Update-#16 maybe? Alaskan Malamute owners and lovers, please read and advise!

[luvavacation]

DH's sister lives two hours away, and regularly goes to a dog park near her home. One of the other owners just passed from cancer, and left behind an 8 year old female Alaskan Malamute. The dog needs a home, and is presently staying in a cage at a pet store, waiting to be adopted.

DH and I feel such a strong need to take this dog in and give it a home, especially considering what it has been through with losing its owner just two weeks ago. The problem is, I know nothing about Alaskan Malamutes!

I realize every dog is different, even within a breed. I have had a GSD in my life since I was a year old, so I am very familiar with German shepherds, and love them to pieces!

Presently, we have 3 cats, (8 month old Maine Coon with heart murmer that maybe went away, 12 year old Maine Coon that is a grumpy old man, and 6 year old female cat that does not care for the dog) and the GSD, plus my mom that lives in the basement apartment has one cat, and when DD comes home to visit from college, she sometimes brings her 7 year old cat (which used to live here until it went to college with DD, and it detests the dog).

We know almost nothing about this dog, other than the sad story. SIL has said it never really interacted with the other dogs at the dog park, prefering to stay by its owner's side. Our dog is very much a play-all-day dog, and LOVES when her dog friends come over for a run in our yard. Are Malamutes generally friendly with other dogs?

The dog also has not been around cats, that we know of. Are Malamutes dogs with a high prey drive? Our GSD has a very high prey drive, which is why the two non-Maine Coons don't like her (the Maine Coons are too easy-going to care). Not sure it would be good for the other cats if we had two dogs that like chasing smaller things that move!

I do know they shed alot. Can it be worse than my German shepherd?

Are Malamutes prone to any genetic diseases? Is life span similar to a GSD's?

Anything anyone can tell me about their temperment and habits would be greatly appreciated!

I don't know if DH and I are crazy to even consider this, but we have considered getting another dog when younger DD leaves for college next year, if for nothing else than to keep the present dog busy (she is a very active dog!). I just don't know how an older dog that I am not familiar with will fit in here, especially being of a breed that I have no familiarity with.

So what can you tell me about Alaskan Malamutes?

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

DH's sister lives two hours away, and regularly goes to a dog park near her home. One of the other owners just passed from cancer, and left behind an 8 year old female Alaskan Malamute. The dog needs a home, and is presently staying in a cage at a pet store, waiting to be adopted.

DH and I feel such a strong need to take this dog in and give it a home, especially considering what it has been through with losing its owner just two weeks ago. The problem is, I know nothing about Alaskan Malamutes!

I realize every dog is different, even within a breed. I have had a GSD in my life since I was a year old, so I am very familiar with German shepherds, and love them to pieces!

Presently, we have 3 cats, (8 month old Maine Coon with heart murmer that maybe went away, 12 year old Maine Coon that is a grumpy old man, and 6 year old female cat that does not care for the dog) and the GSD, plus my mom that lives in the basement apartment has one cat, and when DD comes home to visit from college, she sometimes brings her 7 year old cat (which used to live here until it went to college with DD, and it detests the dog).

We know almost nothing about this dog, other than the sad story. SIL has said it never really interacted with the other dogs at the dog park, prefering to stay by its owner's side. Our dog is very much a play-all-day dog, and LOVES when her dog friends come over for a run in our yard. Are Malamutes generally friendly with other dogs?

The dog also has not been around cats, that we know of. Are Malamutes dogs with a high prey drive? Our GSD has a very high prey drive, which is why the two non-Maine Coons don't like her (the Maine Coons are too easy-going to care). Not sure it would be good for the other cats if we had two dogs that like chasing smaller things that move!

I do know they shed alot. Can it be worse than my German shepherd?

Are Malamutes prone to any genetic diseases? Is life span similar to a GSD's?

Anything anyone can tell me about their temperment and habits would be greatly appreciated!

