Alaskan Malamute: Sled Dog and House Pet

The Alaskan Malamute is one of the oldest arctic breeds there is. It is said that they have been around for thousands of years. This pooch was used by the native inhabitants of Alaska as a work dog. They took advantage of its fairly large and very muscular build and put it to good use. It was usually used for pulling sleds with cargo from one point to another, or as a means of transportation. This dog has a double coat – the outer coat is coarse and the inner coat is pretty thick. Its fur is what protected it from the extreme cold and harsh winds.

Aside from making a fantastic worker, the Alaskan Malamute made an outstanding sled dog for racing. Being blessed with tremendous amounts of strength, stamina, and the ability to work well in packs (as do all sled dogs), it has been a popular choice among many arctic racers. An Alaskan Malamute is also considered by many to be beautiful - personally I feel the same way. It has a nice, solid, and athletic body with a coat coming in color combinations of gray, white, red, sable, or black. It has ears that are of average size and triangular, plus strong and thick legs.

Its external beauty matches its personality – it can be very playful, sweet, and affectionate. These attributes alone are enough to make it a house pet, just like many have done all over the world. One good thing to mention about this breed is its loyalty. They are very devoted to their owners, and tend to bond well with other members of the family too. It is a pet of friendly nature, and gets along with mostly everybody it meets. Owners find this to be very true, especially if it has been well-socialized at an early age. If you plan on getting an Alaskan Malamute as a pet, it's much preferred that you keep it in cool weather conditions.

If you live in a hot country, and still wanna get an Alaskan Malamute, know that it may have a hard time in adapting. Remember to let it drink plenty of water, and as much as possible do not let it play in the blistering heat for very long. Many think that cutting its hair is a sound solution to heat problems, but it really isn't. The fur of this pooch is what helps it regulate its temperature, so a haircut could boggle its ability to regulate its temperature. Though intelligent, training for this dog may be difficult at times.

The pooch is a pack dog – these dogs learn better from each other and how the master teaches and disciplines them as a whole. A pet like this may love the idea of being the alpha dog, so as early as possible, establish your authority over it. Educating it as a puppy would fix that problem. You the owner shouldn't be the only one disciplining it, but the other members of the household as well. If it senses a weak link, it will penetrate it and dominate. But with proper training methods, such as positive reinforcement, ignoring bad habits, using rewards for obedience and good behavior, you'll be on your way to owning a great pet.