In this article, we’re going to examine the characteristics of the Alaskan Malamute and see whether they display protective characteristics.

Are Malamutes protective?

Alaskan Malamutes are the surviving descendants of the oldest sled dog breeds. Thought to be bred by the ancient indigenous tribe called the Mahlemut, these dogs were made to pull working sleds in their location of origin: the harsh, snowy lands of Siberia.

Primarily working dogs that lived with their tribe’s family, Malamutes are a calm and very even-tempered dog breed. Although their wolf-like appearance is thought of as ferocious, they are actually very playful and docile. As such, most Alaskan Malamutes are not protective of their owners and actually enjoy being around different people.

Are Alaskan Malamutes possessive?

Malamutes can exhibit significant possessive behaviors, such as with food during feeding time. However, this isn’t common for all Malamutes. Rather, this behavior is more likely to appear in Malamutes who are in the middle of determining their pecking order.

This breed of dog has strong pack-forming tendencies, so they are very likely to establish their position in the pack through challenging actions. If they sense that you are not a strong owner and leader, they will likely be more stubborn and possessive about various things.

Due to this, Malamutes, as well as other Husky breeds, are not recommended for first-time dog owners who don’t know how to remain firm with their pets.

Are Malamutes aggressive?

This dog breed was developed to love work and be loyal to their family. Because of that, their aggressiveness is generally toned down.

However, aggressiveness doesn’t just depend on a dog’s breed. It can also be a matter of upbringing and socialization.

If your Malamute suffered from some kind of trauma in the past, they are more likely to be aggressive when they feel threatened. Even perfectly healthy Malamutes might become aggressive to other animals and people if they’re not socialized properly as they grow up.

Characteristics of a good guard dog

Because of their large and furry wolf-like appearance, people often think of Alaskan Malamutes as guard dogs. But what makes a good guard dog in the first place, and do Malamutes have those characteristics?

In this section, let’s discuss the important characteristics needed in guard dogs.

Size

If you want your guard dog to be intimidating and effective, they need to have the right size for it. 

Your Chihuahua might be trained to attack, but no burglar or harasser would be intimidated by a dog that you can carry around in a small bag. Also, when push comes to shove, bigger dogs have the highest chances of subduing the bad guy.

In this respect, Alaskan Malamutes fit the category well. They are huge dogs, weighing anywhere from 50 to 85 pounds and with a height of 20 to 27 inches, depending on sex. Regardless if they’re harmless or not, most people will probably feel intimidated by their size alone.

Trainability

It’s important for guard dogs to learn how to keep their aggression in check and follow commands. After all, they are likely to be big dogs with a high potential for damage, so it’s important to ensure that they completely obey your commands.

In this respect, Malamutes fit the bill. They’re smart dogs who enjoy doing work, so chances are high that they will follow what you say.

Temperament

The last and perhaps most important factor in finding the perfect guard dog is temperament.

Guard dogs need to have the right balance of aggressiveness and docility. Some dogs are too docile and friendly to everyone — even to strangers. Obviously, you don’t want your guard dog to happily greet burglars as they enter your home.

However, you also don’t want your guard dog to be overly aggressive. Some people make the mistake of assuming that the meaner their dogs are, the better they are as guard dogs. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Remember, excessively aggressive dogs are also more likely to attack you. This defeats the purpose of getting a guard dog in the first place — which is to keep you and your family safe.

In terms of temperament, the Alaskan Malamute falls into the docile category. They are friendly and affectionate, and they’re practically never aggressive. Although they look may look intimidating, they don’t usually attack first and are more likely to act friendly towards strangers.

Do Alaskan Malamutes make good guard dogs?

All told, Alaskan Malamutes won’t make good guard dogs protect against other people. Developed to be pack animals that live together with their human families, they are friendly and affectionate and will rarely bark. In most cases, you can’t rely on an Alaskan Malamute to fight burglars or attackers for you. 

However, because of their size and appearance, burglars may be more likely to hesitate to enter a house with a Malamute, especially if they’re not familiar with this dog breed.

