Alaskan Malamute Dog Breeds Information| Origin, History, Appearance, Temperament, Health

2016-09-26 3

Read more about Alaskan Malamute dog breed here :
http://www.tailswagger.com/dog-breeds/alaskan-malamute/

The Alaskan Malamute is a large sized dog powerful dog breed which was originally bred to pull heavy sleds and to hunt seals and polar bears. They have an appearance similar to a wolf, but they are very loving and affectionate dog breed. They love to be with their family and enjoy being involved in all the activities. The Alaskan Malamute is an intelligent dog breed but has in independent thinking. This is a very loyal and affectionate companion dog breed.

Origin : Alaska
Avg. Age : 10 to 14 years
Group : Working

History :
The Alaskan Malamute is one of the oldest sled dog breed and is a member of the Spitz group of dogs with a history which can be traced back 2,000 to 3,000 years ago. It is considered that the Malamute has descended from the dogs which accompanied the prehistoric people during their migration to Alaska. One of the tribes of Innuit known as the Mahlemuts, were responsible for the development of the breed. The dog was capable of performing many crucial tasks like pulling heavy sleds, hunting seals and chasing away bears and was able to survive in the extremely cold climate. The dogs were highly cared and valued by the natives.

During the gold rush period of 1896, people from all over the world started arriving in Alaska in search of gold. This raised the demand of sled dogs as a result of which many other dog breeds were brought to Alaska and were bred with the native sled dogs which further led to nearly loosing the original breeds. Luckily, the Alaskan Malamute survived this period because the Mahlemuts were a relatively isolated tribe which kept the breed pure.

Appearance :
The Alaskan Malamute is a large sized dog breed with a muscular and powerful body. The head is broad with a deep and broad muzzle. The ears are of medium size which stands firmly erect. The eyes are almond shaped and dark in colour with a black nose. The body is compact and muscular with a confident stance. The Malamute has a tail which is heavily furred and is carried over the back. They can be seen covering their nose and face with their furry tail when they curl up in the snow as it keeps them warm. The Alaskan Malamute has a thick double coat consisting of a thick and coarse outer coat and a wooly undercoat. The coat becomes dense and long around the shoulders, neck and around the back. The Malamute has white coloured coat on most part of the face, neck, underbelly, feet and legs.

Temperament :
The Alaskan Malamute is a strong and powerful dog breed which was originally used to pull heavy sleds in harsh climatic conditions. The malamute is a pack dog and loves to be with his family and is extremely loyal and affectionate. The Alaskan Malamute is a highly intelligent dog breed but with a strong independent mind. Due to their independent thinking they are often considered as stubborn.