# Siberian Husky or Alaskan Malamute ?



## shc (Oct 26, 2007)

First of all hello to everyone on this forums. I was planning to buy a Siberian Husky for a long time, and then I discovered Alaskan Malamute which looks like a stunning dog also. Now I'm not sure which one to choose. Can someone with knowledge explain me the differences in their temperament, behavior and physiology? Which dog needs to run more ? And all in all, because those two dogs are so similar, which one would you choose and why ? Thanks.


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## NorthernLights (Oct 3, 2007)

Well, I've wanted a Mal for a long, long time. It's on my top ten list of breeds I'd love to own, along with an Akita Inu, Chow Chow, etc. 

Here is what it would take for me to own a Malamute- 

Lots and lots of land that I wouldn't mind fencing in. At least a quarter acre.

Plenty of money to spend on skijouring or competitions for weight pull to keep the dog stimulated and happy. 

Patience for the chewing, howling, and total destruction of my house if the dog got bored. 

Patience for the tumble weeds of dog hair that would be blowing around my house when the dog blew coats. 

Again, time and patience to socialize my dog so that it wouldn't want to chase and kill my other, smaller pets. 

The ability to again have patience for a dog who could howl all day, but not lift a paw if someone was breaking in my house...

If all of those things and more didn't deter me from getting a malamute, then I'd get one in a heart beat. 

Huskies have the same needs and issues- they're just smaller and much more hyper. 

They need a good two mile run twice a day to keep their energy level bearable for the normal dog owner.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

The temperaments and builds are really different, once you get away from the markings. 

Mals have more hair than huskies, and a much heftier build. They SHOULD weigh around 75-90 pounds. Be VERY wary of 'giant' Malamutes. THey're a freight dog, not a moose. 

Mals are typically less dog-tolerant- not all are bad with other dogs, but a fairly significant number are dog aggresive, especially with dogs of the same sex. Intact bitches are reputably the worst. Huskies are a little more social. 

Both have similar playstyles- lots of shoving and shoulder-slamming, and are high energy dogs. If you're not planning on skiijoring, scootering, or running a very good distance every day, these aren't the breeds for you. Both are typically poor candidates for offleash obedience- it CAN be done, but it's difficult and takes a creative, persistant, and sneaky trainer. The Malamutes I've known have been a TRIFLE more people-focused- which isn't to say they LISTEN any better, they just find people highly entertaining. 

Spend some time with each breed and you'll probably discover a preference for one or the other. Both have significant numbers of dogs in rescue. I love these breeds but I'll almost certainly never own a Malamute, although a husky or a husky mix is always a possibility. 

If you like the look but aren't sure about the energy level, your training ability and exercise requirements, research Samoyeds (a bit more 'herder' brainwise and can be easier to train but still a high-impact dog), Eurasiers, Alaskan Klee Kai (if you like small dogs with this 'look'), American Eskimos and Keeshonden- these last three are smaller but can be great fun, and the 'standard' sized Eskies and Klee Kai aren't tiny- 30 pounds or so. Also consider just looking for a mix at the shelter. Many shelters in northern areas also get LOTs of husky mixes, and these can be lower-key than the purebreds. (Conversely, they can also be HIGHER drive, if you end up with a racing-bred Alaskan husky.) 

I really, really wish everyone who was interested in these breeds had to volunteer (and foster!) for a year with Siberian and/or Malamute rescue for a year before committing to lifetime ownership of these dogs. They're beautiful and wonderful, but they're definately not for everyone.


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## Hayabusa (Apr 13, 2007)

I have a Siberian Husky, and she doesn't need as much exercise as described here at all. 

You can take her along with you on a bike ride one day of about a mile and she is happy and tired and is very good until the next day, sometimes still mentally stimulated for a few days. We don't even do it that often. 

We have a fenced in backyard, and it does look more like a dirt racing track than a lawn, however, as instead of long walks (We have aggressive dogs loose and able to get loose in our hometown, so walks are never the safest answer)we just play fetch with her, and toss a toy back and forth, allowing her to run at full speed around in circles in our backyard. She just loves it. But beware that whatever they get a hold of will never look the same as it did day one. She destroys every toy she has, it is hilarious!