That said, Alaskan Malamutes make good guard dogs against wild animals. Unlike with humans, they can be aggressive towards other dogs of the same sex, especially if they feel threatened.

Final thoughts

As great as Alaskan Malamutes are, they’re not typically protective of their owners. They also don’t make good guard dogs against burglars or robbers, as their default temperament leans more towards the gentle and playful side.

In this article, we learned that:

• Because of how they are developed, Malamutes are often not protective, possessive, or aggressive.
• Malamutes can be possessive when they’re testing the pecking order.
• They can also be aggressive when they’re traumatized or unsocialized.
• Dogs need to have the right size, temperament, and trainability to be effective guard dogs.
• Although Malamutes are huge and trainable, their temperament is largely unsuited for guarding against other people.

Did we answer your question? Feel free to check our other posts at Husky Habits!

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We all know that this fur coat should be maintained by daily brushing. However, this can quickly become too time-consuming to do every day, and improper maintenance can cause mattes that can become breeding grounds for infection. In the summer months, their thick fur can also cause them to overheat and feel ill.

But do Alaskan Malamutes need haircuts? Is it the solution to the problem? Would it cause harm? In this article, we’ll answer all of those questions and more.

Do Alaskan Malamutes need haircuts?

Ideally, you should never have to trim your Malamute’s gorgeous fur. A bad haircut can easily damage their beautiful coat, and they might even react negatively in sensitive areas.

If absolutely needed, your first choice should be to go to a licensed professional for your Malamute’s grooming.

Should I shave my Malamutes?

Avoid shaving your pet’s fur at all costs unless it’s absolutely required, such as in the case of a medical operation or procedure.

Not only is shaving highly unnatural and irritating to them, but their thick coat is also essential to regulate their body’s temperature. If their fur coat is compromised, Malamutes become even more at risk of heatstroke and sunburn. In the worst-case scenario, these irritations could fester and develop infections.

Do Malamutes have hair or fur?

When it comes to dogs, ‘hair’ is often used interchangeably with ‘fur.’ Those with a single layer are referred to as ‘hair’ more commonly, while those with a double layer are referred to as ‘fur.’

In the case of Alaskan Malamutes, they have a specific kind of fur called a ‘double fur,’ so named because it has two layers: a thick outer coat called ‘guard coat’ and a more luxurious undercoat.

Although thick, a Malamute’s guard coat is coarse and short. Meanwhile, the undercoat can reach up to two inches long and has a silky, wooly feel for repelling water and providing warmth.

This double coat is used by Malamutes to protect them against the elements. The Arctic region where they originated is a place of extreme cold, and so they’ve adapted to withstand that climate. Today, this double coat is seen as a distinctive trait and is enhanced through selective breeding.

How Can I Keep My Malamutes Clean?

Although an Alaskan Malamute’s luxurious double fur coat is one of its most distinctive features, it’s also one of the aspects that make their care so challenging.

Nevertheless, as fur parents, we have to do our part to keep our fur babies happy and healthy. Aside from professional grooming, we can do the following things at home:

Set regular bathing schedules

While they don’t need to be groomed and trimmed all the time, regular bathing can help your Malamute in various ways. Aside from keeping them cool, clean, and looking good, you can also minimize shedding if you bathe your dog at least once every one to two weeks.

Use the right shampoo and conditioner.

Don’t get us wrong — regular shampoo works just fine in keeping your dog clean. However, if you want to go the extra mile, nourishing shampoos can help your Malamute’s coat look healthier.

If their coat appears to be dry, conditioners can help things along. Whatever you apply, make sure you research it well first and start slow.

Blow-dry their fur properly

Perhaps more important than using the right shampoo and conditioner is blowing your Malamute’s fur properly.

A wet coat easily attracts all sorts of dirt and germs. If you don’t dry it properly, your Alaskan Malamute might be even dirtier than when you started. You can buy a high-quality blow dryer for this, but many grooming salons now rent out their blowdryers for home use.

Brush their fur regularly

Malamutes require regular brushing at least once a week and professional grooming at least once every 6 to 8 weeks to avoid mats on your Malamute’s coat.

