The oldest and largest among Arctic sled dogs, the Alaskan Malamute is a
strong breed with great endurance. Although many Malamutes are family pets, they’re
built for hauling large loads over long distances. So you can enjoy this highly
athletic large breed dog when sledding, jogging, backpacking and swimming.
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| Evanger's dog food helps keep Alaskan Malamutes healthy with a vibrant coat! |
The “Mal’s” thick and coarse coat ranges in color from sable to red or from
light gray to black. Markings include a bar/mask on the face and cap on the
head. Weights in the three natural size ranges for males and females
respectively are 65-85 pounds and
60-80 pounds for Standards, 85-110 pounds and 75-90 pounds for Large Standards,
and up to 140 pounds and 125 pounds for Giant Malamutes.
Behavior/Temperament
The Alaskan Malamute is a pack animal. In your family “pack,” you must
establish yourself as the leader. If your Malamute doesn’t respect you, he’ll take
the lead instead. Begin firm but loving training in early puppyhood to develop a
well-behaved Malamute that will be friendly, playful, gentle and great with
children. While he loves kids, he should be supervised during interaction—as is the
case with any dog breed. It’s not unusual for a Mal to become intolerant of
other dogs of the same sex. Regardless of their size, exercise caution when
introducing him to other dogs.
Care
This large breed dog craves activity. He’ll need daily exercise and a
good-sized fenced enclosure. Since the Alaskan Malamute is adapted for harsh
Arctic life, his beautiful waterproof double coat—that sheds
heavily twice yearly—requires regular brushing and bathing to stay healthy.
While grooming him, check for hot spots and mats that may hide fungus.
Check ears weekly for accumulated dirt, wax or other foreign matter that may
result in an infection. As with all dog breeds, his teeth should be brushed
regularly.
Health
With a
lifespan of 12 to 14 years, the Alaskan Malamute is prone to hip and elbow
dysplasia, bloat, hypothyroidism and hereditary cataracts. A growing problem among Arctic
dog breeds in general (especially the Samoyed) is canine diabetes, with onset
occurring typically between 5-7 years. Other health issues include chondrodysplasia
(very small percentage), heart defects and inherited polyneuropathy (nervous
system abnormalities).
While
diabetes in dogs needs to be managed with close supervision from your
veterinarian, your dog’s
diet can go a long way in helping to prevent and manage diabetes in dogs.
Choose a high quality, meat based pet food diet that is high in protein and low
in carbohydrates. The carbohydrates that your dog consumes should come from
high quality, nutrient dense sources like sweet potato and vegetables.
Avoid foods that contain carbohydrate-based fillers like corn. We recommend our Evanger's Hand Packed line such as the Braised Beef Chunks with Gravy or Catch of the Day for coat conditioning Omega 3 power!
An
Alaskan Malamute’s high quality diet like Evanger’s will help keep his skin and
coat healthy while supporting the immune system to aid in optimal health
overall!
If you
have questions about how you can improve the health of your Alaskan Malamute,
contact us at info@evangerspetfood.com for a free consultation with our dog
nutrition experts.
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