I don't know if DH and I are crazy to even consider this, but we have considered getting another dog when younger DD leaves for college next year, if for nothing else than to keep the present dog busy (she is a very active dog!). I just don't know how an older dog that I am not familiar with will fit in here, especially being of a breed that I have no familiarity with.

So what can you tell me about Alaskan Malamutes?

Sorry, I'll admit, I'm not really educated on Malamutes, but aren't they the breed used as sled dogs? I'd think they are the type of dogs that would "play well with others" since they were chosen for that type of task. That's just off the top of my head.

 

[shortbun]

My best friend had a Malamute for several years. Her name was Nicely but we called her Princess and Donna Reed too. She was the coolest, most relaxed dog! She played well with other dogs and she could chill. We drove all the way across the U.S. with her in the back seat of a Volvo and she never complained once. We stopped all the way and found her playmates every place we could. Was she a typical Malamute? Idk but she was one of my all time favorite dogs. She, like many other large dogs, had hip dysplasia but she lived to be 14 and made another trans continental trip to Florida where she lived out her days chasing alligators and barking at manatee which we were sure she thought were her children. Cool dog. My friend also had various cats throughout Nicely's life. I don't think she ever was best friends with the cats but she clearly was not a cat killer.

 

[yoopermom]

Google malamute rescue and call them for advice in reaclimating it into a multipet household. I'm always a sucker for a senior dog, they're usually mellow. Her and your dog should meet on neutral territory to start out with.

Although malamutes are pack dogs, we have found from personal experience that like breeds tend to stick together, so it doesn't necessarily mean that she'll get along (or not) with your dog. (I know that sounds crazy, but our tricolor hounds "know" that our brown and white hound is different, don't ask me how! Caesar Millan says he sees this with his pack, as well.)

Good luck, and I hope you give it a try.

Terri

 

[Fire14]

Ours was half Husky half malmute. He loved to RUn was very playful and didn't care for cats but he was never around them either. He was in a 3 dog household and knew he was low mutt on ladder. The lil heinz 57 ran the joint. Shred they do but can't say it was worse than gsd.

 

[h518may]

This is just my experience with our Malamute. For starters we have 8 cats and he hardly notices they exist, until around late evening when he wants to play. During the day he is sacked out most of the day. He has been the most laid back dog I have ever had, and I grew up with German Shepherds. Our dog is about 4-5 years old.

And my perspective Mitch sheds more hair then any GSD I ever had, but we put up with it because he is such a wonderful dog.

 

[Pretty Poly]

We recently adopted a 3 year old husky (rather, she adopted us) with 3 cats already in the house. When we were deciding whether or not the cats would be safe around here - whether she would think they are prey or not - we walked her up to our front door with just the screen closed and the cats ran to check her out. She sniffed at them a few times and then went on her way. We are told she was never around cats, but she definitely didn't see them as prey. After 4 months now, she seems to consider them part of the pack and tries to roughhouse with them. The cats do not seem to appreciate this, but after a few swipes at her nose, she gets the message.

ANYway, what I'm trying to say is that it really depends on the dog. From what I've told, these breeds may or may not see cats as prey, but even if they get along, I would NOT leave them alone for several weeks without supervision. I would recommend seeing if you could either take her home to visit for a few hours, or see if they'd be willing to bring her by your house. If they have cats also at the pet store, you could ask them to see how she reacts. I know at our local SPCA they do this with all dogs and put it on their cage - how they behave with cats and other dogs.

PS - My maine coon also had a heart murmur when he was a kitten. The vet told us it was common with any small kittens, and soon he grew out of it to be a monstrous, healthy, 20 lb ball of fur and attitude.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

You are so nice to even consider taking the dog! I do think he needs to get out of the pet store soon before his stress levels cause bad bahaviors. I second trying a Malamute rescue to see if they have any foster homes available while things get sorted out, whether you take him or not.