While little mattes aren’t that big of a deal, improper maintenance of your Malamute’s fur could lead to severe matting. This can harbor all sorts of infections. Your Malamute’s fur might need to be shaved if the matte becomes too much. As mentioned, shaving is highly discouraged for this dog breed, so best avoid it as much as you can.

How Often Should You Brush Your Malamutes?

Your Malamutes should be brushed properly at least once or twice every week on their normal days.

However, you will have to brush them every day during their shedding seasons to keep them clean and shed-free. You should also carefully clean the abundant amount of shed fur that Malamutes will have in this period. If you have carpeted floors, you may need to vacuum daily or invest in many lint rollers to keep your carpets fur-free. You can donate the excess fur to yarn shops that accept dog wool.

You should start brushing and grooming your Malamutes early on. This makes them more likely to get used to grooming and relax under treatment than when they’re fully grown. To make this process easier, you can brush them during the quiet hours of the day or night to help them be more relaxed.

Final Thoughts

Alaskan Malamutes don’t need haircuts, not exactly. Instead, they need proper maintenance for their lovely fur coat, and as their owner, that responsibility falls on you.

In this article, we learned that:

• Malamutes have a double fur coat that they adapted to help them in colder temperatures.
• Trimming your Malamute’s fur should be done very carefully.
• You must never shave a Malamute unless absolutely necessary..
• To keep your Malamute’s fur healthy, bathe them regularly, use the right implements, blow-dry properly, and regularly brush their fur.
• You must take your Malamute to the groomer at least once every six to eight weeks, bathe and brush them at least once a week.
• During shedding season, brush your Malamute every day.

Did you like this article? Check out more posts at Husky Habits!

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That said, how big can an Alaskan Malamute grow, anyway? In this article, this is precisely what we’ll discuss.

How big can an Alaskan Malamute grow?

Alaskan Malamutes are classified as a large breed by the AKC. Understandably, this means that they’re generally bigger than other breeds of dogs, including other Husky breeds like Siberian Huskies.

For males, the average height is about 25 inches (63.5cm) at the shoulders. Females are a bit smaller, standing at around 23 inches (58.5cm) at the shoulders.

In terms of weight, males are also much heavier, weighing 85 pounds (38.5kg) on average as opposed to females who typically weigh roughly 75 pounds (34kg).

Since these are just the averages, don’t be worried if your Alaskan Malamute doesn’t match these stats exactly. For instance, a male Alaskan Malamute that is 24 inches high and weighs 79 pounds is still within the healthy range. At the same time, a female Alaskan Malamute that is 25 inches high and weighs 80 pounds is also considered normal.

Of course, an Alaskan Malamute that is both tall and heavy will look a lot bigger than an Alaskan Malamute that is shorter and lighter. But ultimately, as long as your Malamute is fine, health-wise, their size doesn’t really matter.

Can Alaskan Malamutes be overweight?

It’s important to determine whether an Alaskan Malamute is indeed overweight or if their coat is simply too thick.

Alaskan Malamutes have naturally thick coats to help protect them from extreme cold. They tend to shed these coats year-round, most notably around spring or winter. Some Malamutes have such thick coats that they look overweight because of it, even though that’s not the case.

However, it’s also true that there are some Alaskan Malamutes that are overweight. If a Malamute is around the average size (25 inches for males and 23 inches for females) but weighs at least 20-25 pounds heavier than usual, there’s a good chance that they’re overweight.

Obviously, taller Malamutes should be able to handle a bit more weight, but it’s safe to say that most average-sized Malamutes that are at least 110 pounds are severely overweight.

One way to check whether a Malamute is overweight or not is if you can still feel their ribs. No matter how thick their coats may be, you should still be able to feel them if you press gently by their side.

If you still can’t feel their ribs no matter how hard you try, it’s a good sign that your Malamute is overweight. Proper diet and exercise should be done immediately as being overweight can cause a lot of health issues to Alaskan Malamutes.

Are giant Alaskan Malamutes real?

If you’ve ever searched on the internet for information about Alaskan Malamutes before, you’ve probably already come across a special variant called Giant Alaskan Malamutes.

