People describe them as playful, loyal, and stubborn. The Alaskan Malamute is considered one of the oldest dog breeds in the world. Their ancestors came from the Siberian planes across the Bering Strait together with people and settled with them in the Northern parts of North America. However, the modern version has been the state dog of Alaska since 2010. They are strong, hard-working dogs bred to withstand harsh cold climates while pulling sleds all day long.

1. Size

The Alaskan Malamute is a large dog. Males are heavier and taller than females, but they all look quite strong and sturdy with their deep chests, strong legs, and fluffy thick waterproof fur.

• Male height: 25 inches (63 cm)
• Male weight: 85 pounds (38 kg)
• Female height: 23 inches (58 cm)
• Female weight: 75 pounds (34 kg)

The Alaskan Malamute has a broad head, long and strong muzzle, and pricked ears well-set apart. Their most recognizable trait is the high-set tail, curled over the back. 

2. Color

The Alaskan Malamute comes in a lot of coat colors – 9 to be precise. These are official AKC-accepted colors, and some of them are black and white, gray and white, red and white, agouti and white, etc.

This dog breed can also have a black and gray mask. The agouti coat color is when each hair has two or more pigmentation. The usual overall look is that of gray with different darker or lighter pigments all across.

3. Social Traits

The Alaskan Malamute is a playful and loyal dog, but not too affectionate. Every dog is unique, but most owners say their Mals get affectionate and cuddly occasionally and it’s never for too long. However, this doesn’t mean they don’t love their people. This simply means they show affection differently. Maybe they’ll follow you from room to room or always sit close to you. That’s dog affection too.

They are pack animals, bred to work with other dogs while pulling sleds, but they can show some same-sex aggression or need to show they are the dominant dogs in the pack. This means they’ll try to be the alphas in your home too – if you let them! The dominant attitude can be diminished and even completely turned off if you start with socialization from an early age and keep on doing it throughout your dog’s life.

Mals are also great with children. They love to play and they can withstand rough play, but they also play rough. This means they are better suited for older children. The Alaskan Malamute can accidentally knock down very young children or even nip at them if they think the children are too annoying. To avoid these accidents, the best thing is to never leave your toddler unsupervised with a dog and to socialize a dog patiently and thoroughly.

Generally speaking, Alaskan Malamutes have no problems with other animals. This depends on the individual personality of each dog, but if you want to be sure they won’t have problems with other animals (such as cats), we should help them get used to cats right from the start when they are just small puppies.

Important: Mals easily get separation anxiety. This comes from their pack-oriented nature. 

4. Trainability

If you want to train the Alaskan Malamute to follow your command while they pull the sled, they’ll be eager to learn. After all, these dogs were bred to do that – work in hard conditions. They’ve got the strength and stamina, and they love snow!

But, similar to their lovely cousins Huskies, the Alaskan Malamute can also be fairly independent and simply won’t do what you want if they don’t feel like it. This is especially the case if they find something more interesting, such as a squirrel or food. The latter, however, can be useful. 

Food motivation and proper exercise every day to keep them mentally and physically stimulated is the key to training Mals. But, even then, apart from basic obedience training, don’t expect too much from your Alaskan Malamute.

Trainability: 3 out of 5 (5 being very trainable)
Struggle with: Recall, off-leash, heel 

5. Activity Needs

As you might have guessed, the Alaskan Malamute is an active dog. They need a lot of daily exercise. According to the Kennel Club, they need more than 2 hours a day. And, we couldn’t agree more. The Alaskan Malamute will enjoy whatever activity you do with them as long as it means being physically active.

If you really want to make your Mal happy, take him on a hike, preferably on a mountain full of snow, or go skijoring. That is an activity made for Alaskan Malamutes and other sled-pulling dogs. Just remember that you need an appropriate leash when you go out on an adventure with your dog. As mentioned, they are not best at recall, so having a strong and reliable leash is a must.

Activity needs: More than 2 hours (walks, outdoor games, hikes, jogging, skijoring, etc.)

6. Feeding

The Alaskan Malamute doesn’t need a lot of cups of kibble. Generally speaking, an adult Alaskan Malamute needs from 1 to 2 cups of kibble food daily. This amount should be divided into two meals – one in the morning and the other one in the evening.

Each dog is unique, and the amount of food depends on their health, age, sex, and activity levels. The best option is to ask a vet. You can also follow the BCS and see for yourself if your dog is overweight or underweight. If you notice some drastic weight changes over a short period, take your dog to the vet. 

Important: most Alaskan Malamutes can easily get overweight. Be careful with the treats, especially during training. 

7. Grooming

The Alaskan Malamute needs daily brushing. The coat is thick, double, medium, and waterproof. As such, it is perfect for cold and snowy weather. They shed a lot and to keep their fur from matting, you need to brush them daily.

The best option is a combination of a pin brush and a slicker brush. Using both will give the best results because the pin brush will reach the undercoat and the slicker brush will further remove any loose hair or dirt.

If you don’t plan on taking your dog to dog shows, then they need an occasional bath. How often depends on whether they get dirty while playing outside or if you sense a strong dog odor. As with other dog breeds, they need regular nail trimming. 

Shedding: a lot (daily brushing recommended)

8. Possible Problems

Generally speaking, Alaskan Malamutes are healthy dogs. But, like other dogs, they can have some health issues. The most common are:

• Bloat (GDV)
• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Alaskan Malamute Polyneuropathy 
• Eye problems 

Responsible breeders should screen-test their dogs and exclude dogs testing positive from their breeding programs. Through responsible breeding, we keep the dog breed healthy and prolong their life expectancy.

Their life expectancy is 10 to 15 years. 

Summary

The Alaskan Malamute is a dog for active families with older children. They need daily brushing because of high shedding, especially during the shedding seasons. On the other hand, they don’t need a lot of food, and they don’t drool! Alaskan Malamute is an active dog and needs an active owner. They need more than 2 hours of daily exercise, preferably somewhere where it’s not too hot. Their dense, double, and waterproof fur is made for cold weather. Even though they are active and love to run outdoors, they can thrive in urban areas with the right amount of daily activities.

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Cover photo by Magdalena Sporysiak