
She used to dig a lot when she was younger.
A fully grown mal is very strong and needs firm handling.
We chose a passive puppy. She deferred to the other pups and didn't come running up to you and licking you like mad like some of the other pups.
If you pick a dominant pup you might end up with a dominant dog.
Don't expect a mal to guard your house either. Jazz never barks and would just lick a burglars hand.
She has never howled much either. Most mals do.
Jazz is the one on the left in the pic. The other one is Dax, our Keeshond. Sadly he succumbed to kidney failure just before Christmas.
Geoff
[
Our mal is nearly twelve years old and is named Jazz.
She is a gentle and loyal friend and has never been too demanding with regard to exercise, particularly in her latter years.
She has been very healthy until two years ago. She now suffers from epilepsy.
Her feeding regime is simple. Raw chicken, raw fish, biscuit and fresh veg trimmings.
She has always kept herself very clean.
Now the negative points...
She is very predatory. I can only let her off the lead in enclosed areas. She will run after rabbits, squirrels, ducks, partridges, etc.
She won't stop until she realises her quarry has got away. On the lead she ignores almost anything, only getting shirty with an occasional dog, seemingly for no reason.
She used to dig a lot when she was younger.
A fully grown mal is very strong and needs firm handling.
We chose a passive puppy. She deferred to the other pups and didn't come running up to you and licking you like mad like some of the other pups.
If you pick a dominant pup you might end up with a dominant dog.
Don't expect a mal to guard your house either. Jazz never barks and would just lick a burglars hand.
She has never howled much either. Most mals do.
Jazz is the one on the left in the pic. The other one is Dax, our Keeshond. Sadly he succumbed to kidney failure just before Christmas.
Geoff
[
spyder dryver said:
I will echo most of what has been said regarding malamutes.
Our mal is nearly twelve years old and is named Jazz.
She is a gentle and loyal friend and has never been too demanding with regard to exercise, particularly in her latter years.
She has been very healthy until two years ago. She now suffers from epilepsy.
Her feeding regime is simple. Raw chicken, raw fish, biscuit and fresh veg trimmings.
She has always kept herself very clean.
Now the negative points...
She is very predatory. I can only let her off the lead in enclosed areas. She will run after rabbits, squirrels, ducks, partridges, etc.
She won't stop until she realises her quarry has got away. On the lead she ignores almost anything, only getting shirty with an occasional dog, seemingly for no reason.
She used to dig a lot when she was younger.
A fully grown mal is very strong and needs firm handling.
We chose a passive puppy. She deferred to the other pups and didn't come running up to you and licking you like mad like some of the other pups.
If you pick a dominant pup you might end up with a dominant dog.
Don't expect a mal to guard your house either. Jazz never barks and would just lick a burglars hand.
She has never howled much either. Most mals do.
Jazz is the one on the left in the pic. The other one is Dax, our Keeshond. Sadly he succumbed to kidney failure just before Christmas.
Geoff
^^^all this.Our mal is nearly twelve years old and is named Jazz.
She is a gentle and loyal friend and has never been too demanding with regard to exercise, particularly in her latter years.
She has been very healthy until two years ago. She now suffers from epilepsy.
Her feeding regime is simple. Raw chicken, raw fish, biscuit and fresh veg trimmings.
She has always kept herself very clean.
Now the negative points...
She is very predatory. I can only let her off the lead in enclosed areas. She will run after rabbits, squirrels, ducks, partridges, etc.
She won't stop until she realises her quarry has got away. On the lead she ignores almost anything, only getting shirty with an occasional dog, seemingly for no reason.
She used to dig a lot when she was younger.
A fully grown mal is very strong and needs firm handling.
We chose a passive puppy. She deferred to the other pups and didn't come running up to you and licking you like mad like some of the other pups.
If you pick a dominant pup you might end up with a dominant dog.
Don't expect a mal to guard your house either. Jazz never barks and would just lick a burglars hand.
She has never howled much either. Most mals do.
Jazz is the one on the left in the pic. The other one is Dax, our Keeshond. Sadly he succumbed to kidney failure just before Christmas.
Geoff
We have a beautiful 14mo Malamute girl and I would agree with much of this.
She is very friendly with people and makes a rubbish guard dog! Been OK with other dogs too so far although small dogs seem to like to have a go at her. They do need a lot of exercise, whether that be walking, scootering, running next to a bike or whatever but it goes with the breed. Off lead is not generally a good idea, some Mals can be let off with good training and temperament, but they have a high prey drive and notorious deafness when they set their mind on something!
Training for the usual stuff like sit, lie down, etc has been no trouble at all but on lead training and recall does need a bit more work than some breeds.
They shed twice a year and it is pretty horrendous, no two ways about it, however there are few dogs that look as stunning as a Mal with full winter coat IMO. They do seem to clean up very quickly, even when really filthy too.
Ours needs a firm hand at times, and good upper body strength occasionally, but I would not change her for all the tea in China! They are not suitable for everyone though and tragically a lot seem to be ending up in rescue because people love the looks (especially as pups) but ultimately can't cope with them.
Please read up as much as poss if you are considering one. I don't get the 'UK lifestyle' comment though, what the hell is one of those!!! Your lifestyle and that of your dog is exactly what you make it, surely.
Mooster
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