Working · Large (75-100 lbs) · 10-14 years
Alaskan Malamute
Affectionate, dignified, playful; strong-willed pack dog.
75–100 lb
At a glance
Kid-friendly
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First-time owners
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Energy
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Shedding
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Good with cats
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Alone time
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Apartment OK
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Trainability
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What this is
What they’re great at
✓ Adventurous spirit for active families
✓ Loyal companionship, affectionate
Why it matters
Honest challenges
Under-exercise becomes YOUR problem
A working engine without an outlet redirects into barking, digging, and demolition.
What helps: ["A daily aerobic outlet is non-negotiable - Weight pull (their historic gift) is this breed's love language", '20 minutes of brain work tires like an hour of fetch: puzzles, scent games, new tricks', 'Feed meals from puzzle feeders and snuffle mats - make breakfast a job']
A working engine without an outlet redirects into barking, digging, and demolition.
What helps: ["A daily aerobic outlet is non-negotiable - Weight pull (their historic gift) is this breed's love language", '20 minutes of brain work tires like an hour of fetch: puzzles, scent games, new tricks', 'Feed meals from puzzle feeders and snuffle mats - make breakfast a job']
The fur is a lifestyle
Heavy-shedding coat with seasonal blowouts.
What helps: ['The weekly rake routine in the Grooming Kit halves it', 'Robot vacuum on daily patrol (see Home Setup)', 'A professional deshed blowout during coat-blow weeks saves the house']
Heavy-shedding coat with seasonal blowouts.
What helps: ['The weekly rake routine in the Grooming Kit halves it', 'Robot vacuum on daily patrol (see Home Setup)', 'A professional deshed blowout during coat-blow weeks saves the house']
Vocal by design
Alert heritage - announcing things IS the historic job.
What helps: ['Thank-and-redirect: acknowledge the alert, cue quiet, pay the quiet', 'Manage triggers: window film and white noise beat willpower', 'Exercise first - a tired alarm system fires less. Never bark collars']
Alert heritage - announcing things IS the historic job.
What helps: ['Thank-and-redirect: acknowledge the alert, cue quiet, pay the quiet', 'Manage triggers: window film and white noise beat willpower', 'Exercise first - a tired alarm system fires less. Never bark collars']
Independent contractor, not employee
Bred to work without human direction - repetition drills insult them.
What helps: ['Short sessions, premium pay: five brilliant minutes beat thirty mediocre ones', 'Work WITH the instincts - scent games for noses, chase games for sprinters', "Marker training makes your 'yes' crystal clear (Training School)"]
Bred to work without human direction - repetition drills insult them.
What helps: ['Short sessions, premium pay: five brilliant minutes beat thirty mediocre ones', 'Work WITH the instincts - scent games for noses, chase games for sprinters', "Marker training makes your 'yes' crystal clear (Training School)"]
What you can do
Exercise & training
Exercise: Very high - heavy daily exercise/work
Training profile — Northern / spitz / sled type: Independent problem-solvers bred to run and decide. Exercise in heat is dangerous - dawn/dusk in summer. A tired spitz is the only good-behaving spitz.
Sports and outlets that suit them: Weight pull (their historic gift) · Sledding · Backpack hiking
What you can do
Grooming & coat
Grooming: Moderate-high - frequent brushing; heavy seasonal blowouts.
Shedding: Very heavy.
Good to know
Health to know about
Hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, polyneuropathy, day blindness, bloat
Breed-typical tendencies, not a diagnosis. Individual dogs vary enormously — your veterinarian screens for what matters for your dog.
Why it matters
Emergency red flags
Poisoning (chocolate, xylitol, grapes, medications, rodenticide)
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Vomiting, drooling, tremors, collapse, or known ingestion
→ Call ASPCA Poison Control 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline 855-764-7661 immediately; do NOT induce vomiting unless instructed
Know your ER
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
→ Save your nearest 24-hour emergency vet's address and phone in your phone TODAY, not during a crisis
BLOAT / GDV - the minutes-matter emergency for this breed
Unproductive retching (trying to vomit, nothing comes), rapidly swelling/hard belly, drooling, pacing, sudden distress after eating
→ Drive to the ER immediately. Do not wait to see if it passes. Untreated GDV is fatal within hours
Unproductive retching (trying to vomit, nothing comes), rapidly swelling/hard belly, drooling, pacing, sudden distress after eating
→ Drive to the ER immediately. Do not wait to see if it passes. Untreated GDV is fatal within hours
Heat stroke
Loud/frantic breathing, brick-red or blue gums, wobbliness, collapse, vomiting in heat
→ Move to AC, wet with cool (not ice) water especially belly/paws, fan, and drive to ER with windows down/AC on - even if the dog seems to recover
Loud/frantic breathing, brick-red or blue gums, wobbliness, collapse, vomiting in heat
→ Move to AC, wet with cool (not ice) water especially belly/paws, fan, and drive to ER with windows down/AC on - even if the dog seems to recover
This page never carries product links in the emergency section. ASPCA Poison Control (888) 426-4435 · Pet Poison Helpline (855) 764-7661.
Good to know
The numbers
Typical ranges for planning, not promises — costs vary by region, breeder and individual dog.
| Group | Working |
| Size | Large (75-100 lbs) |
| Lifespan | 10-14 years |
| Healthy adult weight | 75–100 lb |
| Original purpose | Hauling heavy loads over long distances; hunting seals and polar bears. |
| Monthly care | $110-$180 |
| Typical puppy price | $1,000-$2,500 |
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