ORIGIN : U.S.A.
UTILIZATION : Sledge dog.
CLASSIFICATION FCI : Group 5 (Spitz and primitive types)
Section 1 (Nordic sledge dogs)
Without Working Trial.
GENERAL APPEARANCE AND CHARACTERISTICS : The Alaskan Malamute is a powerful and substantially built dog with deep chest and strong, compact body, not too short coupled, with a thick, coarse guard coat of sufficient length to protect a dense, wooly undercoat, from 1 to 2 inches in depth when the dog is in full coat. Stands well over pads, and this stance gives the appearance of much activity, showing interest and curiosity. The head is broad, ears wedge-shaped and erect when alerted. The muzzle is bulky with only slight diminishing in width and depth from root to nose, not pointed or long, but not stubby. The Malamute moves with a proud carriage, head erect and eyes alert. Face markings are a distinguishing feature. These consist of either cap over head and rest of face solid color, usually grayish white, or face marked with the appearance of a mask. Combinations of mask and cap are not unusual. The tail is plumed and carried over the back, not like a fox brush, or tightly curled, more like a plume waving.
Malamutes are of various colors, but are usually wolfish gray or black and white. Their feet are of the "snowshoe" type, tight and deep, with well-cushioned pads, giving a firm and compact appearance. Front legs are straight with big bone. Hind legs are broad and powerful, moderately bent at stifles, and without cow-hocks. The back is straight, gently sloping from shoulders to hips. The loin should not be short or tight as to interfere with easy, tireless movement. Endurance and intelligence are shown in body and expression. The eyes have a "wolf-like" appearance by their position, but the expression is soft and indicates an affectionate disposition.
TEMPERAMENT : The Alaskan Malamute is an affectionate, friendly dog, not a "one-man" dog. He is a loyal, devoted companion, playful on invitation, but generally impressive by his dignity after maturity.
HEAD : The head should indicate a high degree of intelligence, and is broad and powerful as compared with other "natural" breeds, but should be in proportion on the size of the dog so as not to make the dog appear clumsy or coarse.
Skull : The skull should be broad between the ears, gradually narrowing to eyes, moderately rounded between ears, flattening on top as it approaches the eyes, rounding off to cheeks, which should be moderately flat. There should be a slight furrow between the eyes, the topline of skull and topline of the muzzle showing but little break downward from a straight line as they join.
Muzzle : The muzzle should be large and bulky in proportion to size of skull, diminishing but little in width and depth from junction with skull to nose; lips close fitting; nose black; upper and lower jaws broad with large teeth, front teeth meeting with a scissors grip but never overshot or undershot.
EYES : Brown, almond shaped, moderately large for this shape of eye, set obliquely in skull. Dark eyes preferred.
Blue eyes are a disqualifying fault.
EARS : The ears should be of medium size, but small in proportion to head. The upper halves of the ears are triangular in shape, slightly rounded at tips, set wide apart on outside back edges of the skull with the lower part of the ear joining the skull on a line with the upper corner of the eye, giving the tips of the ears the appearance, when erect, of standing off from the skull. When erect the ears point slightly forward, but when the dog is at work the ears are sometimes folded against the skull. High-set ears are a fault.
NECK : The neck should be strong and moderately arched.
BODY : The chest should be strong and deep; body should be strong and compactly built but not short coupled. The back should be straight and gently sloping to the hips. The loins should be well muscled and not so short as to interfere with easy, rhythmic movement with powerful drive from the hindquarters. A long loin which weakens the back is also a fault. No excess weight.
Shoulders/Legs and Feet : Shoulders should be moderately sloping; forelegs heavily boned and muscled, straight to pasterns, which should be short and strong and almost vertical as viewed from the side. The feet should be large and compact, toes tight-fitting and well arched, pads thick and tough, toenails short and strong. There should be a protective growth of hair between toes. Hind legs must be broad and powerfully muscled through thighs; stifles moderately bent, hock joints broad and strong, moderately bent and well let down. As viewed from behind, the hind legs should not appear bowed in bone, but stand and move true in line with movement of the front legs, and not too close or too wide. The legs of the Malamute must indicate unusual strength and tremendous propelling power. Any indication of unsoundness in legs or feet, standing or moving, is to be considered a serious fault. Dewclaws on the hind legs are undesirable and should be removed shortly after pups are whelped.
TAIL : Moderately set and following the line of the spine at the start, well furred and carried over the back when not working-not tightly curled to rest on back-or short furred and carried like a fox brush, a waving plume appearance instead.
COAT : The Malamute should have a thick, coarse guard coat, not long and soft. The undercoat is dense, from I to 2 inches in depth, oily and wooly. The coarse guard coat stands out, and there is thick fur around the neck. The guard coat varies in length, as does the undercoat; however, in general, the coat is moderately short to medium along the sides of the body with the length of the coat increasing somewhat around the shoulders and neck, down the back and over the rump, as well as in the breeching and plume. Malamutes usually have shorter and less dense coats when shed out during the summer months.
COLOR AND MARKINGS : The usual colors range from light gray through the intermediate shadings to black, always with white on underbodies, parts of legs, feet,a and part of mask markings. Markings should be either cap-like and/or mask-like on face. A white blaze on forehead and/or collar or spot on nape is attractive and acceptable, but broken color extending over the body in spots or uneven splashings is undesirable. One should distinguish between mantled dogs and splash-coated dogs. The only solid color allowable is tha all-white.
SIZE : There is a natural range in size in the breed. The desirable freighting sizes are :
Males : 25 inches at the shoulders - 85 pounds.
Females : 23 inches at the shoulders - 75 pounds.
However, size consideration should not outweigh that of type, proportion, and functional attributes, such as shoulders, chest, legs, feet and movement. When dogs are judged equal in type, proportion and functional attributes, the dog nearest the desirable freighting size is to be preferred.
IMPORTANT :
In judging Alaskan Malamutes their function as a sledge dog for heavy freighting must be given consideration above all else. The judge must bear in mind that this breed is designed primarily as the working sledge dog of the North for hauling heavy freight, and therefore he should be a heavy-boned, powerfully built, compact dog with sound legs, good feet, deep chest, powerful shoulders, steady, balanced, tireless gait, and the other physical equipment necessary for the efficient performance of his job. He is not intended as a racing sled dog designed to compete in speed dog trials with the smaller Northern breeds. The Malamute as a sledge dog for heavy freighting is designed for strength and endurance and any characteristic of the individual specimen, inlcuding temperament, which interferes with the accomplishments of this purpose is to be considered the most serious of faults. Faults under this provision would be splayfootedness, any indication of unsoundness or weakness in legs, cowhocks, bad pasterns, straight shoulders, lack of angulation, stilted gait or any gait which is not balanced, strong, and steady, ranginess, shallowness ponderousness, lightness of bone, poor over-all proportion, and similar characteristics.
SCALE OF POINTS
General Appearance - 20
Head - 15
Body - 20
Legs and Movement - 20
Feet - 10
Coat and Color - 10
Tail - 5
TOTAL - 100
FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
ELIMINATING FAULTS : Blue eyes.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.