Nathan Sheets

We've got some great pictures today. Enjoy!





And I found this one hilarious. The owner took it while she was getting brushed! I plan on brushing my malamute every day, so I hope that this isn't common among them!


Also, come Monday Dogs Nathan Likes will be back, thanks to the RESOUNDING response to my poll. *glares at online friends who didn't vote*

I like showing pictures of malamutes with people just to show you how large they are.

This picture comes from ladylalitha. You can see the rest of her pictures here. Great page!

And others, found in various places:

OK, so anyone with the slightest reading comprehension knows that the Alaskan Malamute is my favorite dog. I was wondering when I would feature it, and I decided today would be a good day because yesterday I saw one walking down the street. Sadly, I was driving at the time and they were too far away for me to get out, pull out my Glock, scream, "YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DOG, NOW LET ME PET IT!", pet it and speed away. Maybe next time.

Dog Name: Alaskan Malamute
Official Classification: Working
Un-Official Classification: The Best Dog

Temperament (from DogsinDepth.com): friendly, affectionate, needs attention, devoted, trustworthy, dignified, stubborn, gets bored easily, loyal, playful, hardy, sociable, prone to aggression toward other dogs

History/Description: via Wikipedia:

The Malamute is a descendant of dogs of the Mahlemuits tribe of upper western Alaska. These dogs had a prominent role with their human companions - working, hunting, and living alongside them. The interdependent relationship between the Mahlemut and their dogs fostered prosperity among both and enabled them to flourish in the inhospitable land above the Arctic Circle.

For a brief period during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896, the Malamute and other sled dogs became extremely valuable to recently landed prospectors and settlers, and were frequently crossbred with imported breeds. This was often an attempt to improve the type, or to make up for how few true Malamutes were up for sale. This seems to have had no long standing effect on the modern Malamute, and recent DNA analysis shows that Malamutes are one of the oldest breeds of dog, genetically distinct from other dog breeds.^[12]

The Malamute dog has had a distinguished history; aiding Admiral Richard Byrd to the South Pole, and the miners who came to Alaska during the Gold Rush of 1896. This dog was never destined to be a racing sled dog; instead, it was used for heavy freighting, pulling hundreds (maybe thousands) of pounds of supplies to villages and camps in groups of at least 4 dogs for heavy loads.

The Alaskan Malamute is a member of the Spitz group of dogs, traced back 2,000 to 3,000 years ago to the Mahlemuits tribe of Alaska.

Nathan's Comment: My favorite dog used to be the Old English Sheepdog, but then when I started watching the dog shows, I fell in love with the Malamute. They're big, beautiful, dignified and very affectionate. They resemble wolves fairly closely, yet there is a unique look to them. I have yet to really be able to interact with one, as they are generally hard to find.

They do need a lot of attention and discipline, however, so I am trying to psychologically get ready for that come the wonderful day when I pick mine up. I will be getting a puppy from a breeder because I want to see what it's like to train a puppy by yourself, as opposed to the family dog where everyone contributes to the screwing up of the animal...

TRIVIA!

"The majority of Malamutes are also fairly quiet dogs, seldom barking like most other dog breeds. When it does vocalize, more often than not they tend to "talk" by vocalizing a "woo woo" sound (the characteristic vocalizations of Chewbacca in the Star Wars films are based upon a Malamute named Indiana once owned by George Lucas).^[7] They may howl like wolves or coyotes, and for the same reasons. When they howl, the howl is difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish from the wolf."






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