# To anyone with malamutes or dobermans.



## RubyFeuer (Mar 30, 2010)

My puppy Lucas is an alaskan malamute/doberman mix. I want training tips from people with either or or both to help me train this little guy to the best he can be. He learns really fast (eg. he learned leave it on the second try and hasn't messed up yet since then), but he can also be stubborn like the malamute he has in him. His appearance so far looks like a malamute but in shades of brown and black instead of white and black or red and white and so on, but he has floppyish ears (I'm thinking about taping them to see if I can get them to stand because sometimes they do when he's laying down or when he tips his head just right. And no I don't mean cropping to anyone out there waiting to yell at me lol.). His fur is malamute like instead of doberman and he has a curled tail that is beginning to plume. I'll try to take a picture and post it later of this weird patch of fur he has tho on his tail. At the base of his tail it matches his body for about two or three inches then it cuts off like someone dipped his tail in black ink lol. But he has this thick patch of black hair on the top of his tail that if you move it to look at the lower parts of the hair it is beautiful high contrast silver and black. Also the underside of the tail in the pluming part is starting to grow in light silver banded hairs. Weird looking puppy lol. He is about 13 weeks old so far. So sorry for this being so long but I wanted you to get a good feel for my puppy and describe what he looks like because pictures don't capture these things very well lo and I like talking about my dog.


P.S. - The picture on the right was taken about a week before the one on the left.


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## Northern_Inuit_Luv (Aug 26, 2009)

His ears may still go up, sometimes it can take a couple of months before they go up. I wouldn't bother taping them at this stage. For training, we suggest that all of our malamute adopters apply the "Nothing in Life is Free" theory (NILIF). Here's a good link that explains it: http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm . I would also suggest crating when you are gone, if you don't already. Malamutes have a very stong drive to get into stuff. They get bored easily and can really turn a house upside-down in minutes. Plus they don't know what's "safe" and what's not.


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## RubyFeuer (Mar 30, 2010)

Ya we crate him whenever we leave and by crate I mean pen up with my two other dogs. (At night we let him sleep in the bed but half the time he gets to hot and jumps off to sleep under the bed lol but soon enough he will be to big to go under the bed and I'll get him a raised bed to keep him cool that we will keep in the room for him to sleep on if he gets to hot.) I have a large size crate with a door on the front two access doors on the top and the back is completely open then I have a run type fence thing that I attatch to the back of it to make them a large play/exercise area. He doesn't have accidents anymore in the cage because I walk him really well before we leave and we are never gone for very long and I am always home unless we go to get groceries or something of the sort. For his food he has to sit and wait until I say it's ok for him to eat. I'm going to wait until he starts to teeth to tape his ears because they might stand as you said and I know that when they are teething is when it's the most frustrating for ear training of any type lol because all of the extra calcium is going to the teeth not the ears as you well know lol. I would say the thing he is having the most issues with is coming consistently. If he doesn't come when I call him then I go to him and get him and he gets no praise or treats or anything because he didn't listen. I do that because I don't want to end up having to say...come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, come, before he finally does lol. What I also do is whenever he is out or in the house if he looks at me by his own will I praise him or give him a treat if he comes to me by himself. I'm not expecting him to come every time yet because he is, after all, only 13 weeks. But soon enough I will expect it.

Just finished reading that and I do that already lol because I hate it when the dogs paw at you and stuff to make you pet them my family dog when I lived at home did that. I don't tolerate it from my two small dogs and they don't try anymore lol and I am definitely not going to let a 80lb+ dog get away with it lol. I'm also teaching him a "watch" command that means that he is to look at me and nothing else until I tell him it's ok (he's a puppy so I don't make it long but each time it gets longer and longer and if he fails three times in a row to make progress I take it back a couple of steps.) I also do this so he learns that direct eye contact with people is not a threatening matter because I don't need any kids or people for that matter looking at him to long then him taking it as a threat.


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## RubyFeuer (Mar 30, 2010)

Stupid minimum amount of text.


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## Nil (Oct 25, 2007)

In my dog group there is a lady who does sledding, obedience, and some other sports with her malamutes. From what I have learned with her I am going to say, train positively and expect the unexpected. Malamutes and many other nordic breeds have a very head strong personality. This woman has some great stories about different ways her malamutes have "spiced up" the obedience ring. So don't be frustrated if, as he matures, he decides to "liven up" the training sessions with some antics. 

