Alaskan Malamute

    Appearance

    The American Kennel Club (AKC) breed standard calls for a natural range of size, with a desired freighting weight of 75 to 85 pounds (34 to 39 kg) and a height of 23 to 26 inches (58 to 66 cm).Some Malamutes have been known to reach 32 inches (810 mm), and to weigh more than 160 lb (73 kg). Heavier individuals (90lbs) and dogs smaller than 75 pounds are common. There is often a marked size difference between males and females. Weights upwards of 95 pounds are occasionally seen, but this is uncommon and such dogs are produced primarily by breeders who market a 'large Malamute.' These large sizes are not in accordance with the breed's history or show standards.

    Temperament

    While a few Malamutes are still in use as sled dogs for personal travel, hauling freight, or helping move heavy objects, some are used for the recreational pursuit of sledding also known as mushing, also skijoring, bikejoring, and canicross. However, most Malamutes today are kept as family pets or show dogs. Although in 1994 Nancy Russell ran a team of Malamutes in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, completing 600 miles (970 km) of the roughly 1,150-mile (1,850 km) race before pulling her team, the Malamute is generally slower in long-distance dogsled racing against smaller and faster breeds and their working usefulness is limited to freighting or traveling over long distances at a far slower rate than that required for racing. They can also help move heavy objects over shorter distances.

    The Malamute is one of the most "unaltered" of breeds, retaining its original form and function. If a dog owner cannot cope with a dog that will not comply with the owner's every command, a more compliant breed should be selected. This dog has a long genetic foundation of living in the wilderness with man surrounded by other domesticated animals of approximately the same size.

    Mortality

    There is only one known health survey of Alaskan Malamutes, a 2004 UK Kennel Club survey with a small sample size of 14 dogs.The median lifespan of 10.7 years measured in that survey is very typical of a breed their size. The major cause of death was cancer (36%).

    Morbidity

    The most commonly reported health problems of Alaskan Malamutes in the 2004 UK Kennel Club survey (based on a sample size of 64 dogs) were musculoskeletal (hip dysplasia), and hereditary cataracts.

    Other health issues in Malamutes include inherited polyneuropathy, chondrodysplasia, and eye problems (particularly cataract and progressive retinal atrophy).

    Climate and Malamutes

    While Malamutes have been successfully raised in places such as Arizona, their dense coats generally make them unsuited for hot climates. When the weather gets hot, like any other breed of dog, the Malamute needs plenty of water and shade. They will grow a winter coat and subsequently shed it in spring.

    History

    The Malamute is a descendant of dogs of the Mahlemuts tribe of upper western Alaska. These dogs had a prominent role with their human companions – working, hunting, and living alongside them. The interdependent relationship between the Mahlemut and their dogs fostered prosperity among both and enabled them to flourish in the inhospitable land above the Arctic Circle.

    For a brief period during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896, the Malamute and other sled dogs became extremely valuable to recently landed prospectors and settlers, and were frequently crossbred with imported breeds. This was often an attempt to improve the type, or to make up for how few true Malamutes were up for sale. This seems to have had no long standing effect on the modern Malamute, and recent DNA analysis shows that Malamutes are one of the oldest breeds of dog, genetically distinct from other dog breeds.