TAPF Articles

In 1896, when the Klondike Gold Rush hit the new world, settlers and prospectors hired and took in this large type of breed to carry their heavy loads and valuables to and fro a destination. This breed is the Alaskan Malamute, a quiet and calm breed that was once a dependable companion of the Mahlemuits tribe of upper western Alaska. For centuries, the tribesmen and this breed lived side by side hunting, working and surviving the cold surroundings of the north.

The Malamute is considered as a large breed and it was originally developed to perform the tasks of sledding and pulling some heavy baggage across far distances. People who have tried traveling with this breed attest to its impeccable strength, stamina and endurance on going over long distances, all the while pulling humans and loads. Today, when people look for a Malamute, they look for its sledding ability first before inspecting its other less important abilities.

Today, this dog is still widely used as a sled dog for travels and freighting. Games such as mushing, skijoring, bikejoring and canicross also widely utilize the Malamute and this is becoming popular among adventurers and Malamute fanciers alike. Moreover, the Malamute is beginning to have a popular reputation as a loving family pet and show dog today.

Although superb as a sled dog, the Malamute is not the fastest there is when it comes to long-distance dog sled races. This creature can haul freights and travel at great expanse but it is best to do this at a slower pace. Additionally, four Malamutes are enough to amazingly pull a load as heavy as thousands of pounds across a distance.

Often, the Malamute is mistaken for a Siberian Husky but upon closer inspection, one will realize that they have distinct dissimilarities in so many ways. Moreover, the Malamute tends to give off a “talking” quality of vocals which is called the “woo-woo”. This sound is the inspiration behind Chewbacca’s voice, a Star Wars character, due to the fact that George Lucas once owned a Malamute named Indiana.

Unlike other dog breeds, the Malamute is a quiet dog that does not bark much unlike other large breeds. It is not as mindful though with its master’s commands but is amiable nonetheless to him, his children and other people. Take note, however, that the Malamute is not accustomed to be social to smaller canines and other animals that’s why, although they may get along very well at times, it should never be forgotten that this breed has an innate instinct to be unfriendly with lesser sized creatures.

Being a large breed, the Malamute is expected to be 75 to 85 pounds in weight and 23 to 26 inches in height. Its body is wrapped in a densely covered double coat and it has a well-furred tail that’s used as a nose and face protector against strong blowing snows. This breed comes in colors of gray and white, sable and white, black and white, red and white, or pure white.

Said to have lived 2,000 to 3,000 years ago with the Mahlemuits tribe, the Alaskan Malamute is considered to be one of the most ancient dog breed. Recent DNA testing proves that this dog possesses genes that are clearly unique compared to other dog breeds. Additionally, a recent discovery of 30,000 years old dog remains resemble greatly the structure of the Alaskan Malamute so scientists have a conclusion that the Malamute is probably the closest living relative of the world’s very first dog.