Talien

I have never had much luck with pets. Ones that are not mine tend to last longer. Dogs seem to be the exception to this rule. And Draco my miracle cat. Growing up I had a lot of dogs. Pasha, Tear, I don't remember the early ones I was too young. Zeuss was the result of an accidental unintended cross between a showing Collie and a showing Alaskan Malamute, both dogs owned by the same couple. Zeuss was the runt of the litter and was gifted to us, he was always princely, dainty and well tempered. He grew to the age of twelve and though he was a happy dog, something went wrong and the vets didn't seem to know what was going on so they kept prescribing different medications. Wanting to keep him living my parents kept giving him all the meds. Zeuss died of liver failure. He was an amazing animal.

GATTICA! Dog stylez! The testing may be nothing...initially, and generally tests etc are ok right up until the media gets hold of them... Yay for journalism! WooooooOOOooo <please be sure to note the loopy sarcasm>

If the pup has one that lasts more that 5 minutes...be very worried. If the pup has multiple seizures in quick succession, get him to a vet, this usually indicates something very, very, wrong Check the yard etc, dig he dig up or get into anything unusual? IMO blood test as soon as possible if their are no abnormalities in the pups blood, he should be ok and may simply have an early onset epilepsy, easily managed. I hope its nothing! And hope pup is ok, keep us updated!

People, as a general rule, can be very stupid. A dog being fed, in a hair salon. A parent getting a haircut, not watching his child when there is a dog around. Children are allowed to get away without common sense...for a time. Adults should have learnt!

I thankyou all for you help and thoughts. This thread was started so that I could glean more information on Mal's some of you have been most helpful but i want to say something. I am doing research and this is part of that so please stop telling me that I should do more research. The fact that I am doing the research and getting Mal owners opinions makes me better than those who go out and get a pup of any kind without attempting to understand the breed. I will be doing research up until the day I get the pup, so please, please stop telling me that I need to do more research, that is why I am asking you all for you help regarding their health. Regards Kel.

Okay so here are the good, and sad but true, facts: In 2007 I will be getting a puppy malamute. It is likely also that at the end of this year or sometime next year my mums dog Zeuss will die. When he does Apollo (retriever) will be coming to live with me so he has less stress over the death. How should I integrate an 8 yr old retriever with a pup mal? I have also heard that it is easier to train a pup around an already trained dog. is this true?

So this clause means you must have the dog desexed in a certain amount of time? I will have to talk to tonya about what ongoing help or "booklets" she gives out...

I can brush combe and trim out any mat's when necessary but I didn't live with the breeder a grew up around him (Mickey and Anna - Perth "Taboo") But I was wanting to know how often I should grrom as I did it every month when I stayed there. I believe once a week would be adequate. As for the dog, I am committed to training it, exercising it everyday, loving it, playing with it, keeping iit healthy and giving it the best life any dog could want, I just don't think it is the right time for me to think about going into showing or breeding until I have had more first hand experience from my own pup as it goes through it's dramatic life... Trust me when I say that I am a VERY committed owner.

On your indication "showdog" (thankyou for you advice it is much appreciated) I think that i will get a purely pet malamute for now. If I choose to show etc later, then I may get another, but i don't think now is a time in my life to make such a huge commitment. A pet is all I really want at the momment. Don't get me wrong, I am dedicated to the breed, but I think that to be responsible about it I will need a few years of first hand better knowledge about the breed... Though I would love to show and to breed in the future, i think I should have one for a few years first.

Actually I endeavour to keep my dog as healthy as possible, so if you could let me know what you feed your dog, how much and how many times a day it would be ver helpful!

A water-nymph at heart then i'd say? Bonnie, my dad's groenendael loves water, and digs in her bucket, but she's terrified of the pool, go figure...

Keep water available for the puppy at all times, if he or she needs water they will drink, though i did once have a groenendael dog that drank just because she loved water, though more ended up on her face than in her mouth. If the dog nees to drink let it. If it really begins to worry you, or the dog takes ill from it, seek a puppy-doc, they'll be able to properly diagnose by seeing the pup, but for now, i wouldn't worry too much... Kel.

Hey - My name is Kathy, I don't know your real name yet... Yes, I am positive about having a Malamute, I have researched, researched and researched. I grew up with a breeder, though I don't know as much as I could, I can professionally groom them, and I know how much work they need, their food requirements not so much except that they eat a lot. Beleive me when I say that I would not choose the breed if i did not think myself up to it. what information came to light about altering the dog in its early stages? I will also have a look at the topic urls you gave. What part of australia do you normally reside in if you don't mind my asking? kathy

I was only thinking to keep it whole to get it to reach its full size, my partner would like to breed and with Chimo bloodlines, there is no reason we could not start a kennel of our own which we have been thinking of doing for some time. Though I am not sure. Will keeping it whole affect its affection?

I hope soon to own an alaskan malamute puppy. I would like to know what needles it will need, and what may or may not be provided by a breeder prior to pick-up date? What are the up-sides and down-sides of desexing a large dog? I am inclinedto keep it fully male, but I would like to know the general consensus Thanks for your help Kelnori