potential.
Alaskan Malamutes are extremely affectionate dogs, and they respond positively to loving attention from their owners.
PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) is a disease that causes degeneration in the dog’s retina. The first symptoms usually begin with night blindness that will eventually lead to total blindness. An ophthalmic exam will detect PRA, but only after symptoms have already begun to occur. There is no treatment for the disease, and dogs that have it should never be part of any breeding program.
DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HIP DYSPLASIA?
X-ray of a dog with “Good” hips.
X-ray of a dog with “Moderate” dysplastic hips.
Hip dysplasia is a fairly common condition found in pure-bred dogs. When a dog has hip dysplasia, his hind leg has an incorrectly formed hip joint. By constant use of the hip joint, it becomes more and more loose, wears abnormally and may become arthritic.
Hip dysplasia can only be confirmed with an x-ray, but certain symptoms may indicate a problem. Your dog may have a hip dysplasia problem if he walks in a peculiar manner, hops instead of smoothly runs, uses his hind legs in unison (to keep the pressure off the weak joint), has trouble getting up from a prone position or always sits with both legs together on one side of his body.
As the dog matures, he may adapt well to life with a bad hip, but in a few years the arthritis develops and many dogs with hip dysplasia become crippled.
Hip dysplasia is considered an inherited disease and only can be diagnosed definitively by x-ray when the dog is two years old, although symptoms often appear earlier. Some experts claim that a special diet might help your puppy outgrow the bad hip, but the usual treatments are surgical. The removal of the pectineus muscle, the removal of the round part of the femur, reconstructing the pelvis and replacing the hip with an artificial one are all surgical interventions that are expensive, but they are usually very successful. Follow the advice of your veterinarian.
Alaskan Malamutes are excellent pets for families with children. However, the dogs are large and powerful and require supervision whenever spending time with young people.
FURRY FEET
The feet of the Alaskan Malamute have heavily furred webbing between thickly padded toes. The webbing allows them to stand on snow for long periods of time. Their paws are able to withstand frigid temperatures for several hours.
Gastric dilatation/volvulus (also called bloat) affects many large, deep-chested breeds, including the Alaskan Malamute. A dog’s stomach fills with gas and fluid, twists and then pinches the stomach’s blood vessels, resulting in severe swelling and the rather quick onset of shock, progressing to death if not treated immediately. Research has isolated some enviromental factors that may contribute to the condition in addition to the dog’s body structure. These include gobbling large amounts of food, exercising too close to mealtimes, gulping water and having an excitable temperament. Bloat may be preventable through simple daily precautions that are easy to incorporate into your routine. Ask your vet about preventives and how to recognize symptoms, as an affected dog needs immediate veterinary attention.
Hypothyroidism is a common problem that affects many Alaskan Malamutes. The most common signs that a thyroid problem may be present include lethargy and recurrent infections. Hair loss and cutaneous infections may also be seen. Since many drugs and illnesses affect levels of thyroid hormones in the blood, hypothyroidism is one of the most difficult endocrine diseases to diagnose. Fortunately, treatment is quite simple through the use of medication.
A Malamute puppy and child who grow up together form a very special bond of closeness.
SEARCH AND RESCUE
The Alaskan Malamute is very valuable as a search-and-rescue dog. The double coat helps to protect them from severe weather conditions and allows them to work for hours when looking for trapped victims that may have been buried in heavy snowfall during an avalanche.
A breed standard is a written description established and formulated by a breed club, outlining a particular breed’s ideal representation in both body and temperament. It is the accepted description of a breed. The standard is used to describe all characteristics of a breed (both good and bad) and specifies which characteristics are considered acceptable or unacceptable. Breeders, owners and judges use the breed standard to evaluate individual dogs. Without an accepted standard, it would be impossible to have an accurate, reliable means of identifying a dog’s faults and recognizing positive characteristics.
Breed standards do change over time, but parent clubs and organizations do their best to maintain the necessary specifics to preserve the function of a breed. It is not unusual for one person’s opinion and perception of the standard to differ from another’s. Such variation is an important part of maintaining a breed’s balance. What should be most important to breeders, judges and owners is the need to keep and produce dogs that represent true type in their breed.
THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB STANDARD FOR THE ALASKAN MALAMUTE
General Appearance: The Alaskan Malamute, one of the oldest Arctic sled dogs, is a powerful and substantially built dog with a deep chest and strong, well-muscled body. The Malamute stands well over the pads, and this stance gives the appearance of much activity and a proud carriage, with head erect and eyes alert showing interest and curiosity. The head is broad. Ears are triangular and erect when alerted. The muzzle is bulky, only slight diminishing in width from root to nose. The muzzle is not pointed or long, yet not stubby. The coat is thick with a coarse guard coat of sufficient length to protect a woolly undercoat. Malamutes are of various colors. Face markings are a distinguishing feature. These consist of a cap over the head, the face either all white or marked with a bar and/or mask. The tail is well furred, carried over the back, and has the appearance of a waving plume.
The Malamute must be a heavy boned dog with sound legs, good feet, deep chest and powerful shoulders, and have all of the other physical attributes necessary for the efficient performance of his job. The gait must be steady, balanced, tireless and totally efficient. He is not intended as a racing sled dog designed to compete in speed trials. The Malamute is structured for strength and endurance, and any characteristic of the individual specimen, including temperament, which interferes with the accomplishment of this purpose, is to be considered the most serious of faults.
Size, Proportion, Substance: There is a natural range in size in the breed. The desirable freighting sizes are males, 25 inches at the shoulders, 85 pounds; females, 23 inches at the shoulders, 75 pounds. However, size consideration should not outweigh that of type, proportion, movement and other functional attributes. When dogs are judged equal in type, proportion, movement, the dog nearest the desirable freighting size is to be preferred. The depth of chest is
