Meet the Alaskan Malamute

As you might expect, Alaskan Malamutes come from Alaska, and we are the state’s official dog! We are one of the oldest breeds around, dating back over 4,000 years. Some humans believe that we are descended from the wolf-dog hybrids that traveled with their humans from Siberia to Alaska across the Bering Strait land bridge. Like many other spitz breeds (like Siberian Huskies and American Eskimo Dogs), we look like wolves and we howl like them, too! But don’t worry – we are fully domesticated and sweet as can be.

Our first humans were an Inuit tribe, the Mahlemuts, who lived near the Kotzebue Sound in northwestern Alaska (and we get our name from them). They bred us to be strong working dogs, tough enough to weather Arctic temperatures. My ancestors helped their humans survive in the harsh conditions as sled dogs, pulling heavy loads for long distances. We may not be as fast as our Husky cousins, but we are stronger in the weight-pulling department! We also helped our humans to hunt big game like polar bears and find seals underneath the ice. We were more than just working dogs to our humans – we helped keep their babies warm and were considered part of the family.

During the Gold Rush of 1896 when many outsiders came to Alaska and learned what we could do, they enlisted our help as sled dogs on their expeditions. We also pulled sleds for the US Postal service from the 1890s to the 1960s so that humans who lived in remote areas could get their mail! One of my ancestors’ most famous expeditions happened outside of Alaska – an explorer named Admiral Byrd used us on his sled team during his expeditions to the South Pole. In World War II, we helped humans pull supplies through snowy terrain and as search and rescue dogs. After thousands of years of hard work, the American Kennel Club finally recognized us in 1935!