thinking of getting an alaskan malmute

[bckrazy]

I totally agree with Glacier! My Uncle has 2 Mals, a female and a male, and they are in no way "easy" dogs. They're big, head-strong, stubborn, and high maintenance in a lot of ways. My Uncle's dogs refuse to go outside in the hot weather, they spend hours and hours brushing them out, and they have been through lots of Obedience and a behaviorist to handle them with other dogs nearby on walks. They are from a wonderful breeder, though, and have been socialized so much, so they're great dogs with people of any age and they're trained to ignore strange dogs.

Is this your first dog? Definitely meet as many Mals as possible, and talk to lots of owners & breeders about their dogs. This is a very hard first-timers dog.

[GreyhoundGirl]

I agree, Mals are really..... head strong unless well-trained. I used to have one that was really destructive, too. ( would you adopt an older one or get it as a puppy ?)

[dab_20]

Glacier said it really well. I would get an adult and mature dog because then you know the personality and everything of the dog, with puppies the personality will change. Hope you make the right decision, whether it's to get a Mal or not.

[Iilo]

I strongly disagree with the suggestion to get an adult Malamute unless it is completely free of all behavior problems.

With an adult Mal, it's a crap shoot -- you may have a dog with a weird past, or simply one that hasn't been raised correctly.

At least with a puppy YOU are the one who "changes" their personality.

[Aurie]

For those of you who have Mals now, does yours talk? I remember our neighbor had one when I was a kid. He would do this growling/talking thing to people he liked. It used to freak out my friends. I would take them over to meet the dog and he would 'talk' to them. They swore it was a giant wolf about to devour them. Just wondering if that is a typical Mal trait or just some quirky dog that lived next door

[Glacier]

For those of you who have Mals now, does yours talk? I remember our neighbor had one when I was a kid.
Just wondering if that is a typical Mal trait or just some quirky dog that lived next door

It's a very typical malamute trait. They are talkers. Mine almost never bark, but they make all kinds of other sounds. Heyoka is often the leader of group howling sessions. He actually carries on converstations as he follows me around the yard. He talks to the other dogs, to the cats, to the neighbor's dogs, to himself, to people who visit, and God Forbid he is left alone--the mournful "i'm so loney" howl can be heard for miles!

[Glacier]

I strongly disagree with the suggestion to get an adult Malamute unless it is completely free of all behavior problems.

With an adult Mal, it's a crap shoot -- you may have a dog with a weird past, or simply one that hasn't been raised correctly.

At least with a puppy YOU are the one who "changes" their personality.

My malamutes have all arrived as adults--between 18 months and four years old. I'd take an adult over a puppy any day, even one with known behavior issues, but I have issues with puppies. I adore other people's puppies. No desire to ever raise one of my own again(pretty much the same way I feel about human infants! ). Earle's puppyhood completely cured me of puppy fever!

If you get a puppy from the wrong source, it's just as big of a crap shoot as an adult. A well bred malamute puppy would more predictable.

[Iilo]

Glacier,

Yes, sorry... I forgot to add a puppy from a REPUTABLE breeder, though as long as you steer away from the Giants it isn't TOO hard to find a good breeder in Mals. As a member of about every Malamute-List and Forum there is out there, I've heard one too many horror stories about first-time-Malamute (and sometimes even first time DOG) owners getting a rescue Malamute with a shady past. It's much "safer," imo, to start with a well bred puppy -- any problems it ends up with YOU'VE created and you're completely aware of its past.

As to them "talking".... yup. Rien's not a howler (police sirens only -- not firetrucks or ambulences), but he's certainly a "wooer." I find it completely endearing, but the public's reaction to it does get a little obnoxious. Yes, of course, ma'am, he wants to eat your baby. That's totally why I bring him out into public. Thankfully, even Ri's woos aren't CONSTANT... he only woos when he wants something (but he does want things often, and it could be anything, from a pet to dinner). And unfortunately, since we do have another dog in the household, he barks. He didn't until the first time he heard our CoCoa bark (she's a quiet one unless there's an INTRUDER GASP). And then he was like, "Oh, really? COOL!"

[buttercup132]

I strongly disagree with the suggestion to get an adult Malamute unless it is completely free of all behavior problems.

With an adult Mal, it's a crap shoot -- you may have a dog with a weird past, or simply one that hasn't been raised correctly.

At least with a puppy YOU are the one who "changes" their personality.

So your saying all the Mals people got as puppies that ended up being abndonded for no reason, the ones who were given up because they"chew" or because they dont match the furniture should be left in a shelter to die and not have a chance just because you dont know its past? Every dog has issues but we can correct them with work. With a puppy you have to potty train it, obedience train it and house train it. So why not put that effert into a dog whos sitting alone in a shelter wondering why his family left him?
What happens if the puppy develops behavioral problems?You would have to fix them just like one form a shelter....
Unless shes panning on showing the dog I see no reason to go to a breeder...

[dab_20]

I agree, buttercup.

[buttercup132]

I agree, buttercup.

Thanks I'm glad someone dose