Alaskan Malamute

The Alaskan Malamute is a breed of sled dog originating in Alaska. It is one of the oldest sled dogs in the Arctic. it takes its name from the Mahlemiut ("men who live in the place where there are great waves"), an Eskimo tribe inhabiting the Gulf of Kotzebue in the high regions of western Alaska.

As its name suggests, it is in Alaska that the malamute draws its sources. The Alaskan Malamute takes its name from the Mahlemiut ("men who live in the place where there are big waves"), an Eskimo tribe inhabiting the Gulf of Kotzebue in the high regions of western Alaska. The survival of these people in this hostile environment was due to the qualities of their dogs that a selection of several hundred years had brought to the highest point of natural adaptation. Strong, resistant to the lowest temperatures, courageous, with natural abilities for towing sleds in winter or fishing boats in summer, the Alaskan Malamute was a very important dog for the survival of the Eskimos and was therefore well treated and cared for. The Klondike Gold Rush began in 1896, and prospectors and settlers quickly realized that the native dog, the Malamute, was best able to help them navigate this harsh Alaskan environment. However, they believed they could improve the dogs selected by the Malhemiuts for hundreds of years, by crossing them with European dogs, such as the Pyrenean Mountain for example. Very often these crossed dogs did not survive the terrible climatic conditions of Alaska, or were too heavy consumers of food compared to the work which they returned. The native dog could have disappeared without the tenacity and admiration shown to them by a handful of people during the 1930s. Among these people, we must note Mrs. Eva Seeley who is at the origin of a line of Malamutes called type “ Kotzebue”. With her husband, she selected dozens of dogs that were used by Admiral Richard Byrd in his expeditions to the South Pole. Paul Voelker developed another line of Malamutes called the "M'Loot" type, larger and heavier, but less homogeneous in type. Robert Zoller did not find his happiness in the "Kotzebue" lines, which he found too small and the "M'Loot" with bad posteriors. He found another type of Malamutes which formed the basis of his breeding and which seemed to him to be the ideal Malamutes. These dogs were at the origin of the third line called "Hinman-Irwin". Although pure Kotzebue-type Malamutes can still be found in the United States, most current Malamutes are a large mix of these different bloodlines.

The Malamute is very intelligent and generally has a distinctly assertive character. Extremely affectionate and friendly to humans, the Alaskan Malamute is a very easy-going dog and not a one-master dog. He is a faithful and devoted companion, playful when invited, but generally impressively dignified in adulthood. He is often affectionate with children, also extremely protective of them (if an adult and a child who are familiar with the dog bicker, the child will systematically be defended). He is said to be a brawler; however, dogs of the same sex often cohabit harmlessly, contenting themselves with intimidation postures to establish the hierarchy; however, a dog with a dominant character can forcefully assert itself in the pack. The malamute needs large spaces and does not adapt to an apartment or a small house without a garden, he loves to run. The malamute is a dog that loves wide open spaces, so it happens to run away regularly, but it systematically returns to its house. They are pack dogs, and not guard dogs at all: on the contrary, any stranger is welcome, but anyone doing harm to their owners will very quickly be threatened. All Nordic dogs living in packs have a rather impressive notion of cohesion. The malamute has a lively hunting instinct and can attack surrounding animals such as chickens or ducks.