A
is for Angulation
B
is for Bone
C
is for Coat
Trimming has become a subject of much discussion among members of
the national club. It is generally agreed that, because the Malamute is
a natural breed and should have a natural coat, trimming should only be
done to provide the feet with a clean-cut appearance.
D
is for Disposition
E
is for Eyes and Ears
The ear set should never be too high (on top of the head) nor too
low (at the side of the head) but should give the appearance of standing
off from the skull. This moderately wide set gives the Malamute the ability
to rotate its ears to hear the dog or sled driver behind him. When working,
the Malamute can fold his well-furred ears against his skull. Ears that
are too large are inefficient for heat retention and should be penalized.
F
is for Feet
The large foot enabled the Malamute to avoid penetrating deep snow,
and thick toenails helped to create traction on icy surfaces. Feet that
are splayed, lack sufficient cushioning, or are in any other way unsound,
should be seriously faulted.
G
is for Gait
H
is for Head:
The head is obviously the first thing that catches one's eye, and the lack
of a beautiful head and expression can make all the difference in the general
appeal of a particular animal. The Malamute's head should be broad and
powerful and indicate a high degree of intelligence. It should never be
so large as to make the dog appear clumsy or coarse, but narrow heads with
insufficient back skull are a far more common problem in the breed as a
whole. The skull should be broad and moderately rounded between the ears
with gradual narrowing and flattening on top as it approaches the eyes,
rounding off to moderately flat cheeks. There should be a slight furrow
between the eyes, and the topline of the skull and topline of the muzzle
should show a slight break downward from a straight line as they join.
The variety of head and face markings allowed in the breed make each dog
a unique specimen.
I
and J are for Important Judging
After all the various descriptions and explanations in the standard, this
one section clearly stands out as a firm reminder to the judge: "In
judging the Alaskan Malamute, (its) function as a sledge dog for heavy
freighting must be given consideration above all else." The Malamute
is structured for strength and endurance; therefore, the standard explains
that any characteristic that interferes with the accomplishment of this
purpose should be considered the most serious of faults! These faults include
splayfootedness, any unsoundness or weakness in legs, cow hocks, bad pasterns,
straight shoulders, lack of angulation, stilted gait, ranginess, shallowness,
ponderousness, light bone and poor overall proportion. Minor faults will
be "forgiven" in a Malamute that meets all the structural requirements
needed to do its job.
K
is for Knowledge
Knowledge for both the breeder and judge is vital for the preservation
of the Malamute. The breeder's knowledge enables him to select the finest
specimens for breeding and showing. He will be aware of the genetic problems
in the breed, and his goal will be to produce only physically and mentally
sound animals that conform to the breed standard. The good breeder realizes
that he learns something from every breeding he does and from every Malamute
he encounters.
L
is for Legs
As previously noted with feet, a Malamute is only as good as his legs,
since they are directly involved in how well he stands and moves! The front
legs should be straight with heavy bone and muscle, and with no weakness
in the pasterns. The hind legs should be broad and powerfully muscled through
the thighs, with moderately bent stifles and no cowhocks. The standard
further stresses the importance of good legs by stating, "The legs of
the Malamute must indicate unusual strength and tremendous propelling power.
Any indication of unsoundness in legs or feet, front or rear, standing
or moving, is to be considered a serious fault!"
M
is for Muzzle
The Malamute's muzzle should be bulky, diminishing slightly in width and
depth from the junction with the skull to the nose. Muzzles should never
be long, pointed or Collie like, nor should they be stubby or have excessive
stop. They should give the impression of being large and bulky in proportion
to the size of the skull. Lips are tight fitting and jaws are broad. The
lips are black; however, liver pigmentation is seen in red dogs.
N
is for Neck
The neck of the Malamute should be deep, well muscled and moderately arched.
The coat there will also be longer and denser. Dogs that lack angulation
in the shoulder and are restricted in front movement will often give the
appearance of lacking a definable neck. By the same token, many over angulated
dogs have necks that are long and out of proportion.
O
is for Overall Balance
The Malamute is a breed that should be beautifully balanced from head to
tail. The front and rear assemblies should be equally angulated and the
body compactly built without being short coupled. A long loin is to be
faulted. Every aspect of the Malamute should give the overall appearance
of a completely proportionate animal.
P
is for Powerful Fronts
The Malamute should have a deep chest and powerful, moderately sloping
shoulders. These are both absolutely essential for its performance as a
heavy freighting animal. Its front assembly should turn neither in nor
out, and the legs should be straight to the pasterns when viewed from the
front. Pasterns should be short and strong with only a slight slope when
viewed from the side.
If I were asked my opinion of the most common problem in the breed at this time, I would have to answer fronts. Straight shoulders, east-west fronts, weak pasterns and little reach are seen all too often in the show rings.
Q
is for Quality
There's no question that the goal of every breeder is to produce quality
animals -- dogs to be admired by his peers as excellent representatives
of the breed. The quality breeder is adamant about breeding only correct
specimens that are physically and mentally sound. Whether selling a show
prospect or a pet, his buyers can be sure of the quality of the Malamute
they have purchased.
R
is for Rears
In my 20-year involvement with Malamutes, the rear is the one feature that
I feel has improved for the most part. I wonder if part of that is due
to the fact that serious, reputable breeders have been more adamant about
obtaining OFA or certifiable hip x-rays on their breeding animals. To put
it bluntly, without a good rear, a particular animal cannot be a good Malamute
and perform the job for which it was intended!