That said, I do think that within every breed there can be variation for things like personality, size, temperament, etc. But you still can get an idea of what to expect from the Malamute breed standard, and from learning about Spitz breeds in general.

I've always had GSDs but my DH grew up with Huskies (and cats!) and I've known some really nice Malamutes and Huskies as well. One Malamute in particular I would have taken in a heartbeat - she was a great dog and my GSD really loved her (we called her his "girlfriend" as as soon as he saw her, he perked up and ran over to her and they'd both be wagging their tails, so happy, lol). Her personality was very mellow.

My own dog is about 8 1/2 now and I can see her slowing down quite a bit. Her body is changing and she's more contented than ever to chill out and go to sleep much of the time. That's one of the nice things about older dogs.

I think a hint about this dog is that the dog isn't really interested in other dogs at the dog park. My dog is like that, too. She'd never run around with other dogs but give her her people and a ball and she's happy. (She gets along well with other well behaved animals, though, too.) My guess from your description (and from following many fostering stories) is that the dog would settle in pretty well after an adjustment period, but I understand your concern about the cats especially. Oh and yeah, I think your vacum would get quite the workout.

I guess if you decide to give it a try, you'd have to figure out how to introduce the animals (agree on neutral territory for the dogs) and see how it goes for a while. I can't advise on cats except I think if they're kept separate for a while and don't try to attack the dog (which has caused a problem for us when we've tried to take cats in), they'll be ok. I can't say for sure about this dog, but my dog is fine with cats that are calm. Good luck!

 

[SandrA9810]

I had a samoyed and she was the most laid back ball of energy. She loved a tiled spot on floor in the house, but wanted nothing more than to just run once she got out the door. She traveled extremely well in the car. Our other animals, a cat and hamsters were of no bother to her. She'd sniff them, occasionally give them a lick, but never cared about what they were doing.

Shedding was insane. Having a slightly off white couch that matched her coat, made it a lot harder to see all the fur.

I would love another sammy or dog in the spitz line that loves to run. It was just so much fun having her.

 

[cornflake]

I don't have one but have known a couple and they're like German Shepherds to me. I love Shepherds. A family I used to know when I was a kid raised Shepherds and they were the most chill, sweet dogs ever. If a kid sat on the grass, over would come a giant dog to lay down, head in lap for ease of petting.

Malamutes I've known have had the same 'whatev., dude,' attitude and superb trainability.

I agree with asking if you can possibly try her out with the cats, as all dogs are individual.

Yes, shed like crazy because of the heavy undercoat but maybe she'd like being vacuumed - some dogs and cats enjoy that and it saves a step.

 

[Wendy31]

When I take my DD to ballet practice, I sit in the car outside the studio.

Across the street from the studio, there is house with a gorgeous Alaskan Malamute. Many times, while I'm there, his/her owner takes him/her outside for a walk. Once, younger DS & I got to watch while the Malamute played catch w/ his/her owner.

2 cats also live in the house, because I've seen 2 different cats going in & out.

Once, the owner let the dog & the cats out, & the dog didn't even offer to chase the cats - it was like the 3 of them were friends.

Of course, the cats & the Malamute could have lived together the dog's whole life, which is why they appear to live together so well.

We have a wolfy dog - a Keeshond. We also have a cat. Our cat HATES the dog, but our dog would dearly love to make friends. (We got the Keeshond when he was a puppy, & our cat is older - 17 years old.) He does "chase" her, but he's really trying to play w/ her. His tail's wagging, & he's smiling the whole time. (Our breeder has cats & raised the puppies being exposed to cats.)

Anyway, I think it's great you're considering adopting this Malamute!

