Origins of Alaskan Malamute

The Alaskan Malamute originated from the Mahlemiuts ("men living in the place where there are great waves")
an Eskimo tribe inhabiting the Kotzebue Sound in the upper western regions of Alaska.

The survival of those people in this hostile environment
depended on the quality of their dogs
that a selection over hundreds of years had brought
at the highest point of natural adaptation.
This selection was performed including frequent cross-breeding with wolves.

Strong, resistant to low temperatures, brave,
with natural aptitudes for pulling sledges in winter or summer fishing boats,

Alaskan Malamute was very important for the survival of inuits : so he was treated with fondness and exceptional care but were work animals

The gold rush in the Klondike began in 1896.
Prospectors and settlers soon realized that the native dog, the Malamute,
was best suited to help them in their travels in their inhospitable environment of Alaska.

However, the arrival of the Siberian Husky could have sounded the end of those two breeds simultaneously.
Prospectors and settlers soon realized that the native dog, the Malamute,
was best suited to help them in their travels in this inhospitable environment of Alaska.
However, the arrival of the Siberian Husky could mark the end of two races simultaneously.
At this time, sledge races, often richly endowed, pushed farmers to try to cross these two breeds in order to create even faster and more efficient dogs, which could have resulted in loss of pure breeds.

The Malamute might have disappeared without the tenacity and admiration
of a handful of people in the 1930s.
Among these, we will mention Eva Seeley who is behind a strain of Malamutes called type " Kotzebue ".

Paul Voelker developed another strain called Malamutes Type "M'Loot"
larger and heavier, but less homogeneous type.
Robert Zoller did not find what he was looking for in these lineages :
"Kotzebue" dogs were too small in his opinion and "M'Loot" had bad post.
He found another type of Malamutes that became the basis of his breeding
and seemed to be the ideal Malamute.
These dogs are behind the third strain called "Hinman-Irwin."


Although there still seems to remain in the United States pure "type Kotzebue" Malamutes,
most current Malamutes are a great mix of those different lineages.