Rears should be moderately angulated with a well let down hock. The legs should not appear bowed in bone but should be broad and heavily muscled through the thighs. Malamutes stand and move true in line, are absent of cowhocks and display tremendous power without wasted motion. Dogs with insufficient angle in the rear will move with a stilted or choppy gait. While over angulated animals may exhibit a "flying" side gait, their movement is weak or sloppy when viewed from the rear. We should be reminded of the warning given in "L is for Legs": "Any indication of ... is to be considered a serious fault!" Dew claws on the hind legs should be removed shortly after birth.
S
is for Size
Because there is a natural range of size in the breed, we have no disqualification
in this category. Desirable freighting sizes are identified as 25 inches
(63 cm) and 85 pounds (39 kg) for dogs and 23 inches (58 cm) and 75 pounds
(34 kg) for bitches. The standard, however, clearly points out that size
should never outweigh type, proportion and functional attributes in importance.
Only when dogs are identical in all of these aspects should the judge choose
the animal closest to the desirable freighting size. It's important to
remember that we're supposed to be breeding Malamutes -- not Great Danes
and not Siberian Huskies. The standard serves as a reminder of where our
size goals should be directed.
T
is for Tails
Tails are easily one of the most common problems seen in the breed as a
whole. Unfortunately, in most cases, you can count on one hand the number
of correct tail sets seen in the show ring at any given time. Many are
quick to scream "They don't pull sleds with their tails!" But that
argument falls on deaf ears with me. Malamutes likewise don't pull sleds
with their heads, ears, eyes, coats or bites, but all of the features combined
correctly are what give our dogs "breed type" and allow them to conform
to our standard of perfection.
The tail should appear over the back as a waving plume, not tightly curled, resting on the back, snapped or carried like a fox brush. Even the Spira guide describes the Malamute tail set incorrectly! Tails should be well furred and sufficient in length to display the arched waving plume.
U
is for Unsoundness
No unsoundness should be tolerated in a working sledge breed. As mentioned
previously, minor faults may be "forgiven" by the judge in favor of the
most physically sound specimens. Any characteristic that would interfere
with the accomplishment of the Malamute's purpose should be considered
an example of unsoundness and labeled a serious fault. Some examples are
poor feet, any unsoundness in legs while standing or moving, cowhocks,
weak pasterns, lack of angulation and any gait that is not balanced, strong
and steady.
V
is for Variety of Colors and Markings
Malamutes come in a variety of colors, ranging from all shades of gray
to black and all shades of sable to red. White is the only solid color
allowed. No preference should be given to color! Color combinations are
allowed on undercoats, points and trimmings. Marking can be caplike or
masklike, or combinations of both. White is always the predominant color
on underbodies, parts of legs, feet and face markings. Malamutes can have
blazes, stars, bars, etc. on the face and head. In the past, I have heard
some breeders remark that they would never show a dog with a collar marking.
Let me state here and now that the collar and/or nape spot markings are
described in the standard as "attractive and acceptable" and should
not be penalized! The Malamute is a mantled breed (blanketed); therefore,
uneven splashing or broken color extending over the body is undesirable.
W
is for Well Let Down Hock
Difficult to define but unmistakable when seen, the well let down hock
is what gives the Malamute a gently sloping topline. A long hock is to
be faulted, however; the Malamute should likewise not "sink into" its rear
as this would indicate weakness. Picture a straight back, sloping gently
to the hips, with moderately bent stifles, and broad and strong hocks that
are likewise moderately bent, and you have the ideal structure.
X
is for "X-cellent" Bites and Teeth
The Malamute's teeth are large and meet with a scissors grip. The bite
should never be overshot or undershot. The wry or misaligned mouth prevents
the dog from efficiently closing its mouth and should be considered the
most serious of bite problems. Lips are tight fitting to avoid drooling
and subsequent ice formation on the lips.
Y
is for Years of Controversy - Type Versus Soundness
I am of the firm belief that a correct specimen of any breed must possess
both type and soundness. Certainly there are many lovely dogs with striking
breed type that turn into walking disasters with their first steps. By
the same token, the mixed breed that was abandoned at our rural home was
one of the most sound animals I've ever seen, but determining the combination
of breeds that went into her make-up was an exercise in futility! I remember
a statement made once by a judge while being interviewed that best exemplified
the combination of type and soundness in proper judging: "I begin,"
she explained,
"by first selecting the animals exhibit the best 'type.'
Then I rejudge according to overall soundness."
Z
is for Zest for Life
Malamute should be friendly and outgoing, displaying a high degree of activity
and enthusiasm. They are true clowns, fun loving and extremely smart. Their
intelligence is often mislabeled by so-called trainers who describe them
as stupid and difficult to train, when, in fact this stubborn, self-confident
personality is what enabled them to survive extreme arctic conditions for
generations. As a trainer for over 22 years, I have learned to appreciate
and enjoy the challenge of keeping the Malamute's interest alive. I do
not, however, believe that animation is of superior importance in the show
ring. Surely the Malamute should be happy, move with enthusiasm and display
expression and interest, but showmanship should never be the determining
factor in judging over a more sound and physically correct specimen.
Acknowledgments
prepared by Lynda Birmantas
prepared by Wendy Wilhauck
prepared by Wendy Wilhauck
written by Vicky Jones for the American Kennel Club Gazette