 

[ceiligh1]

Our experience with a mal was similar to those posted already. Our Chy was a sweet dog, very loving but a bundle of energy who was very good with our young kids and our cat and was fine with other dogs. We lost her a few months ago at 15 years old which I have been told is very old for a mal. We were told that mals are puppies for 10 years or so and then they are an old dog for 2 years or so, that really was my experience with Chy. She was very hyper puppy like until all of a sudden she was an old dog who could not go running like she wanted to or even walk down the street. They are big dogs, some are 100 to 120 pounds depending on the type of mal. chy was smaller at about 85 lbs. They do shed a ton of hair and are very active and prone to hip issues in later life. There are Mal rescue groups active all over, that might be able to give you some help that is where we found our dog. Bless you for thinking of it. Edited to add that we did not use or know the group below but it seems to have links to rescues around the US.
http://www.malamuterescue.org/rescue/listorg.html

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Have you had the dog out of the cage yet? Before you consider it, go to the store many times, take the dog out, walk it, introduce it to your GSD, etc.

Be proactive.

Even though you feel for the dog, he may not be a "match" for your household. Remember that. It is OK to say "no" if his temperment would not fit with your home.

He would be unhappy and so would you. Best advice is to do homework on this dog as well as researching breeds.

They are big time working dogs and need exercise. Are you able to provide that for him? Do you walk your GSD? That would be the thing I would say would make it a "no".

 

[luvavacation]

Thank you all for the replies! You have answered so many of my questions, and I find I am clearer on what to expect. Pretty much, a dog like my Shepherds, but bigger and a whole lot more fur! I already vacuum every day, I can handle fur! Bigger, well, I already have one dog that seems to spread out all over, and a huge Maine Coon, what's another to step over?

I was up most of the night wondering and praying about this. I finally had to tell myself that if the dog is meant to be with us, it will happen. We can't go until Sunday to see the dog, and see how it reacts to our dog (we live two hours away), but if this dog is adopted before then, well, it just isn't our time to add to the family.

That said, the dog's face in the picture SIL sent speaks to me, asking me to bring it home!

We do have a one acre, pie shaped 6' fenced yard. We have a big dog pool, and a human pool that our present dog loves to swim in with us (spoiled girl). When it is cooler out, we take our dog for walks, and we have a 3 mile path behind our home that she just loves. Many good smells there! Exercise is no problem, and there is no way our 2 year old Shepherd would let us get away with no exercise for her, as she is full of energy! Another dog just means DH and I get to both have a leash in hand!

I shall call the pet store this afternoon and ask them to walk this dog over by the cats, see how she reacts. It won't be the same as actually being in a room with a cat, but I don't believe my cats would appreciate a two hour car ride to meet any dog, but we would definitely take our dog to to meet this one, if this is the path we embark upon.

For all the 25 years we have been together, DH and I always said that if we ever had money, we would probably spend it all helping others. Funny thing is, DH and I received an inheritance a few months ago, and after making sure we put money away for college and retirement, we find that we suddenly see places where we can help make life easier, for humans and animals, and I am so proud of my DH for wanting to help, just as much as I do (it is his family inheritance, after all). All I did was show him the email from his sister, with the dog's picture, and he said we should give it a good home. We finally have a chance to personally help, and if this doesn't work out with this dog, at least we know that we are both onboard with wanting to help some dog, somewhere, live its days in a loving home.

In the mean time, we will all hope that this precious, sad dog will be the one we open our home for, and maybe this crazy family of mine will help it to enjoy whatever years it has left.

 

[shortbun]

I'm just so sad thinking about that gorgeous Malamute languishing in a cage. I really hope it works out for you and the dog. What's it's name?

 

[Ilivetogo]

Thank you all for the replies! You have answered so many of my questions, and I find I am clearer on what to expect. Pretty much, a dog like my Shepherds, but bigger and a whole lot more fur! I already vacuum every day, I can handle fur! Bigger, well, I already have one dog that seems to spread out all over, and a huge Maine Coon, what's another to step over?

I was up most of the night wondering and praying about this. I finally had to tell myself that if the dog is meant to be with us, it will happen. We can't go until Sunday to see the dog, and see how it reacts to our dog (we live two hours away), but if this dog is adopted before then, well, it just isn't our time to add to the family.

