Malamute 101
BY IAN DUNBAR, PH.D., M.R.C.V.S.
AS PRINTED IN DOG FANCY, NOVEMBER 1995

Despite their magnificent northern good looks and delightful sense of humor, Alaskan Malamutes are not what you would call "starter dogs." Of all the breeds of dog, the Malamute maintains the distinction of displaying the greatest difference between its cuddlability as a puppy and its potential intractability as an adult dog. Malamute pups are seductively deceptive, luring unsuspecting owners into a feeling of lovable overconfidence: fluffy, snuggly-cuddly dogs that are quick to learn and easy to train.

Unfortunately, even though Malamutes are incredibly smart (certainly the fastest learners of all the breeds) they are also the fastest to forget. Things begin to deteriorate as the pup approaches adolescence, during which Malamutes can excel in canny improvisations during domestic training - the first step of a lifelong quest to do it their way. But it gets worse. Malamutes collide with full-blown adolescence, and seemingly overnight, they develop into large, strong wily adults that can be tricky to handle.

So it was with my first Malamute, Totemtock's Omaha Beagle CD. Omaha was a beautiful puppy who was easy to handle and quick to train. He sat promptly and willingly, settled down calmly and heeled like a dream. More importantly, he was people-friendly, dog-friendly and well-behaved around the house and garden. Then, wham! He crashed headlong into adolescence and started to pull on his leash, howl at the moon, trim carpets and dig in the garden. Moreover, he went about these activities with a vengeance. What happened to that calm, quiet pup of yestermonth who heeled beautifully?

How could I have been so stupid? Of course Omaha would want to chew and dig and vocalize - he's a dog. What did I expect him to do? Needlepoint and crosswords? Of course he would want to howl and pull on leash - he's a Malamute. In fact, it was the howling and leash pulling that tipped me off to simple solutions. His behavior made me realize that his so-called "problems" were perfectly normal ingredients of any dog's natural behavior repertoire that simply occurred at inappropriate times.

I trained Omaha to perform each "problem" behavior on cue to help redirect each doggy activity to some appropriate setting. All of a sudden, the behaviors were no longer problems. For example, I encouraged him to howl through the sunroof whenever we were stopped in rush-hour traffic on the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge. He was happy, and I was happy. Also, he had less of an urge to howl at other times.

Similarly, I allowed Omaha to indulge his pulling habit by occasionally instructing him to pull me along on walks - very useful when trudging up hills. He also was allowed to pull me while I was on skis or in a sled. Now he was more inclined to walk by my side when heeling. Stuffing chew toys with treats nattily solved the chewing problem. An in the garden, I built Omaha a digging pit with hidden stuffed-chewtoy treasures. We were back on track again - living in harmony. Omaha enjoyed his life as a dog and a Malamute, and I enjoyed life as a Malamute companion.

The resolution to Omaha's problems taught me more about dogs than I had ever learned during my veterinary education or while I earned my Ph.D. in dog behavior. This information stood me in good stead when it came to raising my second Malamute, Phoenix. This information made her training as easy as it was enjoyable. And it provided brain fodder for my many books and videos on dog behavior, which has enabled numerous dog owners worldwide to enjoy dog-friendly and user-friendly training techniques.

I have lived with only two gorgeous Malamutes, but I have trained at least a couple of hundred. Even though I am hopelessly biased, believing they can be the most delightful of canine companions, I would be the first to admit that Malamutes are not for everyone. Malamutes are quite large and very strong, and they tend to approach training a little differently than other breeds. People call this trait stubbornness, while Malamutes seem to look at it as creative thinking.

Regardless of the terminology, intelligent prospective owners familiarize themselves with the Malamute point of view before they get a puppy. Remember, Malamute puppies grow up quickly, dramatically changing from puppyhood to adolescence within three to four months. For goodness sakes, do not make the same mistakes that I made. Do not use your first Malamute as your practice dog. Make sure you know what to expect and what you are going to do before you get a cute, cuddly pup. Find out how any dog is likely to act as an adult, and especially find out how adult Malamutes are likely to act.