She can also jump over and clear a 6' fence. They do have a very high prey drive, and if let off leash in an unfenced area, have the tendency to run run run with no stop, so maybe work very hard on a recall if you want to let her/him lose, or just keep it in a fenced in area.

Huskies do not eat that much, and blow their coat 2 times a year- but this doesn't mean that they stop shedding between coat 'blowings'. We thought maybe it would, but nope. She still sheds, just not nearly as much as 'blowing' her coat.

It is true that they are overly destructive when bored. I mean, out porch had the panel board taken down, insulation was gone, the window frame gone, door frame gone, door itself had an entire edge gnawed off, flooring was ripped up (Linoleum) etc. My hubby needed to go to the hospital for an emergency, so we just left her inside. I dropped hubby off, and headed back home to let her out, so there was about 20 minutes in between us leaving and me returning. She had cost us over $1000 damage to our porch. But it is easily avoided. They can be crate trained just like any other dog, and also raw hides and other tasty chews are always a good help. 

They also have the tendency to dig. A friend of ours had a male Siberian cross Malamute and his back yard looked like an 18 hole golf course! Each hole was about a foot deep and a foot across before the dog moved on and started digging elsewhere.

Very stubborn animals as well! Training is fun and exciting with them, and they always make sure of it. 

But all in all- I wouldn't give up my husky girl in a second!


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## OC_Spirit (Feb 6, 2007)

I race Siberians in sprint dogsled races and have 2 of them here at home with me. Don;t be fooled by the one or two that come along and are lower energy and assume the whole breed is like that. Yes there are some that are content with a short walk once a day or so, especially ones from show lines, but on average they require much more than that! Especially if they are from working lines!!! IF I dont go for a run with my two on the sled or scooter then I tok them for a 1-3hr walk every day. If I can't devote that much time to walking then I put on their weighted backpacks and go as far as I can with them. They are forgiving in that if I can't take them out they won't destroy my house because of training we have done. Also if I cant walk them I do make sure they get some other sort of stimulation so they arent just left with nothing to do all day.

Alaskan Malamutes need slightly less excercise than Sibes but still need quite a bit!!! Remember, both breeds were devloped to run all day! Not just once around a block then call it quits  Sibes were bred to do it faster, Mals were bred to do it with more weight.

As has been mentioned already, Mals do tend to be more dog-aggressive than Sibes however both should be fine if socialized properly. Both should be excellent with people. Both have HIGH prey drive. Many can learn to live with small animals such as cats if they have been raised with them, but each is an individual when it comes to cats that are not part of their "pack". I have known some dogs that are fine with the cats they knew as a puppy, but when their owner tried to bring home new cats, they would kill them. I've known others that were fine with any cat in the house but all outdoor cats (even the one they lived with) were fair game. My two will happily kill any and all cats...and squirrels, and chipmunks, and raccoons...basically anything that isn't another dog or a human. Some prey drives are sooooo high that even little dogs are classified as prey to them (I have this issue with one of mine).

Both are stubborn, independent and dominant which makes them difficult to train. It most certainly can be done but one shouldnt expect an obedience star. I would never EVER trust any adult Malamute or Sibe off leash no matter how good their recalls are. All it takes is one bunny to dart by or something "tick" in their head that they decide they want to RUN and they are gone! A buddy of mine had two of his Sibes escape and they were a good few hours drive away by the very next day! They would have kept going too had a fellow Husky owner not have seen them and caught them.


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## snow (Oct 23, 2007)

Everyone else has said spot-on things so far.

I heard that Huskies make better watch dogs, whereas Malamutes make better guard dogs. I also heard Malamutes are more likely to be possessive and aggressive, whereas huskies are not. (don't hold me on this, as I am not the experts who posted above!)

I DO foresee a husky in my future  Eventually, I'l have a decent backyard, and I like to run/hike.

