Have you ever wondered if Alaskan Malamute is the best breed of dog for family and personal protection?
While protective dog breeds come in different shapes and size, Malamute dog breed is a unique medium to a large type of protective dog. Therefore, knowing what makes the best breed of dog for personal protection is key. And, on paper, the Malamute dog breeds are not aggressive enough compared to guard dogs like Doberman and Rotweiller which are synonymous with their aggressive traits.
A safe and secure home set-up means you can leave your home or go to bed, knowing that intruders will not target your house and break-in.
Especially today, when burglary and home break-ins are rampant, living with a personal protective dog is not an option anymore… It is a requirement period!
Besides home security, technological gadgets like Ring, burglar alarms, and home CCTV systems, living with a personal protection guard dog like the Alaskan Malamute, provides you with an extra layer of safety in your life.
This is why guard dogs like Alaskan Malamute are family and living-in preffered choice of pet for those seeking for personal and home protection. Good family guard dogs (large dog breeds or small dog breeds) acts as a home alert system to danger while also being a loyal companion.
Without a doubt, if you are choosing a live-in protection guard dog, the last thing you want to do is end up with a babysitting dog. This is why Alaskan Malamute is one of the best medium to large size family protection dog you can have.
Is Alaskan Malamute Good Guard Dogs?
No! Alaskan Malamute does not make good guard dogs naturally, as they are not instinctively the strongest protective in nature.
However, homes seeking for a family companion and protection guard dog, the Alaskan Malamute fits the bill.
The size and appearance of the Alaskan Malamute alone can act as deterrents to burglars, especially those who are not familiar with the breed.
Unlike other known aggressive guard dogs, who predominantly do guard work and nothing else, the Malamutes enjoy socializing with people (even strangers).
It is these deliquency traits and lack of curiosity that makes them to be less effective guard dogs.
About The Alaskan Malamute Dog Breed.
Weight: 75 to 100 pounds
Life Span: 12 to 15 years
Height: 1 foot, 11 inches to 2 feet, 1 inch tall.
The Alaskan Malamute is not your average dog breed, its sturdier in build, with an intimidating appearence and presence that will send burglars running without barking.
They were originally bred in Alaska, United States, and the Malamute dog breed is probably one of the oldest pure dog breed dating back to the 14th Century.
Before Alaskan Malamute dogs became family companions and guard dogs, they were used as sled dogs for easy traveling and transportation of valuable goods.
The Alaskan Malamute today, is predominantly kept as family pet and watchdog. But, the look and presence of the Malamute dog, does not signal them as docile family dog breed…
So, Are Alaskan Malamutes Dangerous?
No, Alaskan Malamutes are not dangerous, however, their appearance alone is intimidatengly frightening for most people especially those who are not familiar with this blue-eyed dog breed.
No wonder that regardless of the Malamutes being less of a toy guard dog, their look and presence has led others to conclude that this dog breed is aggressive and dangerous.
However, according to published statistical data, a whopping 97% of pet owners explicitly agree with the fact that Alaskan Malamute are not dangerous, and they make an excellent family dog.
But don’t take my word for it, in fact, the Alaskan Malamute is one of the most playful,loyal and energetic medium to large dog breeds who enjoys spending time with people.
History of the Malamute
The Mahlemuit (/ˈmæləˌmjuːt/) who are a nomadic tribe in the northern part of Alaska, was the first clan to tame and domesticate the wild Alaskan Malamute dog breed.
With sturdier body builds and high energy levels, the Malamute dogs would later become not only best-hunting dogs but also ideal for transporting of both freight and humans across miles of icy and frozen lakes of Alaska.
As the earliest and oldest domesticated dog breed of the arctic, that was strong, possessing impeccable tracking skills, the Malamute proved to be an integral part of survival and life for the arctic tribe who lived on hunting of small prey as well as large predators like bears.
The Malamute dogs were also able to find seal breathing holes in the ice, which came in very handy to their owners.
As the popularity of the Malamute’s amiable traits continues to grow,there is no shortage of crossbreeding of the Malamute dogs along with other dogs to produce a unique hybrid dog breed that would carry the Malamute’s traits and that of the other parents.
In the year of 1935, the Alaskan Malamute was then recognized by the American Kennel Club.
After that, the breed’s popularity spread not only across the US but the whole world.
It was then named the official state dog of Alaska in 2010. Today, these dogs are in many homes around the world.
They are used in sporting events like weight pulling as well as bikejoring.
Physical Appearance
Like many dogs, male malamutes are slightly heavier in weight and appear larger than female ones.
An average height of a male is 25 inches tall while females can grow up to a height of 23 inches.
Also, the average weight of a female is 75 pounds which is a lot less than an adult male with a weight of 85 pounds.
Regardless, these dogs are very strong when it comes to getting the job done.
It has ears that stand erect and have a size proportional to the size of the head. Along with that, it has a coat which is a double coat.
The inner coat is 2 inches thick and has a woolly texture while the outer coat stands as a guard coat.
The color of the coat is usually gray and white, black and white, red and white or even seal and white. These dogs mostly have markings on their faces necks of half collar.
All in all, the colors and marking of the dog greatly depends of the colors and markings of the parent breeds. Color of their eyes may be blue or brown.
Are Malamutes aggressive? – Alaskan Malamute Temperament
If you are looking for a docile, playful and social pet dog, the Alaskan Malamute is one of the most Temperamentally balanced family and guard dogs to have. Rightly so, it is expected for family guard dogs to be aggressive and overly protective of their owner.
So, are Malamutes aggressive to be excellent guard dogs?
