Activities you can do with your Malamute
Backpacking is an enjoyable, albeit sometimes strenuous, activity
for you and your Malamute. Anyone can join in as long as they and
their dog are in good health, are reasonably fit and have the right
equipment.
The only specialised equipment you'll need is a canine backpack for your dog - these can be obtained through the club and are made from heavy-duty cordura with adjustable straps so that the pack can be fitted to your dog. Apart from that you'll require a sturdy lead (6 - 8 feet long is ideal) & collar, weight for the backpack (if you are seeking the Working Pack Dog title), water & water bowl for your dog, rubbish bags, sensible footwear, warm & waterproof clothing, human backpack, food & drink, sunscreen, hat, insect repellant, etc. Walkers must also carry their own basic first aid items. Be aware that dogs are to be kept on lead at all times and always remain the responsibility of their owner.
If you are just interested in hiking with your dog for fun, then you
can put items such as food, drink and clothing in his pack - as much
or as little as you like. Anyone is welcome to join in on our walks
- your dog doesn't have to carry weight if you are not seeking to
obtain a title, and you don't have to complete the full distance.
Training should begin with walking you dog with a lightly loaded pack to get him used to the feel of it, and to ensure that the pack is fitted correctly and is comfortable for the dog. Once the dog is used to wearing the pack, gradually increase the weight in the pack and the distance of your walks. By building up the weight in this way, any problems with your dog or the backpack should become apparent before you find yourself miles from anywhere participating in a backpacking event. A badly fitted pack will not only be uncomfortable, but may rub the skin raw or cause injury, so if you're not sure that you've adjusted the pack correctly, please find someone to assist you.
Working Pack Dog Title:
The AMCV offers a Working Pack Dog title
which is available to registered Alaskan Malamutes who have met the
requirements set out under the AMCV's Working Dog Title Program. The
rules and application forms for the Working Pack Dog (WPD) can be
obtained from the Backpacking co-ordinator or the Secretary. To
qualify for the WPD title your dog must carry 30% of its body weight
for a minimum of 16 km on four occasions - a dog weighing 40 kg
would therefore have to carry 12 kg of weight, which is the
equivalent of 12 litres of water. We do not recommend that you
and/or your dog attempt this unless you are both fit, healthy and
have done some training.
Obviously you will require a sturdy backpack which is sufficiently
large to hold the required weights. The weight is usually made up of
something that is dense yet can mould to the shape of your dog: bags
of rice, bags of damp sand and/or a soft pack of water (similar to
the bladder of a wine cask) are suitable. It is also important that
you know how to adjust the pack so that it is fitted correctly and
is most comfortable for the dog.
The AMCV holds several backpacking events each year at various venues around Victoria (usually within 2 hours drive of Melbourne), and anyone with a healthy and fairly fit dog is welcome to come along. Further information about backpacking with your dog and AMCV backpacking events can be obtained from the club newsletter, The Malamute Mail, or by phoning the AMCV Backpacking Co-ordinator.
Sled dog racing is one of the many activities that the club is
involved in and it is a fun and rewarding experience for both you
and your dog. So, what do we need and how do we do it?
You will need the following to get started: a racing harness (which
ideally should be custom made for your dog), a scooter (usually a
modified BMX bike), a bungee line (a 2 metre length of poly-rope
incorporating a short section of elastic shock cord), a bike helmet
and, most importantly, a dog over 12 months of age (can be either
entire or desexed). Your dog doesn't need to be particularly fast,
in fact most Malamutes will just plod along at their own pace, but
your dog does need to be in good health and reasonably fit (and so
does the musher!) to compete.
You will need to teach your Malamute commands such as left turn (or
"haw"), right turn (or "gee"), go ("hike up", "let's go", etc.) and,
most importantly, stop ("whoa up"). A lot of this basic training can
be done with your dog on lead.
The number one priority with any of our events is the welfare of the
dogs, and the rules reflect this. Anyone who jeopardises their dog's
wellbeing may risk disqualification. We are not out there to win
races, but primarily to have a good time working as a team with our
dogs. To prevent the dogs suffering from heat stress there is a
maximum temperature restriction of 15oC, so sled dog events are only
scheduled from late autumn to very early spring and commence early
in the morning or in the evening.