I think someone else already mentioned this, but a mix could be the way to go if you don't have the dog-experience. I have a client who is a boxer-husky mix. He's an incredible dog. A body mostly like a boxer, except for with a husky face. A splash of white on the nose and gorgeous blue eyes. He likes to use his feet like a boxer (he plays soccer with his ball), but he's also got the "escape artist" tendencies of a husky. (He'll try to pull out of his collar on a walk if he doesn't get exactly what he wants at that particular moment!!) Luckily I switched him to nylon soft choke so he can't do that!  He's friendly to children, people, is a social director among dogs, and likes to play with cats. (they don't seem to like him so much!!!) 

If you go on petfinder.com, you can search huskies and malamutes at shelters in your area. They have mixes and purebreds. There are a LOT of them at shelters because they either A)door-dart or use "Magic tricks" AKA jump fences! or B)were adopted by someone not educated enough about the breed because they're so cute, and were turned in because they couldn't deal. The people at the shelters will know the dogs, and they can help you find a good match. Good luck!


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

Both Huskies and Malamutes make poor watch or guard dogs. They are more likely to quietly let anyone rob your house in hopes they will get something out of it afterwards. I mean.. I have a lot of random people just walking into my home without warning (friends and family) and my dog just runs up to say hi, then goes back to what he was doing. Even though he's never met them before in his life.


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## shc (Oct 26, 2007)

I did pretty much research before but there was still a lot of helpful text here. Thanks alot people. I really appreciate the time you put in typing all that text. Well actually one of the things that I like about these two breeds is that they can run alot, I run often so it won't be a problem. And I'm not the type which will let the dog bored after few days. Buying a Husky is not something I just came with, I was planning it for a long time and just before I wanted to buy it I discovered the Malamute which is a beautiful dog too. I have an option to choose between both dogs, so I don't know which to choose really. Which one would you guys choose ?


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

shc said:


> I did pretty much research before but there was still a lot of helpful text here. Thanks alot people. I really appreciate the time you put in typing all that text. Well actually one of the things that I like about these two breeds is that they can run alot, I run often so it won't be a problem. And I'm not the type which will let the dog bored after few days. Buying a Husky is not something I just came with, I was planning it for a long time and just before I wanted to buy it I discovered the Malamute which is a beautiful dog too. I have an option to choose between both dogs, so I don't know which to choose really. Which one would you guys choose ?


That's a personal choice. No one can tell you what you may want. You're better off just spending time with both and seeing which suits you the best.


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## battlemonkey (Oct 14, 2007)

I used to own a Malamute, about 7 years ago. We had him pulling me around on a sled (I was much younger then...lol...), and we lived in Northern Ontario where there's lots of snow, bitter cold and we had 250 acres of land that he could enjoy!!!!!!!! Mind you, that dog was crazy. He had one blue and one brown eye, he would pull me away from people if I held on to his collar, so to protect me (which I didn't like cause it was showing he was kind of agressive) and he gave very evil looks to my dad, which is the reason we had to give him up. He used to be an escape artist too, he'd get out of the back yard and make his way up the road to the local Emu farm and chase the birds around, which obviously made the farmer quite upset. Anyway, long story short, they're obviously not for everybody, myself included. But, you might be a different person with more patience and likeness for the breed.

Good Luck!!!!!!


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## snow (Oct 23, 2007)

Well, as I said in my previous post I see huskies in my future.

However, I don't know what's right for you. So, you've decided you like the breeds. Now you just need to go meet some! You'll be able to decide once you meet them, rather maybe than deciding on a breed before meeting the individual. Good luck and let us know how it goes! I want pictures!!!


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## rsculady (Jun 23, 2007)

Dogstar said:


> I really, really wish everyone who was interested in these breeds had to volunteer (and foster!) for a year with Siberian and/or Malamute rescue for a year before committing to lifetime ownership of these dogs. They're beautiful and wonderful, but they're definately not for everyone.



+1! I work with Norsled and it is a huge responsibility and we take great pains to make sure that people understand the requirements that these dogs have. We generally do not adopt out to first-time dog owners because of this and suggest fostering first. Many people see the beauty of the animal but do not listen to the requirements.



