Alaskan Malamute

Theimprover

I could imagine what people will be thinking here after my thread about the Bichon , can't make up my mind tbh, I am gone away totally from the breeding factor after take note of all the replies in my previous thread and have been put off the Bichon due to all the problems that they can have.
So I really love the look of the Alaskan Malamute, gorgeous looking dog, I'm looking for as much info as possible on them before I commit. I have 3 girls, 8,4,2, I enjoy walking a lot so exercising the dog wont be a problem and I also have a large back garden with a dog run, should these be kept indoors as they are a young pup, the ones I have been considering are 10 wks old.
Take it easy boardies

ShaShaBear

Theimprover wrote: »

I could imagine what people will be thinking here after my thread about the Bichon , can't make up my mind tbh, I am gone away totally from the breeding factor after take note of all the replies in my previous thread and have been put off the Bichon due to all the problems that they can have.
So I really love the look of the Alaskan Malamute, gorgeous looking dog, I'm looking for as much info as possible on them before I commit. I have 3 girls, 8,4,2, I enjoy walking a lot so exercising the dog wont be a problem and I also have a large back garden with a dog run, should these be kept indoors as they are a young pup, the ones I have been considering are 10 wks old.
Take it easy boardies

Any reason why you've gone from a small Bichon to a large Mamalute?
And keep in mind you will not get any Mamalutes from reputable breeders at Christmas.

muddypaws

OK, as much info as possible. They are a working breed, and need proper exercise, they are bred for long distance hauling, covering huge distances at a steady pace.

Health issues they can suffer from are hip dysplasia, so any pups you are considering make sure that their parents have been hip scored. There is also epilepsy in some lines in Ireland, which can lead to aggression. I don't agree with the dominance theories of dog training, but malamutes are very much a pack animal, used to living and working with another group of dogs, they are stubborn and independent, and are not a dog for inexperienced owners. You need to be in control with them, not in a dominating, alpha roll way, but if they sense that they can do things that you'd rather they didn't, they will do it.

They may possibly be alright off lead (unlike siberian huskies) although not all of them can, and they have a very high prey drive, which includes cats and unfortunately small dogs.

If you get a pup from a reputable, responsible breeder, they are an absolute delight, however there are very, very, very few of them in Ireland for this breed, if you'd like to pm me with where you have seen the pups, I can give you my own opinion on whether or not I think they would be good breeders.

vibe666

I have a Malamute and they take an awful lot of work.

you'll need LOTS of walking and it will need company and things to keep it amused or it will howl like werewolf.

when i say "things to keep it amused", once it starts getting bigger, that will be any toys you give it, but if it gets bored with those, it will also be your furniture, clothing, shoes, basically anything within reach whether it's nailed down or not.

if you have a big garden, get used to it being full of holes as they also love to dig.

is your garden perimeter dog proof? think again, ours has managed to chew through chainlink fencing overnight so wherever it is it'll find a way out no matter what you do and once it's out you'll have a hellish time trying to get it back as they *can* be near impossible to get to return to you as they just want to run everywhere and play with everything.

you+dog lead is the last place it's going to want to be once it's out in the open.

oh, and you can't (legally afaik, but open to correction) let it out in the open in public (i.e. parks etc.) so it will need to be on a lead the whole time wherever you take it.

do you like your shoulders in their sockets? too bad, that won't last for long either, they pull like two huskies and boy do they love to pull.

a Malamute is a BIG strong willed dog. Yes they are beautiful, but they are really hard work by and dog standard and will take a lot of commitment, care and attention.

did i mention they have two coats? they will need a good few hours work to keep it looking good too and they moult like nobody's business.

so, anyway you were saying you are thinking of getting a Malamute?

i really wanted a malamute. i grew up with big dogs and it seemed like the perfect choice as a family pet. they are very good with kids and a great temperament overall, but if i knew then what i know now i wouldn't have got one.

being totally honest, if i could find a good home for her i'd hand her over tomorrow.