Venues for the sport are limited as dogs are not permitted in
National Parks. The only snow area that allows dogs (with the
relevant permit) is Dinner Plain, near Mt Hotham. This is the venue
of our club's annual Snow Trip which is a fun weekend
that provides
a good opportunity to try your hand at sledding on snow. Currently a
majority of our club races are held on dirt tracks at the You Yangs
Reserve near Lara, and in the state forests near Heathcote.
Trail distances start at about 3 km for the 1-dog class in sprint
races, and can be quite a lot more for larger teams, and for freight
and endurance runs.
The club provides brochures and an Introduction to Sledding
booklet to those who attend Acvitities Introduction days and are
newcomers to sledding events.
If you think that you and your dog would like to try sled dog
racing, we encourage you to come along to a race event or training
day. Training days are held at the beginning of the season (late
April/early May) and a calendar of events can be obtained from the
Secretary or the Sledding Co-ordinator, and is also published in the
AMCV's bimonthly newsletter, "The Malamute Mail".
Your Alaskan Malamute needs to be purebred with ANKC registration
papers (main register) and must be an entire dog or bitch (ie. not
desexed) a minimum of 3 months old. Your Malamute needs to conform
relatively closely to the Breed Standard, which is the written
description of the ideal Alaskan Malamute (see elsewhere in this
info pack), but keep in mind that no dog is perfect and that every
dog will have its good and bad points. Your dog will, of course,
need to be clean and nicely presented.
Equipment: You will need a suitable show lead and collar. Choose
something unobtrusive but strong such as a reasonably fine
correction chain or nylon collar and a thin nylon lead in a colour
that blends in with your dog or outfit. Clothing and foot-ware
should be sensible, clean and neat, and should complement (not hide
or distract from) your dog. Always take water and a bowl, some form
of shade and some means of confining your dog – a dog crate is ideal
for this.
Show details: Show Schedules are published in "VicDog", the monthly
magazine of the Victorian Canine Association (VCA). You will need to
be a member of the VCA to receive this publication. The schedule
will include the time, date and venue for the show, entry fees,
where to send your entry, who the judges are, closing date for
entries and other details. Entries for a show usually close about
one month before the show is to be held, so you have to plan one
month ahead.
Entry forms: Booklets of show entry forms can be obtained from the
VCA for $3.00 for 50 forms or $5.50 for 100. They can also be
purchased from other outlets that sell dog related goods, such as
the vendor caravans which come along to most dog shows. All dog show
entries must be filled out on these forms and most of the
information you need to complete the form will be found on your
dog's registration papers. You will also need to know which age
class to enter you dog in – keep in mind that this is based on the
dog's age at the commencement of the show.
What you need to teach your dog: Your dog needs to be tolerant of
being handled and having his teeth and testicles (for male dogs only
of course!) checked by the judge. Your dog must also have a good
temperament towards other dogs as they are often placed in very
close proximity to each other in the show ring, and may be confined
at a dog show for long hours close to many other dogs of all breeds.
Your dog will need to be trained to stand still in a show "stack"
and gait at a "show trot". It is almost impossible for a judge to
assess a dog that won't stand still and otherwise misbehaves in the
ring.
Other requirements: A good sense of humour and sportsmanship is a
must. If you are going to get upset if you don't win, then dog
showing is probably not the hobby for you. Remember that when you
enter a dog show, you are paying for the judges opinion of your dog
relative to the others in the competition on the day. What one judge
chooses one day could well be the opposite of what a different judge
chooses the next day, so it pays to persevere. Whether you win or
lose, you will still have enjoyed a day's outing with your dog.
You will also need to be prepared to get up early on the weekend.
Most dog shows commence at 9 am and, as Malamutes are the 2nd breed
in Group 6 after Akitas, you will usually need to be at the venue
well before the show starts so that you and you dog are ready on
time. Always check the show schedule: occasionally shows have
reverse order judging, sometimes Group 6 is divided between two or
more judges, and sometimes the Alaskan Malamute Judge may also be
judging other breeds or groups prior to judging Group 6.
More information: For advice about any aspect of showing and hands
on practical training, bring you Malamute along to the Activity
days or contact the AMCV Show Secretary if you
have any queries. Dogs Victoria produces a booklet called "About
Dogs N' Shows" which they will send to members on request - see
their website
www.dogsvictoria.org.au for contact details.
