Alaskan Malamute as Working Dog

The Alaskan Malamute’s working dog originally pulled sleds for the Malamute (Mahlmut) Indians of northwestern Alaska. This dog is known for its endurance as a draft animal and for its affectionate nature; it is especially good with children.

The malamute has a compact, powerfully build body and a broad head. Its stand 54-64.5 (21.5-25 in) high at shoulder and weights about 35 kg (80 lb). The coat is double-layered with wooly underhair and a coarse topcoat. The tail is bushy and loosely curled over the back. The paws are large and well padded with fur, enabling the dog to run over snow. The malamute’s brown almond-shaped eyes and its coat gray or black and white, give it a wolflike appearance.

The Alaskan malamute traditionally has been used to pull heavily loaded sleds over great snow plains.

The malamute has a plume like tail that is well furred and hangs just over the back like a "plume". This is the written standard written in the breed book. Corkscrew tails can now be seen but is not the breed description. A corkscrew tail is what you would see in the Akita. The malamutes' tails, well-furred, aid in keeping them warm when they curl up in the snow. They wrap the tail around their nose and face which helps protect them against harsh weather like blowing snow.

Though superficially similar to wolves, there are several physical differences. When compared to a similarly sized wolf, the malamute's head is not as wide, shorter, and generally smaller. Their necks are generally the same size, though the malamute is bigger in the chest by a few inches. The malamute stands two inches shorter, is three inches shorter in the leg, and eight inches shorter in the body. The wolf's tail is longer and has no tendency to curl over its back as the malamute's can. The wolf's track is nearly twice as large as that of the Malamute.

Other Dog Type:
Samoyed Dog
Labrador Dog
Schnauzer Dog
Irish Wolfhound Dog
Irish Terrier Dog
Irish Setter Dog