Theimprover

Thanks for all that info vibe, wow really sounds like a lot of work, neatly more than kids , never thought they would be that much bother tbh, really beautiful dog though.
Finding it hard to pick the right dog, can't decide, my wife just mentioned it to me about the Chocolate Labadore, anyone have some info for me, I will be after going through every breed by the time I get one , I have had 2 boxers and loved them but have not had much luck with them, 1st one got a brain tumour and 2nd one got out our from door where a polish couple complained that he attacked them on 2 occasions (load of bull) so I was forced into giving him away after having him 7 years, but now we have moved so circumstances are a lot better for keeping dogs, both boxers were named tyson btw ,
Anyway what about he Chocolate Labadore?

maggiepip

From what I read in your posts I think you would be better off sticking to researching smaller dogs to be honest. How come you had to give your dog away after 7 years? I wasnt aware an owner could be forced to rehome a dog. Forced to euthanize if a dog attacks yes, but rehome? Could you not control the dog?

sillysmiles

Lots of people on here have kids of experience with dogs. Maybe if you talked about what you and your family would like in a dog people may be able to suggest breeds for you to look at.

tk123

OP are you still going to have this puppy as a present from Santa? If so do yourself, the dog and more importantly the kids a favour and wait - a reputable breeder won't have pups in time for Christmas because too many people buy in haste and dump the puppy when it starts being hard work. You're going to be left with getting a pup from a puppy farmer who will more than likely end up with health and behavioural problems costing you a lot of money and heart ache.

SingItOut

Theimprover wrote: »

Chocolate Labadore?

I had a black Labrador up until last month, amazing loyal dogs but will need just as much exercise as a malamute. You will also need to monitor their weight throughout his/her life as they are very prone to obesity if not given the proper diet and portions. They are water retrieving dogs so living near water would be almost essential, that's where their at their happiest.

They are fantastic with older kids but for smaller kids they would knock them over and hurt them through no fault of their own. They need a lot of mental stimulation and training as they are way too clever for their own good. They shed a ton twice a year.

Not to be snippy but I think you need to go online and research the breeds you're interested in a lot more. Dogs 101 on youtube gives a fantastic low down on each breed. Dogs are a product of how you raise them.

Theimprover

A few points I'm going to make.
The dog I get is not going to be a santa present anymore, it's going to be just a family dog but more so for me, I do a lot of walking, about 30 miles a wk, we go to the beach regularly as we live near one, even in the winter, my kids love walking the beach.
We live in the country with a stream running down the back of our garden, I work from home so the dog will nearly never be on its own for long periods.
Tbh I have found the boxers i have had to be very giddy but apparently males are, so we are used to this.
I had to give my last boxer away because of where we were living which was in my in laws and they kept leaving the latch of the front door and tbh they didn't really want the dog there so I found a very good home for him with plenty of land, we still miss Tyson to his day, almost 3 years now.
So come on boardies help me out, suggest some breeds to me, heres what I like and yes it is a big dog I want,
Love the Alaskan Malamute, other dogs I thought about, Chocolate Labadore, Rottweiler, really like Husky type of dogs too

b_mac

No one from here can tell you what dog you should get, its you who will be looking after it for for the next how many years.

Be prepared for the stigma attached with owning a RB though, if you do go down that road. I have already had a few incidents with my pup who is only 4 months old.

Theimprover

b_mac wrote: »

No one from here can tell you what dog you should get, its you who will be looking after it for for the next how many years.

Be prepared for the stigma attached with owning a RB though, if you do go down that road. I have already had a few incidents with my pup who is only 4 months old.

I never mentioned anything about anyone making the decision for me, that I will do myself, just looking for some suggestions, I started a new thread.

ShaShaBear

With three small kids and little experience with dogs, I would completely forget about the malamute and any other husky type breeds. In fact, I would steer clear from any large, high energy dogs.

It sounds like you're just naming random breeds. The similarities between a bichon, labrador, rottweiler, and husky are practically nil and it sounds like you have no clue what you are talking about or what you want.

If you think a malamute sounds like too much work, you may just forget about a husky.

Your best option here for advice (and whether or not you are going to make the decision yourself is irrelevant) is to tell us what you want from a dog, where the dog will spend all of its time and what you can give a dog. Then we can tell you what breed will be happy with all of that.

DBB

As the op has started another thread on the same subject, I'm closing this thread now.
Thanks,
DBB