I'm trying to adopt a Malamute, and am working as a CFI. Any body have any experience with this breed? He was at a house where he was abused and on a chain for a few years before being rescued. He's a nice dog (Stoli) and I'd like to adopt him. Any advice for dealing with this kind of breed? I've been missing having a dog, and going to open up my house for him, and would like to take him to work some days to sit in the office while I'm up instructing.

 

I dont have any first hand knowledge about them, but from what I have seen they are a very mild mannered dog.

Good luck!

 

I applaud you for wanting to help out and adopt this dog.

That being said....break break...I found this on Wiki and it sums up what I was trying to type.

Alaskan Malamute - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"If a dog owner cannot cope with a dog that will not comply with the owner's every command, a more compliant breed should be selected. This dog has a long genetic foundation of living in the harshest environment imaginable, and many of its behaviors are evolved to conform with "survival of the fittest." Independence, resourcefulness and primitive behaviors are common in the breed. While intelligent, they are widely believed to be one of the most difficult dogs to train. "

Tack on being abused for few years to the quote above.

Throw kids/neighbor's kids in the mix and it might be a recipe for disaster.

Your post caught my attention because of a friend that raised one from a puppy and it proved very difficult.

 

Appreciate the info. His current name is Stoli, but I'd like to give him a Aviation themed name. So far, Clyde (Cessna), Pappy (Boyington). Any other ideas?

 

I used to have a Malamute that I got from an animal shelter when she was about 3 years old. While walking through the shelter I noticed there were 3 Malamutes. I thought that was odd for a breed that is not the most common. Mine was picked up with a tag on and traced back to the owner. She had been picked up once before, but the owner told the shelter to keep her that time.

We quickly figured out why the previous owner probably had enough of her. We kept her outdoors and whenever she got the chance she would get in the house and go straight to the couch. She would chew up everything in sight including plastic outdoor lights and portions of her dog house and was used to being in the house. If she noticed the gate was open she would take off even if I was 10 feet away and saw what she was going to do. This turned into me chasing after her. I paid to have a trainer come to the house and work with me giving her obedience lessons with only marginal progress. She was very smart and had a mind of her own.

She mellowed some after a couple years. Overall I wouldn't have traded her for anything. She was a handful at times but I enjoyed her very much. She had a sweet personality and was very friendly to people. It took patience at times. Hopefully you have a yard and give him lots of attention. Take him for walks on a regular basis and keep him occupied. I would take her to the local school after hours and let her off the leash. It was a magnificent sight to see her gallop around the field in large circles and get a sense for what they were bred for. They get bored easily and need exercise. Be careful about having him inside the house unattended, you may get a lot of damage.

It's great you plan on adopting a dog in need of a home. It's a good feeling to give an animal a chance at having a better life. I applaud you for your interest.

 

My dad had a dog name Rudder