RBark said:


> Both Huskies and Malamutes make poor watch or guard dogs. They are more likely to quietly let anyone rob your house in hopes they will get something out of it afterwards. I mean.. I have a lot of random people just walking into my home without warning (friends and family) and my dog just runs up to say hi, then goes back to what he was doing. Even though he's never met them before in his life.


+1 on this too. I have been rescuing and fostering huskies for aver 18yrs and not a single one would have done anything to protect my belonging or my family. Most huskies have no idea what a stranger is. LOL I used to joke(and still do) that while they might look intimidating, they would most likely hold the door open for any one to come in and clean out my house. LOL


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

I'm a first time dog owner myself. Well, sort of. Dogs have somewhat been in the family although I never had much to do with them aside from having my chores being to clean up after them. I just played with them.

I did long to have a Siberian since childhood, however. And it fit my lifestyle. So it was a no brainer and the rescue let me adopt him. I am single, though, and my life likely will revolve around my dog. A dog like this is a perfect companion for me in that regard. I take him everywhere, and if the place does not allow dogs, I don't go there. I take him to family gatherings, when friends are over I have him be with us, when I go to my parents houses he comes with me.

So I was one of the fortunate few who had the lifestyle to fit these breeds. But I know many who got in way over their heads, thinking they will adjust to these dogs once they have them. Unfortunately, it rarely works out that way.


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## shc (Oct 26, 2007)

Thanks for all the advices people. Very helpful community. I think I'm going for the Siberian but I'll follow your advice and first meet both and see if I really like the Siberian more. I hope I won't have the same problems as battlemonkey. Do you think that dog's behavior was in a way your fault, or the dog was just plain crazy ? For the Husky as a guard dog, that wasn't one of the reasons why I wanted to buy it, altough it wouldn't harm if it could do some watching. Is there anyway to improve it's guarding capabilites, not making a real guard dog out of it, just making him react to hostility? Anyway if I wanted a guard dog I'd get a German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois. My friend has 2 months old Malionis, it's a great dog full of energy altough it is very stubborn. But I always wanted to have a Husky and I think I'll go for it.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

One of the things that I've noticed about huskies that seemss to be more true with them than otehr breeds, is that they are what they are. The innate temperament of the breed is VERY set, and difficult to change. 

This is good and bad. It means that huskies with really bad temperament are rare. Even in the most badly bred, poorly treated huskies I've known, I generally do not see temperament problems. (I *do* see resource guarding some, but probably in less than 2/3 of cases and it tends to be dog/dog, not dog/human; I almost NEVER see HA.) At the same time, trying to train them to do things against their instincts is darn near impossible. I believe people put more performance titles on SIGHTHOUNDS than huskies every year, and while I hear about Siberian service dogs, the ones I've evaluated have all failed their access tests for various obedience problems. (I know there are a few who have been evaluated by ADI programs and passed, and a single FEMA certified search dog- but there are also a few UDs and I think maybe an OTCH or OTCH pointed dog- my point being that there ARE atypical dogs.)

What I'm trying to say is that if you plan to make thsi breed into something it's not- a guard or watch or alert or obedience dog? You're probably beating your head against a very large wall of thousands of years of history and genetics. You'll be better off getting a mix or a different breed.


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## Jak (Sep 17, 2007)

You defintely should look into a Husky rescue in your area. When I was looking for Husky rescues I noticed a lot of rescues also take in other similar breeds like Malamutes. 

And just a thought. Everyone seems to think that every Husky requires hours and hours of exercise to be content, but fail to realize that every dog, as every human, is an individual. My Husky is a real coach potato, as I was told even before I adopted him. People actually returned him to the rescue, because he wasn't active enough for them. Having experienced owners evaluate the dogs activity level and temperament and find the prefect fit for your lifestyle is just another perk of getting a rescue dog, so I hope you consider it. Good luck with your decision, you've already put forth the effort to do your homework, so I'm sure you'll do fine with either breed you choose.