“Giant” Alaskan Malamutes are simply Malamutes that weigh heavier than 120-150 pounds. Unlike regular Malamutes, they stand taller than 35 inches. Coupled with their heavy weight, they do look like giant versions of our beloved, cuddly furbabies.

However, are they an actual breed or simply a variation of the regular Alaskan Malamute?

Actually, giant Alaskan Malamutes are simply selectively bred Malamutes. They’ve been around for hundreds of years, originally found in the frigid regions of Alaska. In order to achieve their size, breeders would take the largest Malamute puppy from one litter and breed that with another litter’s largest puppy.

Over time, this led to bigger and bigger Malamute puppies. Their offspring are what we know today as Giant Alaskan Malamutes.

Is my Alaskan Malamute too small?

Since Alaskan Malamutes are classified as a large breed, it’s understandable to feel worried when your Malamute seems a bit shorter and lighter than average.

Luckily, you don’t have to worry. There’s no such thing as “miniature” Alaskan Malamutes, but smaller Alaskan Malamutes do exist. And while they’re definitely not the norm, it doesn’t make them abnormal.

Why is my Alaskan Malamute small?

There are many reasons why your Alaskan Malamute may be smaller than usual.

The first one is genes. Just like how bigger Alaskan Malamutes can be selectively bred to create “giant” Malamutes, the same can be done to small Alaskan Malamutes, as well. If your Alaskan Malamute seems smaller than average, check to see if their parents or other siblings are also small.

Two, if their siblings seem normal-sized, your Malamute could be the runt of the litter. Runts can sometimes have underlying health issues, so be sure to get yours checked at the vet.

Three, they may not be eating enough, or their diet may not be up to par. Make sure that you’re feeding your Malamute only the best dog food possible to provide all the necessary nutrition.

These are just the most common ones. It’s best to still consult with a vet to find out what is truly going on.

Is my Alaskan Malamute too skinny?

It’s essential to determine first whether your Malamute is actually small or if it’s just skinny.

A small Alaskan Malamute means they’re not just light, they’re short in stature as well. For instance, a fully-grown male Malamute that’s 21 inches in height and 65 pounds in weight is certainly small but not necessarily skinny.

A skinny Alaskan Malamute is one that’s, say, 23 inches in height but only 55 pounds in weight. Alaskan Malamutes are working dogs, which means they must have a lot of muscle and fats on their body that contribute to their weight.

If they’re too skinny for their height, it’s important to visit the vet to get them checked out.

Final thoughts

Ultimately, as we mentioned above, your Alaskan Malamute’s size rarely matters, as long as they’re healthy.

In this article, we learned that:

• Alaskan Malamutes can grow up to 25 inches and 85 pounds for males and 23 inches and 75 pounds for females.
• Giant Alaskan Malamutes and small Alaskan Malamutes exist.
• Being overweight or underweight is not good for your Alaskan Malamute.

Did this answer your questions? Feel free to visit us at Husky Habits!

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It’s not always easy to distinguish what’s causing this behavior in your precious Malamute. Alaskan Malamutes are great pets who are typically playful and loving, so it can be very strange to see them down and upset. As a fur parent, you must figure this out before it leads to something worse.

Here are some reasons why your Alaskan Malamute is not eating.

Your Malamute may be sick

Do you enjoy eating when you’re sick? If you’re like most people, you probably don’t feel like eating when you’re ill.

The same can be said for your Alaskan Malamute. Underlying health issues can sometimes show up in symptoms like a lack of appetite.

This means that if your Alaskan Malamute has a health problem, it can cause them to stop eating.

They are especially prone to Zinc deficiency, specifically Type 1 Zinc-responsive dermatosis. This nutrient is primarily responsible for maintaining the body’s normal functions. A lack of Zinc can cause a loss of appetite in Malamutes.

Aside from that, there are many other illnesses that affect dogs in general, so regular check-ups at the vet is important.

Your Malamute doesn’t like the dog food

This is the most common reason for Alaskan Malamutes not eating. However, it’s not always that straightforward.

