Grooming

The Malamute is a breed requiring less grooming and general maintenance than most people think, and tend to keep themselves clean by grooming themselves like a cat. Being an arctic breed, the Malamute has evolved to be able to keep clean without needing to get wet to do so, as in an arctic environment getting wet in winter would mean freezing to death. 

The Malamute therefore needs fairly minimal washing as most of the dirt in the coat will brush out, and if the coat and skin are healthy there should not be any "doggy" odour. Our Malamutes get covered in mud and dirt during sledding and backpacking, but will be quite clean the next day without any intervention on our part, or in extreme cases just a little brushing. 

Of course if you show your dog you will need to present it at it's cleanest, but if you show regularly you may only need to wash the "whites" and not the whole dog every time.  Use a mild soap suitable for sensitive skins, and make sure all the soap gets thoroughly rinsed out of the coat.

The Malamute's "spring cleaning" takes form of a massive shedding of the undercoat, which mostly occurs twice a year in bitches and once a year in males. A desexed Malamute lacks the hormonal influence that controls this cycle, and for this reason is more likely to have a thicker coat and shed a bit of undercoat all year round as well as having a major shedding time.

If the shedding undercoat is not removed regularly the dead hair will become matted, thus reducing the airflow to the skin and providing the ideal environment for skin infections to take hold. Any strong, persistent "doggy" odour requires investigation - it is not normal in a Malamute and is often a sign of skin or other health problems.

As with all dogs, the Malamute's toenails will need clipping - this should be done on a regular basis and definitely not just once a year at the vets. The frequency of toenail clipping required depends on the rate of growth and the surface on which the Malamute is housed and walked, but the more often you do it the more your Malamute will come to accept it. Our Malamutes have their nails clipped frequently, which ensures that it's no big drama for them when the nail clippers come out.  A bit bribery in the form of food also helps convince them that nail clipping is not so bad after all!

During the colder months when our dogs are working we allow the nails (with the exception of the dew claw) to grow a bit longer than during the summer months. The slightly longer nails give the dog increased traction when running in harness or hiking, especially on slippery trails or in snow.  The dew claws should always be kept fairly short - rear dew claws should be removed by a veterinary surgeon.

There are two types of nail clipper - the guillotine type and the plier-type nail clipper.  We use the plier-type as they are stronger and we find they give you a better view of the nail as you are cutting.

Top of Page                                                             Back to Homepage

Site produced by Windchill Kennels.  Please do not reproduce without permission of the author.            Updated July 2003