Otherwise, work hard as you are while he is a puppy and it'll pay off when he is older. Just remember to have fun too. 

As for the coming when called, I think I might have a better suggestion. I would have a long line tied to him. You can get ones at Petsmart or Petco or just get a long rope to tie on his collar. This way he doesn't associate "come" with you going to him.

With the long leash you can say "Puppy, puppy, puppy!" excitedly, running away, and if he doesn't follow reel him in and reward with a delicious treat. You always want to make it a good thing. So grabbing him and moving him with no treat doesn't really make sense to him as much as him getting rewarded and making it a big game. Also, this way, every time he hears "Come" he always has to go to you either by reeling in or on his own. He doesn't ever have the opportunity to blow off the command. And do know, since he is part malamute, he may never be 100% trustworthy off lead.


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## MoosMom (Sep 15, 2009)

He's adorable. Yoshi is a constant piece of work. He tries my patience most days. He absolutely cannot be trusted alone. I think my best training advice is don't expect lab or golden retriever behavior. A mal does what they want when they feel like it. Very independent thinkers. He is more like working with a 2 year old all the time. A total clown. 

Find what motivates your dog. They will work hard for it. Yoshi is a food driven dog 100%. I can get him to do almost anything with some hotdogs. I have used a clicker because I found that unless it is CRYSTAL clear what I want, he will make up his own variations. That has been a key part of any training we so. 

If you give a malamute even 1 inch of slack, trust me they will take 10 miles. Then before you know it they have you doing what they want!


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## RubyFeuer (Mar 30, 2010)

Ya I thought he would be a butt sometimes lol. Good advice with the reeling him in thing I already have a really long lead I don't know why I haven't tried that yet lol. Also when it comes to walking I don't want him to pull because he will be huge (and I know he inherited more than half malamute genes from his look and personality I think the dobe just gave him floppier ears and the coloration and a few other subtle features. That being said I know he might never not pull but at least I can try to cut it down a bit.) What I do is whenever he pulls I stop walking immediately until he relaxes and stops straining and then we can start to walk again. Also I don't let him walk ahead of me unless I tell him to go to the bathroom and find a spot. I won't trust him off lead ever and I don't with my other male dog (when he was young he used to bolt out the door. I'm happy I broke that before I moved to an area with traffic.) The only dog I trust off lead is my female miniature schnauzer she listens 100% of the time even with distractions like other dogs and kids and people which she loves all of them lol.


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## MoosMom (Sep 15, 2009)

Yoshi still isn't 100% on the leash. His prey drive is so bad that when we see a small animal it takes almost 10 - 15 minutes to get him back on track. Treats don't even mean anything to him at that point. 

We have a manners class we are starting at the end of the month. I warned my trainer that she will probably kick him out of class because he is soooooo easily distracted!


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## RubyFeuer (Mar 30, 2010)

Lol that sucks but the end part is funny. I have ferrets, rats, and a large and small bird to teach him with. Obviously well controlled training because those animals are my pets too and I love them. Sadly I might need to re-home the small and furry ones because I have to move to Germany.


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## WrigleyandZoey (Apr 17, 2013)

I know that this post has not been active for quite some time but I was wondering if you had any recent pictures of your Alaskan Malamute/Doberman Mix? I have two 'Dobermutes' (that is what I call them)


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## malamutelove (Dec 6, 2010)

I have a malamute. I do sledding with mine. Mine has her cgc. They can be stubborn at times. Maggie actually listens 97% of the time. I don't really work with her on a leash anymore. I don't want to prevent pulling. I do use a gentle leader she i have her on just a leash. I can answer mal questions if you have them


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## Debspup (Nov 8, 2013)

Hi, I know that this is an old post, but I am curious how you know that Lucas is a Doberman/Malamute mix? Did you know both her parents? I ask because we adopted a puppy from the Humane Society and they had her listed as a Doberman mix. I googled Doberman mix and found Lucas's picture. She looks a lot like him. She also has a lot of the same traits! So, I am just wondering if I have a Doberman/Malamute mix as well! You never know when you adopt from the Humane Society! She is a great pup, but has her moments, just like Lucas. Thanks!


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