Malamute Myth Busting
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Malamute Myth Busting Arctic explorer, wilderness survivalist, and malamute musher Joe Henderson explores some common misconceptions of our breed - and sets the record straight By Joe Henderson Alaskan malamutes have been on this conform to their environment or else they system that allowed them to absorb every planet for a long time, and recent DNA wouldn’t survive. They had to be stout micronutrient from their meager rations of testing shows that they are one of the and have stamina to carry a pack or pull a food. I have seen dogs half the sizes of world’s most ancient breeds. Throughout sledge. Their coats had to be lush with malamutes eat twice the amount of food history, we have called upon the just the right length and thickness to hold as them – malamutes are just great malamute for the toughest jobs - dragging their body heat and repel whipping snow keepers. These guys also had to develop sleds to the North and South Poles, during blizzards. And malamutes had to hefty paws that would endure traveling on hauling U.S. mail across Alaska, and be intelligent, trusting, and loyal since dry snow and sharp ice. Basically, it can packing ammunition for our soldiers in they lived with people who valued them be said the Alaskan malamute is the WWII. But why are there so many myths as part of their family. perfect breed for a brutal and imperfect about Alaskan malamutes? It’s also believed the dogs ate when the environment. In order to bust some of the myths, first family ate, which meant that, during When traders, trappers, and gold we need to explore their history and famines, they had to develop a digestive miners explored the frozen lands of origin. The Alaska, they were Mahlemuit people introduced to the or Inuit, whom they Inuit’s most are named after, important family used the Alaskan member – the malamute breed for malamute. thousands of years. Eventually the dogs It is believed that became quite a the malamutes valuable commodity crossed the Bering amongst the Straits with the Inuit newcomers, which from the Arctic ironically nearly regions of Siberia. destroyed the They were used as breed. The pack dogs, hunting increased demand dogs, and sled dogs for dogs decreased and protected the the numbers and Inuit families from caused people to bears. It must have start breeding the been a rugged life malamutes with back then, and the other breeds. dogs had to Luckily, the line was Copyright © Alaskan Malamute Club of America Published April 2012 saved and was registered in 1935 with what you want yourselves. But, when moment Hero sees me, he whines like a the American Kennel Club (AKC). There malamutes pout, it seems to pierce your puppy, completely letting down his macho are several strains of Alaskan malamutes, inner soul, and there’s no way you can image, and forgets his dominant role in and a variety of color phases and sizes. resist, just no way! You end up throwing the kennel. He turns from a lion to a Although the AKC has their standards the white flag of surrender and give them kitten; actually I am embarrassed for him for the show ring, I prefer the heavier what they want and a bit more for good acting like that in front of his girlfriends! guys with big feet and larger bones. They measure. Pouting is typical behavior hold up better for freighting in the Arctic, from malamutes and not exactly Myth 3: Malamutes are lazy and have and that’s what the breed was designed aggressive or wolfish in any way no stamina for originally. Nonetheless, the smaller whatsoever. strain makes great leaders and swing There are a few myths about dogs since they are lighter and more Myth #2: “Alpha Role” method is an malamutes that I have heard that surprise athletic than the larger brutes. effective way to train malamutes me. Alaskan malamutes were not designed for speed; they are the draft Myth 1: Malamutes have an I have been told that malamutes have horses of the sled dog world. Malamutes to be trained with the alpha role method, love to work hard. That’s their nature. I aggressive nature toward people a tactic that became popularized in the have never seen sled dogs that yearn to Sometimes called aggressive, or half- mid-seventies. With this method, pull heavy loads with such passion and breed wolves, the malamute’s character basically you flip the dog onto his back enthusiasm. But my malamutes do not has been dragged over the coals. It’s and hold him in that position, sometimes care for (nor are they interested in) completely understandable why a person by the throat. The theory is that this sprinting for long distances. Sure, once would be intimidated with a 100+lb. teaches the dog that you are the pack in a while they enjoy a good run for a few malamute. I certainly was when my first leader. The alpha technique may work miles, but after that, their tails start to malamute looked me in the eyes like he for other people and other breeds, but I droop down, which usually means that was seeing dinner. Then he knocked me don’t think our malamutes attach they aren’t enjoying life. Droopy tails for off my feet, pinned me down with his themselves to me because they think I purebred malamutes just isn’t natural for burly paws, and then smacked me on my am an alpha dog. Nope, no way, I don’t them and can sometimes signal stress or lip and nose with a big drooling kiss. buy it. I am not one of them, I don’t act injury. like them, and I don’t dig holes, roll in dirt Malamutes love people; it’s just amazing. Malamutes love the challenge of or howl all night. Those malamutes look From the time they are pups waddling dragging heavy sleds in rough conditions, at me with respect and love and not as around in the yard until they pass on to and they get bored when they’re on their equal or competitor, and I see them malamute heaven, they starve for smooth, groomed trails, especially the in the same way. attention from people. This desire to larger brutes. Those guys eat up tough please is the foundation of the Alaskan Besides, most malamutes are naturally pulls, the tougher the better. Sometimes malamute character, their driving force. submissive toward people, and they don’t they growl when they lay into their It’s what makes these guys tick. need to be terrified into submission. I harness on an uphill pull as if they’re Because of this strong instinct to have found that even my toughest, proving themselves to their mates. I have please, malamutes have to be handled macho, hormone raging, dominant dog in one guy named Mitch. His brown and with kid gloves, psychologically speaking. the kennel will turn into an innocent, tail white coat and sharp mask makes him These guys are so emotionally sensitive wagging ball of fur that acts like a baby one of the handsomest dogs in the team. that it’s easier to deal with children, but when I walk up to him. Take Hero for Every time we hit a tough pull, he lets out children eventually grow up - and example, he’s the tough guy, the junkyard a weird growl/bark that intimidates the malamutes don’t. One of the things that dog. He intimidates the other dogs just dog beside him. Now, if Mitch could really gets me is their pouting. Now, by his powerhouse physique, and polar speak, I bet he would be barking orders many of you have kids and have bear-sized paws. Hero takes no flack like a drill sergeant: “Follow me! Lean experienced this ancient art of from anyone and lets the other dogs into it, you punks.” Those guys can pull persuasion, or maybe some of you know that he’s king. He reminds me of a with high intensity for hours and hours remember practicing this tactic of getting bull dozer, nothing can stop him. But the without tiring. They’re just unbelievable! Copyright © Alaskan Malamute Club of America Published April 2012 Is it Our Turn to Ride? I swear if you let them, a team of malamutes would have you pull your own sled across the frozen white tundra while they relax on the runners sipping hot chicken soup and smoking cigars. — Joe Henderson A freight team will put their heart into canine creatures are testing the weight in of a sense of humor. I swear that, if you pulling all day. But there isn’t an animal the sleds and the friction of the snow. let them, a team of malamutes would on earth that can work at such high have you pull your own sled across the Depending on these conditions, the intensity for long; otherwise they would frozen white tundra while they relax on dogs will set a comfortable pace for give in to exhaustion and crash. To the runners sipping hot chicken soup and themselves that enables them to protect themselves from crashing, smoking cigars. After all, they couldn’t conserve energy like a marathon runner. malamutes have developed a strategy have survived thousands of years by Even after the team finds a good pace, that sets them apart from other breeds, a being dumber than 100 dead chickens. they stretch the energy saving tactic even strategy that has evolved over thousands further, and each dog hits its harness for Malamutes are great people trainers.