Good Malamute owners need to be dedicated and well-prepared, with gray matter as active as their lifestyles. Do a lot of research about breed specifics and training beforehand. Make sure you are perfectly familiar with lure and reward training techniques and, specifically, that you feel comfortable training a dog that may be significantly stronger and probably larger than most family members - a dog that can easily pull several thousand pounds.

Make sure you know how to redirect your pup's natural doggy behaviors to appropriate and acceptable outlets. Most importantly, make sure you know how to socialize your puppy, and train it to be friendly with people and other dogs. Because, if your Malamute is not friendly, you will have an enormous problem on your hands.

To learn how to teach basic manners and prevent the most common behavior and temperament problems, audit a local puppy-training class. The quickest and most revealing source of Malamutian information may be obtained from taking a real-life Malamute 101 course: Locate six Malamute owners, talk to them and test-drive their dogs. I learned so much from Omaha. Think what you can learn from six Malamutes. Moreover, pet owners will gladly forewarn you of all the problems they encountered as well as offer preventative advice. Learn from other people's mistakes and make sure your Malamute puppy enjoys the luxury of growing up with an educated owner.

If you cannot handle the adult dogs, do a lot more research before you even think of getting a puppy. If you find adult Malamutes easy to handle, you are in for a bit of a giggle with your new Malamute puppy.

Malamutes are NOT Goldens
BY Ruth Kellogg (In Harmony Malamutes)

