How to Care for an Alaskan Malamute

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Nancy Frensley, with the Berkeley East Bay Humane Society. I'm the training manager, and we're here in Berkeley, CA. We're going to be talking about the Alaskan Malamute. How do you care for an Alaskan Malamute? Well, you need a big brush, because the Alaskan Malamute has a lush, thick, wonderful coat and that's how they do so well as sled dogs in subarctic climates, because with that coat, that double undercoat that they have, they never even get wet all the way through when they're in water. It's very hard to soak them. The Alaskan Malamute is one of the large working breeds. They are frequently used as sled dogs and they live extremely well in packs or in groups, so Alaskan Malamutes may be a little bit like crackers - you can't have just one!. Your Alaskan Malamute is a large working breed. They are independent and they need a lot of good leadership in the home and that means basically asking them to work for what they want. They need to sit for their dinner, sit is always safe, sit before they go outdoors, and they need to be able to ask you the question, "Can I do this, or can I do that?" So, you'll have a great communication with your Alaskan Malamute. They really want to understand you, but you're going to have to put in that leadership program, and you're going to have to try to stay on top of them."