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

shc said:


> Thanks for all the advices people. Very helpful community. I think I'm going for the Siberian but I'll follow your advice and first meet both and see if I really like the Siberian more. I hope I won't have the same problems as battlemonkey. Do you think that dog's behavior was in a way your fault, or the dog was just plain crazy ? For the Husky as a guard dog, that wasn't one of the reasons why I wanted to buy it, altough it wouldn't harm if it could do some watching. Is there anyway to improve it's guarding capabilites, not making a real guard dog out of it, just making him react to hostility? Anyway if I wanted a guard dog I'd get a German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois. My friend has 2 months old Malionis, it's a great dog full of energy altough it is very stubborn. But I always wanted to have a Husky and I think I'll go for it.


You are going to have a hard time teaching a Husky to watch or guard. There are a very few exceptions but usually a Husky, while intelligent and hardworking, won't do anything if they don't feel a reason to do it.

I've taught my dog 20 different tricks and commands but he will only listen to me if there's absolutely no overriding reason or if there's a reward for it. He will also listen when we are working together. Otherwise expect a dog that will look away when you tell it to come, sit, etc.

You can train them though, its not impossible. Personally I just train what they need to know. It does me or him no good just making him to stupid tricks for no reason. I did teach a few funny tricks out of boredom though. 

I wouldn't even know where to begin training ollie to watch anything that's mine. And to get him to as much as look at someone the wrong way. Hed probably sooner glare and growl at me to let the other guy take my stuff lol.


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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Make sure you meet more than a couple of huskies before jumping into the deep end.

The best* and the nastiest dogs I've met (other than my own) were both huskies. It would be tempting to say that the difference was the owners, and I'm sure that's a big part of it, but breeding certainly must account for some of the dramatic difference I saw in these two dogs.

* By "best" I mean well-trained, good-natured and easy to be with.


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## RBark (Sep 10, 2007)

RonE said:


> Make sure you meet more than a couple of huskies before jumping into the deep end.
> 
> The best* and the nastiest dogs I've met (other than my own) were both huskies. It would be tempting to say that the difference was the owners, and I'm sure that's a big part of it, but breeding certainly must account for some of the dramatic difference I saw in these two dogs.
> 
> * By "best" I mean well-trained, good-natured and easy to be with.


I was wondering, I've seen you mention these huskies more than a few times, I would like to know what traits the best dog had.. as in, what did it do to stand out? And the worst.. what did it do? Specifics would be nice. Thanks.


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

You should really do a lot of research before getting a dog, make sure you're not basing it just off of looks. Both breeds are very different, dispite their looks, and I've heard that Huskies and Malamutes can be very difficult dogs to own, so make sure you know what you're getting into. Of course they're beautiful dogs, but they do come with a lot of responsibility.
Here are some links you may want to look at.
Siberian Husky:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_Husky
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/siberianhusky.htm
http://www.shca.org/
http://www.breederretriever.com/dog-breeds/212/siberian-husky.php
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/siberian.html

Alaskan Malamute:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_Malamute
http://www.alaskanmalamute.org/amca/index.asp
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/alaskanmalamute.htm
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/breeds/malamutes.html
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/dogs-faq/breeds/malamutes/

Be sure to do some more research on your own, though. It never hurts to be too prepaired.


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## TeddieXRuxpin (Sep 11, 2007)

I own a Corgi/Malamute and she is one of the most stubborn yet smart dogs out there. Seeing as I don't own a full Malamute the personalities will be different as will with any dog. 

Mahalo is the leader of our pack here at home; She keep the other three in line. She also raised and brought up the puppies I fostered. She's the first to let you know if you've done something wrong, but she'll be the first one to come when called.


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## shc (Oct 26, 2007)

Well guarding is one the least important things for me when buying a husky. I'm just one of the people that got in love with it, did a lot of research on it, decided I'm gona take all the necessary care for it and even more. I read somewhere that altough it's not a guard dog it's not really defensless, if it can smell danger it will react but you can't do a lot to train to see what the danger is. That's totally enough for me. Thanks alot people, I appreciate it.


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