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Alaskan Malamute History
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Named for an Inuit tribe known as the Mahlemuts, the Alaskan Malamute has been employed by the people of the Arctic since time immemorial. These large and powerful dogs aided their human counterparts in bringing down and hauling the carcasses of large game such as seals, caribou and even polar bears. For their contribution to the tribe, these dogs were treated with great veneration by the Mahlemut people.
Europeans who began to explore the Arctic during the 18th century were drawn to this tough, hard-working dog. With the advent of the gold rush in Alaska during the late 19th century, the demand for the Alaskan Malamute – with its ability to pull people and equipment across the great, snowy landscape of Alaska – skyrocketed. The desire to not only mass produce the breed but also to make it faster and stronger led to a flurry of irresponsible breeding during his time, and by the 1920s the pure Malamute was nearly lost. Thankfully, North American breeders realized their mistake before it was too late and began efforts to reverse the damage. By the 1930s, the Alaskan Malamute had proved its worth many times over in Arctic and Antarctic missions; most notably, the breed was chosen to pull the sleds of Admiral Richard Byrd on his 1933 expedition to the South Pole. Though never intended to be a fast breed, the Alaskan Malamute also became a popular dog sled racer during this time. The Alaskan Malamute was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1935 as part of the Working Group.
Recent DNA evidence has shown that the Alaskan Malamute’s wolf-like appearance is no mistake. The Malamute is one of fourteen “ancient” breeds whose DNA is more similar to the DNA of wolves than that of other breeds.
