AsianGunner

iTrader: (7)

hi guys,

seeing as there are so many dog lovers on here i was wondering if i'd be able to get abit of advice on this beautiful dog.

i'm looking to hopefully get one next year, i've never had a dog before, but have talked an thought it through with the family, an decided we really want one.

i've done a couple of searches through google etc an i learnt the basics of what they are like etc

but has anyone on here had the pleasure of owning one?

could anyone suggest who's the best people to get in touch with about breeders ?

any other advice would be great,

cheers

nick

SHESCOOBY

Nick

I know two people who own Siberians and the Malamute, I really want one of these dogs, Unfortunately they aren't the family dog we all want
I get told that they are not to be let off the lead as they are not the Loyal dog, like for instance a lab or retriever will stay if off the lead if see another dog etc, these Huskies wont they will go at any opportunity. I have actually seen this happen. No matter how well you train them they have it in their breed to do this. If you can handle walking with them on the lead thats fine.

Also know of one that is 7 months old and lives with his brother who is a very nervous dog his owner who is a kind person and wouldn't hurt a fly is very worried to why its very nervous it has actually bitten someone cos its so nervous. But all dogs have different personalities.

I will own one one day I know but at the moment I am hestistant to get one as I have a 6yold Daughter and not sure whether it would be a great idea.

There are many forums on the huskies maybe get some views from them.
I'm sorry i cant give you anymore info as I'm not a owner that you were looking for.

a couple of links for you

http://www.dogforum.co.uk/

http://www.malamutesecrets.com/

http://www.champdogs.co.uk/club/466.html

Goodluck and let us know what you do



Kaz

TonyFlow

For a first dog, I would say that a malamute may be a bit on the large side (40-60kg), and being a working dog, it will use that weight to pull!

I would love to have one of these beautiful dogs too, but, with the utonagan we currently have, our house would simply not be big enough for the two! Also, being a working dog, they will NEED major exercise, and will get bored (and possibly destructive) if left alone!

Also, it is reported that they can be assertive over other dogs, so perhaps one will not mix if you have any other dogs!

The dog we have was selectively bred from breeding Malamute, Husky and German Shephard, and as such has the plus points of each breed, and we could really not wish for a better dog!

Mrs WRX

A friend of mine has one and yes it is a beautiful dog I am not sure it would be right for a beginner. Their one is called Skye and she chews the house like crazy. They also have to walk her on a lead and I wouldnt trust her round my kids, she is abit nervy. Interestingly she lives with a boxer and Penny (the boxer) rules the roost and lets Skye know who is boss!

AsianGunner

iTrader: (7)

thanks alot for the info guys an gals,

cos it would be the first dog i'm looking to get i am abit worried about what it will do to the house, i have looked at some other breeds but all the ones that come up aren't quite as special as the malamute.

what the best way to quickly train a dog with the basics?i.e places to take him

i don't think i'll mind walking him on a lead, being a big dog probally won't be a problem cos me an my brother are quite big guys so we'd be the only ones walking it.

not sure if this will sound wierd but, cos a dogs lifespan is roughly 13 years i wouldn't want to get a different breed an then have to wait til i'll be in my mid 30's before getting a malamute, i couldn't imagine having two dogs as that would be too much.

nick

Rob D

Funny this has come up, I have just been dog sledding in the Cairngorms and was speaking to the chap, who runs it, who has competed world wide with his dogs.
He has a mixture of 35 dogs including Siberian/Alaskan huskies and pointers. He explained that these type of dogs can work in temps down to -48C and up to +12C, which is not ideal in the UK unless you live in the colder parts.
He also went on to say that more and more people are buying these dogs nowadays which he doesn't agree with. He said its only a matter of time before these types of dogs go and attack someone, because at the end of the day they are working dogs, more suited to cold climates and not suitable as pets. I would love a dog like this myself but in my opinion its not fair on the dog, so I would be very careful about choosing one like this.

Swen6

From what i've read they certainly are not house dogs, a mate had two kenneled in his garden and then brought a pup, the two elder wouldn't accept the pup in to their 'pack' so he had to get rid, he did offer me one as he was going to keep the pup but had to turn him down.

They are working dog and unless you exercise them regular, they get depressed and destructive as they bore easy. Also pee them off and they hold a grudge.

sti-04!!

I looked into these as well, but they dont seem the dog to me.

