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Breed Standard
General Appearance
The Alaskan Malamute, one of the oldest Arctic
sled dogs, is a powerful and
substantially
built dog with a deep chest and
strong, well-muscled
body. The Malamute stands well
over the pads,
and this stance gives the appearance
of much
activity and a proud carriage,
with head
erect and eyes alert showing
interest and
curiosity. The head is broad.
Ears are triangular
and erect when alerted. The muzzle
is bulky,
only slight diminishing in width
from root
to nose. The muzzle is not pointed
or long,
yet not stubby. The coat is thick
with a
coarse guard coat of sufficient
length to
protect a woolly undercoat. Malamutes
are
of various colors. Face markings
are a distinguishing
feature. These consist of a cap
over the
head, the face either all white
or marked
with a bar and/or mask. The tail is well furred, carried over the
back, and has the appearance
of a waving
plume.
The Malamute must be a heavy
boned dog with
sound legs, good feet, deep chest
and powerful
shoulders, and have all of the
other physical
attributes necessary for the
efficient performance
of his job. The gait must be
steady, balanced,
tireless and totally efficient.
He is not
intended as a racing sled dog
designed to
compete in speed trials. The
Malamute is
structured for strength and endurance,
and
any characteristic of the individual
specimen,
including temperament, which
interferes with
the accomplishment of this purpose,
is to
be considered the most serious
of faults. |
Size, Proportion, Substance
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, movement
and other functional
attributes. When dogs are judged
equal in
type, proportion, movement, the
dog nearest
the desirable freighting size
is to be preferred.
The depth of chest is approximately
one half
the height of the dog at the
shoulders, the
deepest point being just behind
the forelegs.
The length of the body from point
of shoulder
to the rear point of pelvis is
longer than
the height of the body from ground
to top
of the withers. The body carries
no excess
weight, and bone is in proportion
to size. |
The skull
is broad and moderately rounded
between the
ears, gradually narrowing and
flattening
on top as it approaches the eyes,
rounding
off to cheeks that are moderately
flat. There
is a slight furrow between the
eyes. The
topline of the skull and the
topline of the
muzzle show a slight break downward
from
a straight line as they join.
The muzzle
is large and bulky in proportion
to the size
of the skull, diminishing slightly
in width
and depth from junction with
the skull to
the nose. In all coat colors,
except reds,
the nose, lips, and eye rims'
pigmentation
is black. Brown is permitted
in red dogs.
The lighter streaked "snow
nose"
is acceptable. The lips are close
fitting.
The upper and lower jaws are
broad with large
teeth. The incisors meet with
a scissors
grip. Overshot or undershot is
a fault. |
Neck, Topline, Body
The neck is strong and moderately
arched.
The chest is well developed.
The body is
compactly built but not short
coupled. The
back is straight and gently sloping
to the
hips. The loins are hard and
well muscled.
A long loin that may weaken the
back is a
fault. The tail is moderately
set and follows
the line of the spine at the
base. The tail
is carried over the back when
not working.
It is not a snap tail or curled
tight against
the back, nor is it short furred
like a fox
brush. The Malamute tail is well
furred and
has the appearance of a waving
plume.
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Forequarters
The shoulders are moderately
sloping; forelegs
heavily boned and muscled, straight
to the
pasterns when viewed from the
front. Pasterns
are short and strong and slightly
sloping
when viewed from the side. The
feet are of
the snowshoe type, tight and
deep, with well-cushioned
pads, giving a firm, compact
appearance.
The feet are large, toes tight
fitting and
well arched. There is a protective
growth
of hair between the toes. The
pads are thick
and tough; toenails short and
strong.
Hindquarters
The rear legs are broad and heavily
muscled
through the thighs; stifles moderately
bent;
hock joints are moderately bent
and well
let down. When viewed from the
rear, the
legs stand and move true in line
with the
movement of the front legs, not
too close
or too wide. Dewclaws on the
rear legs are
undesirable and should be removed
shortly
after puppies are whelped. |
Coat
The Malamute has a thick, coarse
guard coat,
never long and soft. The undercoat
is dense,
from one to two inches in depth,
oily and
woolly. The coarse guard coat
varies in length
as does the undercoat. The coat
is relatively
short to medium along the sides
of the body,
with the length of the coat increasing
around
the shoulders and neck, down
the back, over
the rump, and in the breeching
and plume.
Malamutes usually have a shorter
and less
dense coat during the summer
months. The
Malamute is shown naturally.
Trimming is
not acceptable except to provide
a clean
cut appearance of feet.
|
Color
The usual colors range from light
gray through
intermediate shadings to black,
sable, and
shadings of sable to red. Color
combinations
are acceptable in undercoats,
points, and
trimmings. The only solid color
allowable
is all white. White is always
the predominant
color on underbody, parts of
legs, feet,
and part of face markings. A
white blaze
on the forehead and/or collar
or a spot on
the nape is attractive and acceptable.
The
Malamute is mantled, and broken
colors extending
over the body or uneven splashing
are undesirable.
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Gait
The gait of the Malamute is steady,
balanced,
and powerful. He is agile for
his size and
build. When viewed from the side,
the hindquarters
exhibit strong rear drive that
is transmitted
through a well-muscled loin to
the forequarters.
The forequarters receive the
drive from the
rear with a smooth reaching stride.
When
viewed from the front or from
the rear, the
legs move true in line, not too
close or
too wide. At a fast trot, the
feet will converge
toward the centerline of the
body. A stilted
gait, or any gait that is not
completely
efficient and tireless, is to
be penalized.
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Temperament
The Alaskan Malamute is an affectionate,
friendly dog, not a "one
man" dog.
He is a loyal, devoted companion,
playful
in invitation, but generally
impressive by
his dignity after maturity.
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Summary
IMPORTANT: In judging Malamutes,
their function
as a sledge dog for heavy freighting
in the
Arctic must be given consideration
above
all else. The degree to which
a dog is penalized
should depend upon the extent
to which the
dog deviates from the description
of the
ideal Malamute and the extent
to which the
particular fault would actually
affect the
working ability of the dog. The
legs of the
Malamute must indicate unusual
strength and
tremendous propelling power.
Any indication
of unsoundness in legs and feet,
front or
rear, standing or moving, is
to be considered
a serious fault. Faults under
this provision
would be splay-footedness, cowhocks,
bad
pasterns, straight shoulders,
lack of angulation,
stilted gait (or any gait that
isn't balanced,
strong and steady), ranginess,
shallowness,
ponderousness, lightness of bone,
and poor
overall proportion.
Disqualifications
Blue Eyes
Approved April 12, 1994
Effective May 31, 1994 |
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