appearance. The Malamute has a soft inviting expression. His brown eyes and black pigment add to that look. The red Malamutes will have a lighter eye and brown pigment but their expression is no less soft and beautiful. Blue eyes are a disqualification. As a sledge dog the Malamute must be compact yet not short coupled. He must have a strong neck blending smoothly into the withers. The neck needs to be moderately long and strong in order to carry the head forward when working. We ask for a moderately slop- ing shoulder. The topline is firm and strong sloping gently to the hips. This
breed must be well muscled and carry no excess weight. He is a substantial dog but substance is bred not fed! His chest is deep and ribs well sprung but not barrel chested. He must have sufficient lung capacity to do his job. The Mala- mute tail is a distinct breed characteris- tic different than the Siberian, Akita or Samoyed. It is most often carried over the back as a waving plume but it is not uncommon for the tail to trail when moving. This breed may drop its tail in the ring at some point. Bitches may drop their tails when in season. On the other hand, males may tighten their tails when in the ring with other males. It is desir- able to see the tail carried naturally at least once while in the ring. It is often said the Malamute is built from the feet up. Without proper feet they could not perform their task for long. The foot is snowshoe shape; toes are well arched with thick pads compact in appearance. Flat, splayed or feet of an incorrect shape are not consistent with proper breed type. The pastern is short and only slightly sloping. The forelegs are straight with heavy bone. The rear legs are very well muscled, stifles mod- erately bent with well let down hocks. This combination enables the power needed to perform effectively. Th e Alaskan Malamute has a coat unlike its counterparts. It is a stando ff coat consisting of a thick harsh guard coat and a dense woolly undercoat. It can be described like something a golfer might wear. Th e guard coat acts like a rain resistant wind breaker over a warm wool sweater. Th e length varies slightly but never long and soft. Th ere will be more length around the neck, down the back and on the pants and tail. It is natu- ral for Malamutes to shed out much if not all their undercoat at certain times of the year. Please do not discount an exhibit just because he is “out of coat”. Th is breed is shown in its natural state. Trimming is not acceptable except to provide a clean cut appearance to the feet. The movement of the Alaskan Mala- mute is very important. As we said earli- er, he is a powerful sledge dog and must denote that power when moving. On the
“IT IS OFTEN SAID THE MALAMUTE IS BUILT FROM THE FEET UP. Without proper feet
they could not perform their task for long.”
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