Did I catch your attention with the title? I know, Alaskan Malamutes are not Golden Retrievers. One has pointy ears and a plumed tail and the other has floppy ears and a continually wagging tail. Seriously though, the biggest difference between Malamutes and other non-northern breeds represented here by Golden Retrievers is how they respond to obedience training. Alaskan Malamutes are not the breed of dog that "serious" competitive obedience folk choose in their quest for the GMOTCH title. In fact, Malamutes have never made the top 10 Obedience dog list in Canada and it is the rare Malamute that competes beyond the Companion Dog level – let alone be successful.
As one who has lived with, "trained," and worked many Alaskan Malamutes and helped many Malamute owners (not all my own clients either) with training and/or behavior issues, I have learned – or rather have been taught by my dogs – how the Alaskan Malamute mind works. At least, how I think the Alaskan Malamute mind works! This is a fascinating breed and I find myself constantly learning more about them through careful observation and experience with a variety of individuals.
When a person chooses this breed, unless they are mentored well by an experienced owner/breeder, there may be difficulties that arise in the raising and training of the new puppy. The owner may diligently take the pup to classes. Unless the trainer has a good handle on the way northern dogs think, there may still be major hurdles that might not be overcome. Why do I say this? Simply, the Alaskan Malamute cannot be trained in the conventional ways that are so successful with non-northern breeds.
A good friend of mine and I frequently share our thoughts and insights about our Malamutes including their education. Both of us enjoy the work and teachings of Karen Pryor, Jean Donaldson, Patricia McConnell, Pam Reid, and Ian Dunbar. We understand, use and promote teaching with operant conditioning (specifically positively with clickers) and the principles of shaping behaviors. As my friend is very thorough, she prepared to teach new skills to her Malamutes by following shaping programs suggested by these trainers/behaviorists. The theory was sound – but in practice, she quickly ran into trouble as her Malamutes quickly lost interest with the multiple repetitions required at each step.
Now why should the novice owner who goes to classes taught by a trainer without a good working knowledge of northern minds and my experienced friend teaching with methods that should work have difficulties? Let’s have a closer look at the Alaskan Malamute.
As I tell anyone interested in any breed: do your research as to the dog’s function, history, how and why they evolved as they did. This is no different for an Alaskan Malamute owner to try to figure out their dog. The Alaskan Malamute evolved with the Inuit people. This is crucial to understand. The dogs and humans were partners in survival in a harsh environment. The Malamute dogs lived, hunted, moved camp, ate, and shared hard times with the people. They truly co-habited together. There was probably mutual respect for each other – especially their strengths. The Alaskan Malamute was and still is a breed with a high level of innate intelligence. They have, in addition to their high intellect, abilities to reason, and problem solve. Alaskan Malamutes are very wolf-like in many ways such as their pack orientation, play, and hunting. Malamutes today still retain all of those traits as well as their primitiveness.
Alaskan Malamutes need benevolent leadership from the pack leader (hopefully the human in the pack). Respect and communication between leader and pack members flows both ways in a sound and stable pack. In my view, one doesn’t "have" Alaskan Malamutes – one lives with Alaskan Malamutes. But that, too, is just a choice. It is the owner who lives with the Alaskan Malamute who really learns to understand their dog more than the owner who just has the Malamutes in a kennel situation and spends limited time with them.
Keeping in mind the primitiveness (i.e. not a man-designed breed) and how the breed evolved with the Inuit people it is not hard to understand that not only is the breed intelligent innately but they are also independent thinkers. Individuals (of any species) with high intellects learn easily, quickly, and become bored very quickly. These types of individuals also have very high retention of "things" learned. Again, this is crucial to remember about Alaskan Malamutes.
Non-northern breeds (particularly ones who are favorites of competitive obedience enthusiasts) are breeds that enjoy doing repetitive tasks over and over and over. They totally soak up any sort of "drilling" or "proofing" of exercises. Many individuals really do need long and involved shaping programs to learn obedience exercises. Some breeds, such as border collies, are totally obsessive about working at anything. The highly successful competitive obedience winners generally love working and pleasing their handlers. They learn their exercises well, are drilled and proofed beyond a shadow of a doubt, and handle trial after trial with joy. They are highly trained but do they really independently think?
By contrast, Alaskan Malamutes hate drilling and repetitive work. They get bored very quickly. If the handler does not understand her dog’s communication of boredom and/or confusion and keeps pushing the dog to "get it right" one of two things will happen. The first and most likely is the dog will shut down mentally with the end result of lack of interest/desire in any learning. The second possible outcome is the dog will try a variation on what the handler was trying to proof resulting in more frustration for both dog and handler. Malamutes learn quickly – very quickly if the handler has TAUGHT the dog clearly what is desired. After they are taught and shown they understand a new skill, when practicing do not keep pushing for perfection time after time. Do that and you’ll end up with problems. At most, I feel up to three good repetitions of what is worked on is optimal – then go onto another skill or activity.
Many trainers recommend training a dog every day – sometimes multiple times in a day. Malamutes will shut down if this schedule is followed. Yes, you can work on something every day for a week or two – then leave it for a while. Give the dog and yourself a break. It never ceases to amaze me how much these dogs can retain no matter how much time passes between training sessions. Often, the skill that was worked on is actually better after some time off. I suggest only training two or three times a week at most.
There is, however, a time in the Mal’s life when their education should be very intense. It is the time between weaning and approximately six or seven moths of age. That is the most important time in the dog’s life as the foundation for future behavior and education is laid. I teach a tremendous amount to my pups during this time. (Refer to "Early Puppy Education" on my website of www.inharmonymalamutes.com ). I will clarify, that these sessions are only once, maybe twice, a day for about 10 or 15 minutes each. The rest of the time, housetraining, manners and foundation laying for general behavior are done as part of living with the pup. I continue to keep the skills the pup learns in puppyhood up during our daily living preferring to wait until the pup is older for more intensive "formal" schooling. Depending on the dog, I’ll wait until somewhere between 1 and 2 years of age before resuming any intensive teaching.
I have had the best results with my Malamutes when I started to truly educate them. Yes, clicker training and shaping behaviors are definitely used in the education, but the important part here is that the education is done in a way so that the dog truly understands what is asked and then chooses to do it. Other than the obvious clicker training, what has really made the big difference in my dogs’ education is my ability to observe, learn, interpret, and understand my dogs’ communications. The Mal has a very rich non-verbal language. Each dog has slightly different expressions – like people have slightly different accents when speaking. Our dogs in turn are learning our non-verbal and verbal communication. There are real conversations taking place when one lives with a Malamute – if one tunes in.
Trust and respect are also crucial to have between a Malamute and owner. Again, this goes both ways and both must be earned by both dog and human. These qualities are innate in the Alaskan Malamute. Picture being out on the frozen ice with a team; the leader refuses to go a certain route. Does the driver demand the team continue on or trust the leader’s judgment? The one who trusts the leader’s instincts and decisions may well be the one who lives another day. While we probably won’t have that experience, we may have experiences with our dogs who alert us about danger (environmental or about people). Would you trust your Malamute then? I would – and have. This level of trust is as profound as the deep respect that grows between dog and human.
Malamutes are also easily bored. Not unusual with the high level of innate intelligence that they have. Doing a variety of different activities is highly recommended. A Malamute can easily switch between skills of competitive obedience, conformation, Rally-O and trick training in one session. I do this routinely. Do my Mals get confused? Absolutely not. In contrast, they love the variety and quick changes of what we are doing. I really encourage owners to teach tricks to their dogs. It is fun, different, relaxing, and the dogs love the reactions they get from their "audience." Remember, Malamutes have a well developed sense of humor. If they can get people laughing and enjoying their antics they are delighted! Handlers must know what their dogs enjoy – or not.
Because of the Malamute’s quick mind and excellent retention of what is taught, handlers must always have a picture or goal of what they are working towards. These dogs don’t always follow the prescribed shaping steps that work so well for non-northern breeds but may skip two or three steps and have a major break-through. Handlers must be prepared for that possibility at all times. Karen Pryor talks about this in her excellent book "Don’t Shoot the Dog!" Celebrate these break-throughs and keep progressing.
I cannot stress enough to have – and be open to – clear communication with your Alaskan Malamute. The Malamute will give feedback – positive and negative – about the activity you are doing. If the Mal is showing confusion or doesn’t understand what you are teaching, then know that it is your fault in not being clear enough in your teaching. Review and think about what you were doing and then try a different approach. Every Malamute is an individual; what works beautifully for one may not work for another.
Thank goodness Malamutes are not Goldens! I love the quick minds, sense of humor, way they communicate, and the personalities of Alaskan Malamutes. I love living and learning with them. I love working and educating Malamutes. Yes, they can be a challenge. They think and are individualistic primitive dogs. Easy to train? No, thankfully. Easy to educate? Absolutely! With good communication that flows between dog and handler, trust in each other’s judgment, mutual respect for each other as individuals and a solid education, doing many things with one’s Alaskan Malamute is possible – and a joy.

