| Malamutes are NOT for neat freaks |
| ...and other 'information' |
| They have incredible jaw pressure. This can is one of the least destroyed, however, the dog who did this was 12.5 years old at the time and his teeth are a bit worn. He managed to do this and not only sucked all of the condensed soup from the can but also didn't even cut himself once. |
| Leather couch cushion. This was NOT done with teeth. This was from wet faces, claws, and the desire to nest. Being a more 'natural dog' they do really like to dig and nest. |
| DO THEY SHED? Well of course they do. And it gets everywhere. One to two times per year they do a big shed. We call this 'blowing coat'. This is different than normal shedding. During this time they lose everything except the guard coat (the top coat) and they will even lose a lot of that. First time owners are often shocked and worried at the amount of hair that comes off the dog. It's totally normal. Bumper above getting 'blown out'. We have a forced air dryer which makes drying dogs go much faster and it works well for blowing the loose hair off the dogs. The birds around our house undoubtedly have very well insulated nests. For every malamute home, even if you have just one, I recommend purchasing a nice forced air dryer. With dryers, you get what you pay for. We purchased the K9-II back in 2000 and it's still going strong today, even with all of the use. For grooming tools, avoid many of the 'shedding tools'. Many have a blade in them that cut the guard coat, leaving it less manageable and healthy. We only use a 10" steel comb (we prefer the Andis brand) with moderately wide tines. It will get through most standard coated dogs easily and costs all of $10. Buy 2 though for when you lose the first one. Rakes are ok but if you do get one, watch the blades to make sure they are not sharp. If it is uncomfortable for you on YOUR skin, it's not an appropriate tool for your dog. Brushes are really not all that effective until most of the coat is out. If you can't handle the hair getting *everywhere*, this breed is not for you. |
Hair flying everywhere!
| It's hard to believe but this is the same dog, totally "naked" after puppies and later in coat. This is normal shedding and may happen 1-2 times a year. |
| DO THEY DIG? Well...small puppies dig. The adults Excavate. Malamute owners should not expect their yard, at least not the part where the mals run, to look like yard of the month. Our dog yard has small trenches deep enough to cover a dog up to the shoulders. They LOVE to tunnel. This is especially important to remember when they are left in the backyard as malamutes are less likely to go OVER a fence than they are to go UNDER. Or through. They will go through. Be sure to check your fence line from time to time. Can you train them out of it? Maybe. But if digging is a big deal to you, this breed is probably not for you. |
| DO THEY ESCAPE? Sometimes, yes. This was one of many attempts to contain one of the dogs while we were gone. Our then resident Houdini went through 9 crates/pens the first year we had her. We thought stacking the crates would discourage her from getting out. Nope, she just bounced it down off the bottom crate an 'supermanned' out the bottom. So we bungeed this crate to the top one. It worked for all of a day. We apparently missed locking the bottom of this crate and a 75# dog squeezed out through that opening. Shortly after, she figured out how to unlock it from the inside and was out before we could get our front door locked to leave. They remind me of the Velociraptors in Jurassic Park. They're always thinking and learning. Our escape artist, when she couldn't find a way to either unlock or dismantle a crate from the inside, resorted to brute strength. She would systematically test the perimeter of the crate/pen door with her nose and once she found the sweet spot she'd hit it with everything she had until the crate gave. Her FACE broke welds and usually without any obvious damage to the dog. Incredible. As a 10 year old at the 2008 National out in Olympia she was crated in the back of a van. She figured out how to pull the back of the crate in, squeeze around it, get out the door (or window?) of the van and was found entering the hotel lobby through the automatic doors. In the process she'd lost her collar and tags. I never found the tags. Chainlink, welded wire, and some of the strongest, best made crates could not hold this dog. Her story is not totally uncommon in this breed. It's not about giving them bones and stuffed Kongs--we did that. They decide they don't want to be contained. She also learned how to open some doors and when that didn't work, she ripped the door off the hinges and blew a hole in the drywall. Her most impressive feat was when she escape the old Kennel-Aire Commander Series crate (pictured below). We had it welded so it no longer folds down and the only possible opening is the door. Everything else is 1" welded squares. We put her in it to go to the store and we came home to her sitting next to it. None of the welds were broken and the door was still LOCKED. The door really does not bend much and the door is quite small. Obviously she had to have squeezed out but only she knows how she did it though there was a small tuft of hair on the top of the door. I still cannot believe she made it out of that tiny space. |
Some educational links related to malamutes any prospective buyer should read:
| If you cannot or will not spend the money on GOOD crates and GOOD containment and understand that you may have to replace those things from time to time, please, DO NOT get a Malamute. |
| As time has gone on, we've had to make modifications. At our current home, we were lucky that there was already a 6ft wood privacy fence enclosing the dog yard. To help with the fence line digging though, we bought rolls of 5' welded wire fence and folded it so it goes halfway up the wood fence and then 2' out into the yard. It was stapled up the vertical and we used landscaping staples to secure the horizontal. The fence has since grown into the ground. The idea was to deter any digging at the fence and if they got wise to the border of the fence in the ground, we would have ample time to detect any tunnels that were headed for the fence line. Speaking of 'underground'. Underground fencing really isn't appropriate for any dog but it is definitely NOT APPROPRIATE for Malamutes. The reasons include but are not limited to: *Underground fence does not keep other things out. Malamutes tend to be dog aggressive. If a loose dog comes into the yard, one or both stand to get hurt. *Malamutes like to chase other critters and are not often deterred by pain when they are keyed in on something. When they blow past the barrier however, the excitement is over and they're not likely to take the shock again to get back into the yard. *More and more behaviorists and trainers are noting greater behavioral problems with dogs of any breed who are on underground fences. It makes sense: at first, they want to go see people or dogs who approach. They approach the barrier being friendly and they get zapped for it. They come to associate people and other dogs coming toward them as a bad thing and become fear aggressive. |
| We presume the cabinet wasn't 100% shut. All it takes is the tiniest opportunity... She opened it fully and went shopping, sharing it with other dogs. More was strewn throughout the house. We also had to install a slide bolt on the lazy susan corner cabinet we use as the pantry because there was a similar scene after she got into our food. Including the brand new 5# bag of uncooked rice. Malamutes are NOTORIOUS for scavenging, no matter how well fed or how many toys they have. Malamutes are opportunists. Malamutes are notorious counter surfers. Last week, different dog: As I pass the dish walking through the kitchen, "Why did you make the 3rd chicken breast?" His response as he enters the kitchen maximum 3-5 SECONDS later, "Taking it to work." Him: "...Where is it?" "Where is what?" "The chicken." "What do you mean 'where's the chicken', it's in the dish." (disagreement as to the current location of said chicken continues) Dog is noticed licking a spot on the floor. Burps in confirmation of what has just happened. While this is level of ninja theft may not be QUITE the norm, counter surfing is. Malamutes are opportunists. If you aren't watching, even for moments, they are happy to take advantage. Nobody can watch their dog every second, no one is expected to, but if you can't live with a dog who is likely to do this, do not get a Malamute. |
| Tie outs are not excellent but they are, in my opinion, better than an underground fence. While they do not keep other animals out of the yard and they are not fool proof, at least the dog knows the perimeter by a physical marker. If you must use tie outs, buy the next heaviest strength from the size of the dog you have. Make sure there are NO structures within the dog's reach. Not picnic tables, not other fences, no bushes, no trees, nothing. A dog who gets caught can die from choking if they get stuck around something. |