National Purebred Dog Day®‘s “tag line” is “celebrating the heritage, diversity and predictability of the purebred dog.” Few breeds (as in none) make “liars” out of us when we say this, and among the breeds that so aptly illustrates our point is the Alaskan Malamute. When nomadic cultures of the far north quite literally harnessed these dogs, it had a profound effect on their lifestyle. The dogs increased the distances these people could travel, which in turn improved hunting opportunities and the types of game they could hunt. Once game was killed, the dogs made it easier to haul the meat home, for the Malamute is a superb freighting dog.
The Malamute’s impact wasn’t just made from inside the culture, these dogs also made a difference from the outside-in. Around 1873, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was bringing government to northern frontiers with dog-team patrols. During the Klondike Gold Rush in 1896, Malamutes transported prospectors and settlers, as well as freight. Those prospectors realized early on that one of the benefits of the Malamute was their low caloric requirement compared to other dogs the same size.
Early on, the Mahlemuit people knew the value of these dogs and usually got top dollar for a dog, upwards of $500 per dog (in today’s market, that would come to about $10,000 a dog)
Even as the gold rush waned, the Malamute’s value didn’t diminish. They were often the only reliable means of transportation for the mail service in Alaska and remote regions of Canada. If you can you imagine it, the last U.S. Postal Service mail driver using his Malamute dog team retired in 1963!
During WWII, Malamutes pulled sled in areas inaccessible by horse or planes. They freighted weapons and ammunition, and served as search and rescue dogs. In a piece appearing in the “Arctic Traveler,” Joe Henderson and Andrea Loveland wrote, “It was during a stint of military boot camp for dogs that the largest documented team of Malamutes was hooked up for a training exercise. Fifty-three Malamutes were harnessed into one gigantic team and pulled an army truck full of soldier over a distance of six miles.”
The Alaskan Malamute, thought to be some 12-20,000 years old, is a breed worthy of celebration. It has made a difference in history, and to the people who love it, continues to have an impact.
Alaskan Malamute by Justine Osborne
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