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The Alaskan Malamute is one of the 18 original breeds of American and Candian working dogs to survive into the 20th century. No one really knows where these beautiful creatures orginated from, although there are many theories. Many believe they are from Asia or Siberia, and migrated across the Bering Strait to Alaska when it was a land bridge. Another theory posits primary domestication straight from the Arctic or Alaskan Shortpfaced Wolf around the Pleistocene Era (Olsen 1985). It may be both theories are correct, and that these wolves interbred with Siberian dogs.
Alaskan Malamutes are "working dogs" bred for the harsh conditions of the arctic and subartic regions of Alaska. The name "Malamute" is derived from the Iniut (meaning: "the people") tribe, who called the dogs "Mahlemiuts" (meaning "the people of Mahle"). Malamutes were essential to the migratory Inuit way of life; without them, travel and hauling over snow and ice would not have been possible. The Alaskan Malamute's strength and adaptablity made it popular as a working dog for northern peoples, and Americans discovered the breed during the Gold Rush of 1848.
The Alaskan Malamute's physiology places it in the "Spitz group" of dogs. During the Gold Rush, malamute sled teams were the most prized, and dogs became very expensive, selling for $500 per dog or $1500 for a small team. Imported to the continental United States, breeders experimented with mixing Alaskan Malamutes and other breeds; with smaller, faster dogs for racing, and to larger dogs such as St. Bernards for dog fighting and weight pulling, and this interbreeding resulted in some changes in appearance when mixed dogs were sold as Malamutes. However, the original Malamute markings and characteristics returned to the classic Spitz appearance. Within a few generations of selective breeding there were few remaining signs of interbreeding. These differences account for the slight variations found in modern day Alaskan Malamutes.
The following three bloodlines contributed Robert Zoller's "Husky -Pak" line, the source of many champions and foundations for the breed.
Kotzebue: This line stemmed from Arthur Walden's dogs. Later, Eva Seely took over his dogs when he went to Antartica. Eva Seely is the owner of Chinook Kennels in Wonalancet, New Hampshire. Chinook Kennels is the most renowned sled dogs headquarters in the USA. The Seeleys deserve much credit for getting AKC to recognize the Alaskan Malamute. One of Eva's dogs, "Gripp of Yukon," was the 1st champion in breed competitions (1936), and the first Alaskan Malamute to be registered with AKC. His attributes were used to set the standard for the breed.
M'Loot: Credit for the M'Loot bloodline goes to Paul Voelker, founder of Silver Sled Kennels. The M'Loot line contributes to most pedigrees of modern day Alaskan Malamutes . Despite Voelker's interest in maintaining the breed, his dogs varied slightly in appearance from the Kotzebue, perhaps due to some selective interbreeding. For unknown reasons, he chose not to pursue AKC registration.
Hinman (or Hinman-Irwin): Details about this strain are not widely known; however, it did make contributions to the quaility of the Alaskan Malanute. The Hinman, in combination with the M'Loot, produced what are now considered by the AKC as the best representatives of the breed.
The American Kennel Club reconized the Alskan Malamute as a breed in 1935, the year that the Alaska Malamute Club of America was formed. This inital registration period was very brie f- only long enough tto get a base line established for the breed. Many of the founder lines were lost durig World War II when malamutes were used for war duty on an expediton to Anartica. At the end of this expediton, the mals were chained to a ice floe and destroyed by an explosive charge (a bureaucratic decision which almost caused mutiny among the Navy men involved). Shorly after this horrific event, AKC realized that there were not enough registered Mals to support a healthy line. A second registration was opened with more rigid specifications than were used during the first period. At this time, dogs from the M'Loot and Hinman strains joined the bloodlines.
(Note: Sources for this page included: Bear-pak Malamutes , Kodak Alaskan Malamutes, Minnesota Malamutes Club, Harobed Alaskan Malamutes, Texalmal (L. Birmantas), and Malamuteworld.com)
The American Kennel Club: Online pedigrees breed attributes, and more.
The Alaskan Malamute Club: get to know this site! For example, Is an Alaskan Malamute the right dog for you?
The Malamute Health Page: a must-read for Malamute owners.
Brian Kirsch's Malamute Site: lots of humor, photos and anecdotes.