The Malamute Mind
By Ruth Kellogg (In Harmony Malamutes)

​The Alaskan Malamute is a primitive and not a man-designed breed. Canine behaviorists now publicly acknowledge that the Malamute is probably the closest to its cousin, the wolf, than any other breed. Indeed, their strong pack orientation, verbal and nonverbal communication skills, family (canine and human) orientation, and high level of intelligence are character traits of wolves. They are complex yet can be the essence of simplicity and guile. They can appear regal and then, in the blink of an eye, dissolve into a clown. The Alaskan Malamute is a breed that cannot be assigned a particular character trait. The breed is a breed of individuals. This is directly related to their extremely strong pack orientation. For example: where one is a glutton, another is a finicky eater; where one is over-bearing in their opinions of themselves and are quite pushy in their actions, another has no self-confidence; where one loves to play "fetch", another looks at the thrown object and clearly says "You threw it – you get it."
There are, however, common characteristics in Malamutes. They are excellent communicators with easily understandable emotions and "language." Overall, the breed wants to know "Why?" They do appear stubborn to those who haven’t made the effort to understand or communicate with them. Overall, they are a gentle and loving family dog. Some Mals, like people, respond better than others to young children. All Mals seem to be the happiest when some part of their anatomy is pressed against their owner. Some Mals are excellent "alert" or watch dogs while others welcome strangers in and show them where the family silver is hidden! Most of all, Malamutes love to laugh. It has been said that there are probably more comedians per capita in this breed than in any other. The "Malamute Scoot" is performed when the Malamute is particularly joyful and playful. In a somewhat sitting position with tail tucked between the hind legs, front legs going out sideways, with a goofy grin and wide open eyes, the Mal tears around – often in circles – at 90 mph! O.K., maybe not 90 mph, but if you’re in the way of the Scoot, it seems like it! The Malamute Scoot is hilarious and usually elicits gales of laughter from the spectators – just what the Malamute wanted!
The Alaskan Malamute attracts people who have similar qualities to the dog. As there is no one particular stereotype of a Malamute, so there isn’t of Malamute fanciers. A love of nature and the outdoors is very common with Malamute owners. Many owners are very athletic enjoying hiking, running, biking, and all sorts of winter sports with their dogs. But there are still owners who have Mals – like themselves – who excel in the fine art of being couch potatoes. Malamutes are independent thinkers with strong wills, many Malamute owners are "strong" individuals with a well developed sense of "self." The majority of Inharmony clients are professionals – intelligent people who are attracted to intelligent dogs. A continuing interest in self-education is imperative when dealing with Malamutes. But two character traits of people that are common to all Malamute fanciers are a general friendliness and a well-developed sense of humor!

