Brief History of the Malamute
Throughout the ages, the native peoples have depended on dogs as draft power in their struggle for survival. In the southern territories, these dogs were replaced by hoofed livestock; in the north, where climates are severe, and life is a constant battle against the elements, these dogs remained an important companion to man, far into the 20th century.
Chief among these breeds
are the SAMOYED and the SIBERIAN HUSKY, both developed among indigenous
people on the Siberian plateaus, and the ALASKAN MALAMUTE, born among the
Mahlemuit Inuit in Alaska, long before Russia sold this magnificent, brutal
land to the U.S. government.
The Mahlemuit people mainly inhabited the upper part of the Anvik river in Alaska, but were also spread over a wide region. The Malamute was used to haul food back to the villages. It was used as a heavy freighting dog, able to pull a tremendous amount of weight over long distances at a steady pace. The Malamute dog is sturdy, intelligent dog , and has great endurance.
The Mahlemuit people
were kind and gentle to their dogs, so the Malamutes had to contend only
with the harsh climates and not the cruel practices of some other Arctic
natives.
Females in heat were
sometimes staked out for wolves to breed and the toughness and adaptability
of the Malamute stock was replenished. The success of the hunt determined
the amount of food necessary for both humans and dogs; in times of scarcity,
the dogs often battled each other for the meager scraps that were available.
The gold rush of 1896 increased the use of sled dogs. Races were held to emphasize their value. The need for speed jeopardized the Malamute, for this was a heavy draft dog, capable of pulling great weights, but not built for swiftness, so the Mal was crossbred with a variety of lighter, faster dogs, and purebreds were almost lost.
Today, there are essentially two different "kinds" of Alaskan Malamutes. One line is referred to as the M'Loot and the other is the Kotzbue. One difference between these two lines is the size of the dog. M'Loot Mals are much larger. True Kotzbues have only wolf-grey coats, whereas M'Loots come in a variety of colours, including wolf-grey, black and white, sable and white, seal and blue and white.
Amongst breeders,
there is argument as to which is the "correct" Malamute. In spite of this,
Alaskan Malamutes are credited as one of few breeds that is very close
to it's original form and function.
Copywrite© 2007 Sharon Bartlett