Alaskan Malamute puppies

About the Alaskan Malamute

The Alaskan Malamute is an Arctic freighting dog, bred by the Mahlemut people to haul heavy loads over distance rather than to race. They are built for exactly that, 58 to 64 centimetres tall and 34 to 38.6 kilograms, deep chested and heavy boned, with a coarse waterproof double coat and a plumed tail over the back. Malamutes are affectionate and playful with their own people and famously talkative, but they are strong willed and think of themselves as part of a pack rather than under one.

Daily exercise is not optional, and hauling, hiking, running or recreational sledding suits the breed far better than a lap of the block. The coat wants a pin brush and metal comb every day, with an undercoat rake added twice a year. Digging and escaping are standard behaviour, so fence properly. With children they rate three out of five, which means supervision and early socialisation. Instant obedience is too much to hope for, but a Malamute will cooperate when your handling is firm, fair and consistent.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Alaskan Malamute puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Alaskan Malamute polyneuropathy, a nerve disease causing exercise intolerance and an unsteady gait, detectable by DNA test
• Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by hip and elbow evaluation of breeding stock
• Chondrodysplasia, an inherited form of dwarfism carried in the breed
• Day blindness, an inherited cone degeneration of the retina, picked up by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Von Willebrand disease and thrombopathia, inherited bleeding disorders confirmed by clotting and DNA tests
• Hypothyroidism, diagnosed on a thyroid blood panel

Your Alaskan Malamute puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Alaskan Malamute.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 34 to 38.6 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 42 inch (42 x 28 x 30 in, 107 x 71 x 76 cm) for an adult of up to 38.6 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other large breeds

More on the Alaskan Malamute

Previous: Alaskan Klee Kai · Next: American Bulldog

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Alaskan Malamute breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/alaskan-malamute/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Richard Bartz, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.