No! Malamutes are not aggressive at all! What helps them become guard dogs is only their look and presence, which is intimidating.
On the other hand, when you invest time and effort to train Alaskan Malamutes from when they are puppies, this dog breed is intelligent, strong-willed to put aside its playful nature and become excellent family and guard dogs.
However, without proper training, consider the Malamutes as your scarecrow type of guard dog as they enjoy companionship and make great exercise partners.
These dogs are naturally strong-willed and confident, but enjoy following a strong alpha leader.
They have a high prey drive
As descendants of avid wild hunters, these traits does not completely disappear in domesticated Malamutes. When exposed to other small wild mammals, their prey drive tends to manifest.
So, if you do not reinforce command training and calls, your Malamute will undoubtedly run off to hunt animals like rabbits or chase dog squirrels when you take her for walks.
The good news is that they can be taught to socialize at a young age so that they should tolerate wild animals at your local park and also co-habiting with other pets like cats or pet rabbits in your home.
The Malamute dogs are naturally very friendly
While friendliness is an amiable trait and great factor that makes this dog adored by many pet owners, it also means that they are unreliable watchdogs because they are good with strangers as well.
Malamutes Are Talkative However Bark Less
Malamutes are known for being extremely vocal,apart from barking and howling. These talented pets also have been known for their yodeling ability which is cute.
So, are Malamutes talkative?
Yes! When they need your attention, the Malamutes tend to attempt to talk.
Their talkative sounds may not be clear but you can rest asured to enjoy a yip, chirp, grumble and sometimes snort just to signal to their owner that they need to either go out for a wee or attempting to communicate that someone is on the door.
As if that was not enough! Some have alluded to the idea that Malamutes can even belt a song! This Youtube video here shows a Malamute singing with a puppy Malamute.
On top of this, they tend to bark less than you would expect large dog breeds to.
They are Tolerant And highly active dogs
Their history truly speaks for them. These dogs are used in freight transportation, canicross, carting, skijoring as well as performances like weight pulling- now that’s one muscular dog!
When raised around the house, they like playing with their owners as well as kids. Just be mindful when your dog is playing with very small children as the prey-drive can kick in. Keep them under supervision.
Quick Facts And Interesting Facts About Malamute Dog Breed.
They are very intelligent dogs
For all this dog can do, you wouldn’t be surprised if we said that it is an intelligent dog. The Alaskan Malamute is a dog that is very easy to train and it quickly remembered commands so you don’t have to repeat yourself.
They are pack animals
Every pack has to have a leader and if your dog feels like it is in control of you, he may end up taking up the pack leader position in your own home.
That being said, you must always show your dog that you are more dominant that it. This comes hard for people who do not understand how to dominate a dog.
As such, the Alaskan Malamute is not recommended to first time dog owners.
Food Requirements
Food is the most important part of a dog’s health. Dogs tend to live longer because of the type of food they are given.
In this case, a balanced diet is best. Alaskan malamutes do well with a lot of different foods- food poisoning or allergy cases are very low to these breeds.
Here are the main elements that you should give to your Malamute
Zinc
Since most of these dogs suffer from zinc deficiency at an adult age, why not give them a food that contains a good level (8%) of zinc in their diet?
This can help them maintain healthy skin and coat as well as help prevent zinc deficiency.
Water
Just water is important to us, it is important to our dogs too. Since adult dogs are more energetic and work more than younger ones, they should be given more water ( at least 5 times a day)
Exercise Requirements
This multi skilled dog is very active as it was originally bred to work. An athletic dog like this one requires a lot of exercises to keep it from boredom or being depressed because they have nothing to do.
Therefore you must exercise your dog every day. These exercises must be both physical and mental exercises. You can also take them on runs or go swimming with them.
Grooming Requirements
Behind every beautiful malamute coat, some grooming takes place to keep the fur from getting tangled as well as to remove dead fur.
The Malamute must be bathed once every week and the coat must be brushed every day, preferably with a metal comb.
When brushing, always check the skin for any signs of infections.
On top of that, their nails must be trimmed at least once a week.
Health Concerns
Ever since these dogs were produced and became popular, there was only one survey that was conducted on them to find out more about lineage health problems and this study was conducted in 2004 by the United Kingdom Kennel Club.
The following are some of the health issues that were discovered in most of their sample dogs
Cataracts
This is a health problem that is associated with eye vision. What happens is that the dog’s eye (s) become cloudy which makes it difficult for the dog to see.
If the clouding is not treated in time, it leads to blindness. Since we don’t see through their eyes, it is hard for us to notice that they are having cataracts.
However, some of the symptoms you are to expect from a dog with cataracts are; not being able to follow you properly, difficulty in seeing something that is a few feet away from them and, ofcourse, night blindness.
A dog with cataracts should be taken into surgery when the symptoms are not too severe.
Musculoskeletal
This condition occurs only in older dogs as compared to young ones. It is the condition where the hip joint develops arthritis, which leads to the lameness of the legs. This occurs in dogs that are in between 6 to 7 years of age. Musculoskeletal is also called Hip dysplasia.
Zinc Deficiency
Zinc is an important mineral that helps in the production of skin cells. Zinc deficiency mostly occurs in these breeds because the breed has difficulties when it comes to absorbing zinc. In the end, infections develop on the dog’s skin.
Thyroid disorders
The breed is more likely to suffer from this condition at an adult age compared to a younger one. Call the vet as soon as possible if you think your Alaskan malamute breed might be having a thyroid condition.
Lifespan
With a proper diet and medical care, the Alaskan Malamute can live up to 16 years, which is longer than most dog breed of its size.