Weight pulling is a timed event in which each dog is allowed 60
seconds to pull the weight-pull trolley a distance of 16 feet. The
dog must qualify for the event by first pulling the empty trolley,
which weighs 160 kg. After each dog has attempted the pull, the
trolley is loaded with more weight and each dog who successfully
pulled the previous weight is again given 60 seconds to pull the
higher weight. A dog is out of the competition if it fails to pull
the loaded trolley, and that dog's result gets recorded at the
highest weight that it successfully pulled. In the event that two or
more dogs finish up the competition having pulled the same weight,
then the dog that pulled that weight in the quickest time is placed
the highest.
To be successful in weight-pulling, your dog needs to be trained to
pull on voice command, as the handler is not permitted to use any
form of bait or enticement to get the dog to pull in competition.
The dogs that generally perform the best are not necessarily the
largest dogs, so don't think your Malamute won't do well just
because it is not a particularly large or strong-looking specimen of
the breed. The dogs that perform well are more often those with good
pulling technique and the right attitude – these dogs really want to
pull and have learnt to lean into their harnesses to get the
weight-pull trolley moving. The AMCV offers 5 weight-classes for the
dogs competing in its events so that smaller dogs are not competing
against significantly larger dogs. The results of the competition
are based on the overall weight that the dog pulled within the
class, as well as weight to weight ratio, that is, how much the dog
pulled relative to its body weight.
All that you need to compete in AMCV Weight-Pull events is a dog
over twelve months of age and a correctly fitting weight-pull
harness. Your dog does not need to be registered and does not even
need to be a Malamute in order to participate in events, but keep in
mind that as a breed club, the AMCV is only able to offer major
prizes for the purebred, registered participants. Minor prizes are
however awarded to dogs that do not fit this criteria. It is also
advisable that you have your dog's hips x-rayed and assessed for
soundness before participating in weight-pulling or any other
strenuous activity.
The AMCV has several harnesses that members are able to borrow, but
you must make sure before borrowing any harness that it fits your
dog reasonably well. An ill-fitting harness can make weight-pulling
uncomfortable for your dog, and may even cause injury. For this
reason it is best to have your dog measured and fitted for a
weight-pull harness by someone who has experience in this field, and
Activity days are an ideal place to have this done.
For more information on weight-pulling contact the AMCV Weight-Pull Co-ordinator, or come along to a Activity day (see this info pack for details) or harness work training day – details of these are published in the AMCV bimonthly newsletter, The Malamute Mail.
The Alaskan Malamute can be a very independent and stubborn breed that often won’t do anything without good reason. It is important that all Malamute owners obedience train and socialise their dogs from an early age for this reason, preferably with a reputable obedience club or organisation.
Obedience training, as well as teaching good manners and house rules, should start as soon as you get your puppy. An untrained Malamute may be cute when they are still little, but will soon turn into a large, energetic, uncontrollable, destructive dog if left undisciplined - hence the numerous phone calls and emails the club receives from people wanting to "get rid" of their adult Malamutes. Often these people have not done their research into the breed or been prepared to discipline, socialise or obedience train their dogs.
This doesn't mean that an older dog can't be trained, the Malamute is a very intelligent breed that will learn very quickly no matter what age, particularly if food rewards are given at the right times during training as an incentive!
It is very important early in your Malamute's life to establish
yourself, your family and any other human being as being higher
in the pecking order than your dog. You must show your dog that
you are the "pack-leader". This does not mean using physical
punishment, but it does mean that you have to earn your
Malamute’s respect by being extremely firm and letting him know
that you mean what you say. Once you have issued a command,
don’t let him get away with not doing what you have asked. Every
time you let your Mal get his way you are undermining your
authority and you will end up with a dog that thinks he’s the
boss, which can be unpleasant to live with when its a large,
strong dog such as the Alaskan Malamute.
Remember that when you go to obedience school with your dog, YOU are the one who will be receiving instruction on how to train your dog - the dog is not there to learn from the instructor. For this reason obedience classes usually last for about an hour - your dog may not have such a long concentration span (especially a puppy) but the handler should!
If you would like help or advice about obedience training your Malamute, no matter how young or old, please feel free to contact the AMCV Obedience Co-ordinator, or join in our obedience practice sessions and Activity Days. We also recommend that you and your Malamute attend a weekly all-breeds obedience club so that you can learn how to train your Malamute and, at the same time, socialise your Malamute with people and other dogs.
We recommend any of Dogs Victoria affiliated Obedience Clubs - go to their website at www.dogsvictoria.org.au for details.