Once the little one is born & my new house is built, i will be looking at definatly getting a boxer

If its your first dog mate, go down the local dog rehoming place & look & see what they have got, you will get a cracking thing that you can learn from & that will give you years of joy

AsianGunner

iTrader: (7)

thanks again for the info guys, i'm going to speak toa breader thats in kent an see what they say too.

its such a big decision, i know, i wouldn't want to get a breed an then make it unappy cos thats not fair on the dog.
me an my brother have got our hearts so firmly set on a malamute an its going to really hurt not being able to get one, that probally sounds wierd, but that would be in the dogs best interest.

nick

stormyuklondon1

a girl i work with has 8 siberian huskies (she runs them in teams and shows them), which are similar if slightly smaller. how secure is your garden? she's secured her garden with 7 foot fences, and two still managed to escape. apparently they do like a challenge and are very cunning escapologists if they arent exercised enough, and they need alot of it apparently, they can be extremely destructive. great looking dogs, but if you do get one and find it too challenging, its going to be yet another dog that needs rehoming... sorry to be all doom and gloom, but like you said, its a 13 year plus commitment!

Swen6

It's mine and your not having it!!!!!

banny sti

iTrader: (68)

How about a Japanese Akita?

AsianGunner

iTrader: (7)

ain't there more aggresive/bigger/more work than a malamute?

a friend of mine had one but had to have it put down due to it being so aggresive.

stunning looking dog tho, so strong an well built.

nick

banny sti

iTrader: (68)

It depends how you train the dog, some are very agressive and territorial but others are very docile and friendly.

sti-04!!

AsianGunner

iTrader: (7)

would you suggest a jap akita over a malamute?

banny sti

iTrader: (68)

I have some experience with akitas but cant comment on a malamute. What i have noticed about the akitas i have had is that they are very loyal to the owner, extremely intelligent, will protect you and guard very well. but you do need to keep them on the lead whilst walking as they can be dog aggressive.

They also shed a lot of hair which can be very annoying. So you know what the temprament of the dog will be like, make sure you get to see what the parents are like before you buy a pup.

An Akita's tail is good sign of how the dog will behave towards you, if the tail is curled all the way up that means the dog is calm and happy but if it is straight and rigid it means the dog is alert and watching you, so be careful.

Banny

AsianGunner

iTrader: (7)

cheers banny,

cos i'm going to speak to the breeder first about the malamutes, what sort of things should i be asking? look out for etc?

nick

Swen6

Sorry mate may be wrong but it's seems you want the dog as an image thing rather than a companion.

philrob2000

I was looking at both these breeds but went with the Akita in the end. (Found a real beautiful one). He's only 13 weeks at the moment but can realy pull on his lead when he wants to. He's not overly aggressive with my other dogs but even at this age he doesn't take any siht from them ( also have a GSD and a EBTxStaffy) (and a large house and garden. lol). He hasn't met any other dogs outside yet due to only finishing his jabs last week so only being walked locally. Both Akitas and Malamutes are said to be very loyal to, and protective of, thier owner. Akitas are bigger but not sure how much by. My dog was bought as a house guard but gets on great with my family including my 11 year old daughter. From what I've seen and heard I'd liken the temperament to a Rottweiler, I've had 9 of those over the years (And very few problems with them).
Both Akitas and Malamutes are known to be very willful and can be dificult to train, don't know if it's a good choice for a first dog but if you buy a pup and start the training right away you should be ok. Mine will now sit without command when he sees his food bowl being brought in, then wait while the bowl is put down untill he is told "food". (Ok I'm easily amused. lol).
As a last bit of advice, I wouldn't buy any dog of this type after 6 months old as they will probably never bond with you properly may may resent being told what to do by you, and you realy don't want that.

AsianGunner

iTrader: (7)

i'm afraid to say it mate but, your are wrong, my family has wanted a dog for years an i know the typical image of some people with malamutes is he/she is a poser an they got the dog to look cool,but we are preparing ourselfs to have the dog in the house as if he was a child.

