News!
We've Moved! We are now in Northern Michigan's Upper Peninsula - only a few minutes from Christmas, MI. Ultimately, it will give us a 
chance to work our dogs, learn to sled, skijour, cart, or take long walks with the dogs in the woods and enjoy the abundant snow, all with more space. We bought a foreclosure on a beautiful wooded 40 acre parcel and are renovating and builting our dream Mal-nation Plantation! It'll take some time, and while we're not even close to done yet, we're working on it. If you're interested in our renovations and the area (there's a LOT to do) check out Yoopertraz.com.
Puppy cam is done for now...the litter has gone home except for the three beautiful girls we kept - Netiri, LeeLoo & Kara (aka the Mop Queen). Their pages are here: Netiri, LeeLoo, and Kara.
If you missed this litter, we had planned on having a litter in the spring with Mocha & Max but that has been postponed.
Because we are still stuck in this little house (waiting for our house in Howell to sell), we have decided to postpone future litters until we have a bit more space to do it right. Also, due to the economy, the quality of homes has just not been there so we feel it's best to wait. We have a couple of people on our waiting list, and anyone else added will have to be patient. More info about any possible upcoming litters is here.
Check out the new pages...too many to list here but they are in the sidebar - the newest include toxic foods for dogs more info on the Parasites page and a new page about Cystitis & Bladder Infections. Don't forget our new All Malamute Store with everything you could possibly want with a Malamute on it...(check out the checks - you can even upload your own photos!).
The Alaskan Malamute .... 
No breed is as loyal, intelligent or beautiful than the strong, " Alaskan Malamute ". Bred to survive, and used for pulling in the cold arctic, Malamutes have adapted to being housedog companions to adults and families having children in modern times. An Alaskan Malamute will become your best buddy, and while they care for their family, they are rarely protective except of children. Friendly, charming and playful - Malamutes love people. Quiet house pets, Malamutes do need regular exercise and a job such as pulling sleds, walks, biking, skijoring, weight pulling, carting, running, sledding and keeping busy. Malamute double thick fur ranges in color from red, gray, silver, black to all white. Open face, mask and cap are typical markings that distinguish the breed. Our Alaskan Malamutes tend to be sables and gray & whites with mostly open faces (sometimes there is a bit of eyeshadow under the eyes like a football player or mascara that ran).
In winter, though they love being outdoors, Malamutes prefer being indoors to be near the family pack. Alaskan Malamutes are part of the working group, and are often confused with the "alaskan husky", "Siberian Husky", Samoyed, "Greenland Eskimo" dog, "wolf dogs" and wolf-hybrids. Purebred Alaskan Malamutes registered by the AKC, CKC and UKC come in Maloot, Kotzebue and Hinman strains, named after regions in Alaska where first discovered. Currently there are several lines of Malamutes; ours include Storm Kloud, Hill Frost, Sno Ridge and Glacier predominantly. We recently outcrossed and brought in Ice Cream lines, which include a tiny amount of Sno Klassic and Nanuke to our lines.
Alaskan Malamutes are large, but not a giant breed, because smaller was a better use of resources. Alaskan Malamutes became sturdy, strong and durable - able to survive arctic winters. A giant Alaskan Malamute or what is often called a Mackenzie River Husky has less stamina to survive and would require larger quantities of food than an ordinary Inuit family could provide. There are also wooly malamutes - where the coat is longer and thicker. The AKC standards says the correct size is from 60 to 75 pounds for females and 70 to 95 pounds for males, which is what we breed. A profile of the breed, health information, grooming, history, temperament, about breeders, hints, psychology, and miscellaneous information on housepet Malamutes, dog shows, and puppies are here at O'Mal Alaskan Malamutes website. Note I said house pet Malamutes, since that's what we have - no kennel dogs here! Yes, it gets pretty crazy having them all in the house!
Sadly, many of these beautiful arctic canines get abandoned at shelters or rescued by purebred rescue organizations every year. Malamutes tend to be very pack oriented, unlike most other breeds. Pushy and dominant - the Alaskan Malamute is difficult for some people to live with. Shelters prefer to adopt most northern breeds to homes having fenced yards - Alaskan Malamutes won't stay on unfenced property - roaming, hunting small animals and deer.
The AMCA or "Alaskan Malamute Club of America" educates puppy buyers on the breed temperament and unique characteristics of the arctic sled dog. Members of the AMCA since 1989, we aspire to be reputable breeders that abide by the club's code of ethics, and consider ourselves hobby breeders. We live in Howell, Michigan and my web site contains stories, pictures and general information regarding Malamutes as well as general characteristics of the breed.
We occasionally breed AKC registered puppies available to pet homes and sometimes to show. Did you know an incorrect long coat is called a wooly coat? It looks similar to the fur on a Collie. Groomed it is beautiful to look at, but may pose quite a chore due to matting and may require a professional groomer's assistance. Most breeders sell Alaskan Malamute woolies as pets (or should!) and typically woolies aren't shown since the wooly long coated Alaskan Malamute is incorrect, albeit beautiful.
Malamutes originated in Malmut Sound Alaska and were bred by the Inuit people of northern Alaska. A native American breed, Alaskan Malamutes have been recognized by the national breed clubs and AKC, CKC, UKC as strong, intelligent and dominant requiring exercise and a fenced yard. The Malamute was recently named the official state dog of Alaska! Alaskan Malamute puppies may be cute, but pet rescues and humane society organizations get them too often as Alaskan Malamutes tend to howl, dig, challenge authority, and be quite mischievous. Sled dogs are capable at showing, working, and pulling but can be difficult to train in obedience or agility. They were bred to pull heavy loads over long distances in the arctic for Inuit families until the turn of the century when snow machines became the preferred mode of transportation.
While an Alaskan Malamute may be comfortable in cold arctic winters in Northern Alaska, he can make a wonderful housepet too. Alaskan Malamute fur sheds and will "blow" during the warmer months, so they can be comfortable indoors year-round. They have beautiful double coats, and require regular grooming. Proper care of an Alaskan Malamute's coat allows best comfort in warmer climates as house pets. Breeders of quality Malamute companions of excellent temperaments, we hope to produce purebred Alaskan Malamutes that enjoy conformation, obedience, agility and most of all, be wonderful family pets. We don't use kennels, our dogs live inside our house and love children. O'Mal's goal is to improve every aspect of genetic health and temperament of the Malamute as he fits into modern society long into old age.
Our dogs are our pets, show dogs, and family and live in the house with us. Please look around and meet our pack. We offer a wealth of information about what the breed is REALLY like. We don't gloss over the details and want you to understand the tumultuous ride you're in for if you're a first time Alaskan Malamute owner - BEFORE you buy a puppy somewhere and it ends up in a shelter or rescue! We are celebrating our 14th anniversary online - we are probably one of the longest running personal websites about the Alaskan Malamute. If you discover any problems with anything, or would just like to say hello, I'd love to . As breeders, we practice accepted methods of linebreeding to ensure the health and temperament of every puppy. Thanks for your long time support and interest in our family website. I just love when you call years after a first contact just to let us know how you're doing or when you're thinking of another mal. Just makes my day knowing that your first mal had a great home and a person that hung in there despite the challenges!
Want to know more about the breed?
Any unauthorized duplication of this website is strictly prohibited. Violators will be prosecuted. We are happy to share some articles with rescues and public service groups with permission and a link back - but please ask before taking. If you want to just link to an article on the site - no problem, please do!