The Malamute is also an intellectual dog. Here is an example that I experienced.
Early in the morning, Diana lies at the foot of the bed with eyes closed seemingly oblivious to what was happening. I quietly tell Athena what we are going to be doing in the immediate future. I get as far as telling Athena about my plans of getting up, getting dressed, getting some Rollover (type of meat sausage for dogs) readied, and going downstairs when Diana is immediately beside me with open expressive eyes, grins, and her tongue washing her face. Does she understand my words? Was she listening? Is this an example of a conditioned reflex or is Diana showing a sign of intelligent thinking? Does she really know what I am saying? I try not to anthropomorphize my dogs and accept them as a different type of mammal than I am with their own strengths, limitations, and instinctive behaviors. To answer the questions I posed about Diana’s behavior, I honestly feel that she was listening carefully to my words and understood what was being said. This is substantiated by her behavior (eager face, tongue licking her face) even before the "magic words" of hungry or dinner were spoken. Conditioned behavior? I don’t think so. I have frequently had similar reactions from her at different times and/or places. The early morning talk session happened only once. Diana is an illustration of an intellectual dog.
An intellectual dog, to me, is an intelligent dog who has been taught and encouraged to reach different goals or accomplishments with or without their human teacher. This dog is very attuned to its environment, listens, thinks, reasons (to their ability), and becomes self-confident. Basic intelligence has a very strong genetic base both from breed to breed and individuals within a particular breed. The Alaskan Malamute is an innately intelligent breed of dog. I have been fortunate in seeing and living with a family of individuals who are truly gifted – Canine Einsteins. These individuals are a delight to teach and watch develop into intellectual dogs.
During my self-education and life’s journey with my dogs, I have become aware of a deeper and more spiritual quality of my Malamutes. They are more than intellectual; they are sentient, sensitive, communicative, spiritual, and highly intuitive beings.
Communicating with our dogs is generally done through verbal and body language. Mental communication has, for many years, been ignored or downgraded as impossible or parlor tricks by the scientific community and general public. We are influenced by what we are "taught." Only in very recent years has the idea of telepathy, intuition, and other related topics (such as energy work) become more acceptable in North America. Many people are "in tune,", "understand," or "know" their canine companions yet cannot accept the idea that they have any sort of mental communication with them. Yet…. Somehow, on a deep level, they are able to hear their dog’s whispers. When a person can acknowledge they can hear their dog’s whispers, then a large step toward a spiritual connection with their dogs – and all beings – is made.
While I have been able to enjoy the healing aspects of the Cariboo, I know that anyone who chooses to learn new knowledge, test new ways of thinking, and quiet their minds (through prayer, meditation or just sitting quietly and breathing) will also experience the coincidences, synchronicity, and bonding with their four-footed friends. The experiences, the communications and communions that I now share with my own dogs can happen to anyone who learns to listen to the dogs’ whispers.