Alaskan Malamutes with GRIT
Why GRIT? This breed had to have grit to survive in the harsh arctic, and I seek to retain that tenacity today. My goal is to produce Alaskan malamutes that persevere and maintain their determination and motivation over long periods despite experiences with failure and adversity. I am building grit by selecting for:
- Genetics to form the foundation
- Resilience for stress recovery
- Intelligence for trainability and problem-solving
- Temperament for stable, dog-neutral character
I raise my malamutes with positive reinforcement to give them the best dog brains I can! I focus on bonds with their humans, independent thinking, and early socialization to what a primitive dog needs to exist in modern society.
Nature and Nurture: I use both to give your dog the best life with you!
Are malamutes right for you?
Alaskan malamutes are not “easy” dogs. They thrive with owners that treat them as partners, but if you believe in “dominance theory” and that dogs are always trying to be “alpha”, this is not the breed for you.
Malamutes need structure and clear boundaries. Your job is to be their partner. That means ensuring boundaries are clearly communicated so they understand what you want them to do, provide daily mental and physical stimulation, grooming, and management. You will need to learn about dog body language so that you can be an effective partner.
Alaskan malamutes are an impressive breed with physical strength, endurance, and intelligence. In fact, that intelligence can make living with them challenging for folks that are expecting a golden retriever temperament. Keep in mind the early history of the breed: malamutes pulled heavy weights across snow and ice in blinding conditions. The dogs used “intelligent disobedience” to survive: if their handler told them to turn onto thin ice, the dogs ignored it.
In a typical pet household, this translates to a dog that makes choices to benefit itself – so be prepared to convince your dog that the choices YOU want it to make are also choices the dog wants to make. Personally, I love malamutes for their physical beauty, vocal “woo woos”, and that very intelligence that can make them so challenging. I have learned so much from them, and enjoy every day they are with me.
Common Traits
Malamutes, as a breed, tend to share some common traits. While we work to minimize some of the more difficult traits in our “modern” world, there is a long genetic history written in their DNA. Expect the following:
- Dog selective
- High prey drive
- Digging
- Resource guarding
- Pulling
- Desire to be with people
- Intelligence
- Quick learning