thanks for the info phil

nick

Brit_in_Japan

AsianGunner, you haven't owned any dog before, is that correct? Whilst I have no experience of Malamutes, I would say that choosing a breed of dog which appears to have a reputation as being "difficult" is not a good idea. It can be hard to train some "normal" dogs, so if you don't have experience then a more difficult dog may prove too much for you. Some questions you should ask yourself:-
- Do you have the type of job which will allow you to return home and take the dog out lunchtimes? If the breed has a reputation for chewing stuff when bored then you can't leave it shut up all day.
- Do you have time EVERY morning/evening to take it for long walks? Being a working dog it needs considerable exercise, yet it also sounds like they are not safe to be let of the lead. Why don't you try this for at least a week, go for a walk for a minimum of 1/2 hour each morning and 1 hour each evening to see how that fits in with your schedule. Now imagine that 52 weeks a year come rain or shine. You have to be sure you can do this.
- Who will look after the dog if you want to take a holiday? If it has a reputation as a difficult breed then you have to leave it with someone who can cope with it. Remember this is a 13 year committment.

fatscoobyfella

Hi,
Over the years ive owned/trained/kept a variety of dogs,mainly GSD's,Rottweilers and GSP's.I consider myself more than capable of keeping any breed of dog,but a malamute is going to be a handful to any owner,nevermind someone who hasnt owned a dog before.
Owning a dog like a malamute is definately not for the 1st time owner.It isnt a matter of buying then reading the books.
Mark my words,if you buy it,it will wreck your home,in turn you will get disheartened/bored with the dog,you will both reach a stalemate..Then you will get rid..
Ive seen it happen so many times its a shame..

Sorry to be doom and gloom but you have to think of the welfare of the dog,not yourself.And with all the love in the world,without experience of large breed dogs,your experience will go **** up...

philrob2000

Just as an after thought M8, Make sure that you have everything that you need b4 buying the dog. A GOOD purchase would be a LARGE dog crate (though some might disagree). The RSPCA also recomend these while training. They will stop your house getting wrecked while your out or asleep at night, the dog will not want to "foul" his abode so it will aid in house training and the dog will feel secure and safe. I still have one for my 3yr old big GSD, he uses it as a sort of indoor kennel. Out of choice that is, he doesn't have to and it isn't locked or closed on him, he just prefers to sleep in it as it's "his".
I've also fitted an outdoor steel gate in my hallway (inside the house), even the best trained dogs are not liked by ALL visitors and it's handy to be able to seperate them to one part of the house when needed. I've had normal house doors literally eaten through in the past. ( By one of my Rotties a while ago, he was only left alone for about an hour and a half, lol).

Diablo

Nick,

the best thing you can do is get details of reputable breeders from the kennel club, and go and see the dogs.

A decent breeder won't let you have one unless they are satisfied you will make a good owner.

If you have never had dogs before, then it may not be the ideal breed, although as has been said, you'll get different characters in all breeds.

But if it's your first dog, please consider something less headstrong.

If you must have a Malamute, get a girl.

mad_dr

Have you considered a Northern Inuit as a breed? Similar to the Malamute but they have a "Regular" tail - in that they don't walk around everywhere showing their ****. Bit more wolf-like in appearance but excellent pets. That's what I'll be getting when I move.

TonyFlow

If you want a dog like this, look at a Utonagan (what the main breeder of the NI's bred until she got kicked out of the club!)
We have had 2 now, and really couldnt fault them - absolute perfect dogs!

SiPie

I'd listen carefully to what Sti 04 says above

Swen6

As above, dogs do disrupt your life, getting up at 6 in the morning when it's cold [like this morning it was fecking freezing], taking the dog for a half hour walk [which seems to make no impact on the little git], trying to get home at a resonable time at lunch so she can stretch her legs, and again out in the evening, it's not fun but it's all part of owning a dog, they didn't ask for you to buy them.
We got Jess when she was 7 months old, we'd lost the golden retreiver the yead before, and we decided it was time to look at the possability of another dog. In a way i regret this as by that age she had learnt her bad habits, admitedly i wouldn't give her for the world now. We ended up getting a cage for Jess, purely for the fact she destroyed the Kitchen, and put a hole in the door because she didn't like being locked up.
Other things you have to consider, insurance, Jess costs £30 a month with Pet Plan [I think shes classed as a medium to high risk] if you get Malamute it won't be cheap, they are certainly high risk.
Food, Jess isn't a big dog but boy can she eat. Two standard size tins in the morning and one plus mixer in the evening!!!, and she still doesn't put weight on.
You really do need to research you choice, People arn't having a go at you personally, it's just i imagine they're concerned for the Dog your talking about ending up with someone who hasn't got a clue what there doing, resulting in an unhappy dog.

Again no personal offence intended.

OllyK

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/alaskanmalamute.htm