Alaskan Malamute Club of
Gauteng
(KUSA AFFILIATED)
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The History of the Alaskan Malamute The Alaskan Malamute is one of the few products of evolution in the world of dogs, and survival of the fittest produced the breed, as we know it today. The name malamute was derived from an Inuit tribe of Eskimos known as “Mahlemuits”. Many fanciers believe that some wolf blood is in the background of the Malamute. True, the Malamute has some wolfish traits and an appearance that could substantiate claims that the breed evolved from crossing the North Greenland Eskimo Dog with wolves. On the other hand, experts quickly recognise significant differences and say these more than offset the similarities. Since both are canine products of evolution in the same general environment, it is not surprising that similarities emerged.
The Alaskan Malamute is believed to be the oldest breed on the North American continent with bone and ivory carvings dating back twenty thousand years essentially depicting the Malamute as he is today. It is also believed to be the breed longest associated with man. In the harsh Arctic conditions men, women and dogs were all totally dependent on one another and the dogs not only worked for their keep but were used to keep the Eskimos warm during the cold Arctic nights. Because hunger was an ever-present problem for both the Eskimos and the dogs they all competed for the same food and any dog which attacked man in order to secure his food was immediately destroyed. As a result aggression to man was unknown amongst the Malamutes and even today is considered to be totally unacceptable.
Alaskan Malamute's in South Africa
The Alaskan Malamute was first registered with the American Kennel Club in 1935 with the first champion being made up in 1936. The first Alaskan Malamutes were imported into South Africa in the 1960’s. These original imports were never shown and few of this strain appear in our pedigrees today. Malamute were imported again in 1977 and it is to these two imports that most of our pedigrees today are linked. Since then more than 30 Malamutes have been imported into South Africa, mostly from the United States, Canada and Spain. Subsequently several SA bred Malamutes have been exported to other parts of the world, inclusive of the USA, where they are successfully competing in Dog Shows.
It needs to be understood that differing climates called for different traits in the breed. A Malamute living and working in an area where the snow was soft and powdery needed to be a slighter dog in order not to sink into the powdery snow. Likewise on heavy pack snow a heavier type of dog was desirable in order to break the sled out of the ice. This is one of the reasons why Malamutes of varying sizes and weights are seen. All however are correct and should not be faulted providing they conform to type. The Alaskan Malamute was utilized by the Eskimos for heavy freight hauling work – never for speed and this gave him the name the “Freight Train of the North”. For this type of work he needed strength, soundness and endurance and this must always be taken into account when judging the Alaskan Malamute. |
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