Originally posted by wolfsoul
Looks aren't the main quality in the working world. When you breed to get a superb sled/draft dog, you breed for brute strength and a temperment suited to working alongside people and other dogs.

Actually brute strength is irrelavent in sled dogs. My best leader weighs 40 pounds and isn't particularly strong, but I'd trust her with my life in the bush. Malamutes are lousy sled dogs. They are great weight pullers, but for today's sled dog, franly useless. they are slow and tend to be aggressive to other dogs in harness beside them. I run two malamutes in my sled team, they both run in single file--no other dog beside them. Most mushers who breed would never add malamute to the mix. They are using German Short-haired pointers these days far more than any northern breed.

If you are intentionally breeding a purebred dog, you need to breed to temperment and the appearance standard.