To say it simply, not all dog food is created equal. Most cheap dog food brands use low-quality ingredients like by-products, fillers, additives, preservatives, chemicals, and other irritative or harmful components.

For Malamutes, eating low-quality dog food may not just taste unpleasant. It can also make them ill.

Plus, Malamutes have excellent metabolism, which means they can go for a long time without eating. They’re more likely to pass on bad food because their metabolism affords them to wait until something better comes along.

Something is stressing them out

Dogs are generally very sensitive to their environment, and they feel the most vulnerable to danger when eating.

Alaskan Malamutes, in general, have very strong senses. The slightest change in their surroundings can put them off their food.

Major changes, like moving houses, have a higher chance of stressing them out. However, even minor changes like a new pet or an unfamiliar noise can lead to the same result.

If you think your Malamute is too stressed to eat, try moving his food bowl somewhere more private and less prone to interruptions.

It has a highly irregular feeding time.

Dogs, like humans, are creatures of habit. They feel more at ease when they have a set routine.

If you’re not feeding your Alaskan Malamute according to schedule, it’s time to start doing that now. Routines can help dogs cope better with changes in the household and primes their appetite.

Once you’ve made a feeding schedule, make sure to stick to it. Eventually, your Malamute’s body will adjust and expect food at those times, making it easy to predict their appetites.

He’s restless from a lack of exercise

Alaskan Malamutes were bred to be one of the most hardworking dogs known to man. They were trained to have the energy for days of heavy pulling across countries in harsh arctic conditions.

Since your Alaskan Malamute has lots of energy in his body, he needs to release it somehow. This breed requires a minimum of two hours of exercise per day, more so if he’s in his prime.

Sled dogs, in general, have an interesting metabolism. They can consume many calories, but when needed, these dog breeds can “flip a switch” that lets them endure strenuous conditions for days while consuming only very little food.

Simply put, not eating for a day or two is a piece of cake for an Alaskan Malamute that isn’t using up its energy.

How to Get Your Alaskan Malamute to Eat

Now that we know some of the most common reasons for your Alaskan Malamute not eating, here are a few fixes that you can try.

Switch to higher quality dog food

Pick a brand that doesn’t contain common allergens like chicken, lamb, and pork. Instead, go for one that uses turkey, duck, or fish as a primary protein source.

You can also try adding wet food to your Malamute’s diet. Aside from being tastier, wet food also contains a lot more nutrients than dry kibbles. You can try mixing your Malamute’s favorite wet food with wet kibbles in an 80-20 split to entice it to eat more.

That said, keep in mind the amount of calories he’s eating, and don’t give him too much wet food.

Visit the nearest vet

If it’s not the dog food, then it could be something worse. To clear your doubts, it’s best to take a trip to the vet.

As mentioned above, lack of appetite can be a sign of a severe health condition. Your vet will perform all the necessary checks and will recommend the appropriate actions based on the findings.

Increase exercise and playtime

So you’ve changed food brands, and the vet says nothing is amiss health-wise. And yet, your precious pet is still not eating.

Don’t worry, you just need to increase his exercise and playtime. As mentioned, Alaskan Malamutes need plenty of exercise to function at optimal conditions.

Older or younger Malamutes are usually okay with less than two hours of exercise. But Malamutes at two to seven years old may be satisfied with that. Try getting it to be more active and see if it sparks that appetite.

Also, make sure to time their exercise so that it’s not within two hours of eating.

Final thoughts on your Alaskan Malamute not eating

It can be worrying for you to see that your Alaskan Malamute is not eating, but luckily, there are plenty of ways to solve this problem.

In this article, we learned that:

• Underlying health issues can cause your Malamute to lose its appetite
• Low-quality dog food might be putting off your pet
• Sudden changes can stress out your Malamute
• Your pet might have unpredictable appetites
• Restlessness can stem from a lack of exercise
• You can solve the problem by changing dog food brands, going to the vet, and giving them more exercise time

Want to learn more about Alaskan Malamutes? Don’t forget to check out our blog here at Husky Habits!

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