That said, the dog's face in the picture SIL sent speaks to me, asking me to bring it home!

We do have a one acre, pie shaped 6' fenced yard. We have a big dog pool, and a human pool that our present dog loves to swim in with us (spoiled girl). When it is cooler out, we take our dog for walks, and we have a 3 mile path behind our home that she just loves. Many good smells there! Exercise is no problem, and there is no way our 2 year old Shepherd would let us get away with no exercise for her, as she is full of energy! Another dog just means DH and I get to both have a leash in hand!

I shall call the pet store this afternoon and ask them to walk this dog over by the cats, see how she reacts. It won't be the same as actually being in a room with a cat, but I don't believe my cats would appreciate a two hour car ride to meet any dog, but we would definitely take our dog to to meet this one, if this is the path we embark upon.

For all the 25 years we have been together, DH and I always said that if we ever had money, we would probably spend it all helping others. Funny thing is, DH and I received an inheritance a few months ago, and after making sure we put money away for college and retirement, we find that we suddenly see places where we can help make life easier, for humans and animals, and I am so proud of my DH for wanting to help, just as much as I do (it is his family inheritance, after all). All I did was show him the email from his sister, with the dog's picture, and he said we should give it a good home. We finally have a chance to personally help, and if this doesn't work out with this dog, at least we know that we are both onboard with wanting to help some dog, somewhere, live its days in a loving home.

In the mean time, we will all hope that this precious, sad dog will be the one we open our home for, and maybe this crazy family of mine will help it to enjoy whatever years it has left.

I love reading about wonderful things people do. This is very nice ... even if you don't get the dog in the end, you're just awfully nice to try.


.

 

[luvavacation]

Just got off the phone with the pet store that has this dog. The dog is actually staying in the Pet Hotel part of the pet store.

The person that is manager of the Pet Hotel and is the "go to" for questions on this dog said that because the dog has never been around cats and was a one pet in the household dog, my family will not be eligible to adopt. May I just say how disappointed I am? And angry, since she would not even entertain the thought of me and my family coming to meet the dog, letting it meet our dog, walking it near the cat area to see if it even cared about the cats, meeting it to see if it even likes us!

It feels like such a slap in the face when someone tells you that you are not a good-enough pet owner to adopt a dog that needs a loving home. Oh, she is affiliated with a rescue, too. I should have known, once I found out she was a rescue person, that this adoption would not happen.

Years ago, when my children each turned 18 months, I wanted to buy them a cat of their own. I am a firm believer that children need to have a pet to help learn empathy and responsibility. Caring for another living being is such and enriching part of life, and it is something I feel strongly about. I see their friends that have never had animals, and I am glad that my children do not have the fear their friends do, and that my kids have known what true love is from a pet. They are better for it.

No shelter would allow us to adopt when the girls were 18 months. Not a one. DH and I had pets our whole lives, the children had been born into a home with a cat and dog already living there, they knew how to respect animals, and I knew how to be a parent that protects animals from children. Nope, no adoption. We went a different route, and I have disliked rescues ever since.

This experience just cements my dislike of rescues. Sure, there are good ones, and we did adopt a few years ago from one when each respective DD's cat passed from old age. I even donated quite a bit of money to that shelter when we received the inheritance, because I appreciated the work they did. And here I am, wanting to help a dog that my SIL knows, and I can't.

Ok, vent over. Sorry for it, but after all the wonderful words of encouragement, I wanted to let you know what happened.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

Just got off the phone with the pet store that has this dog. The dog is actually staying in the Pet Hotel part of the pet store.

The person that is manager of the Pet Hotel and is the "go to" for questions on this dog said that because the dog has never been around cats and was a one pet in the household dog, my family will not be eligible to adopt. May I just say how disappointed I am? And angry, since she would not even entertain the thought of me and my family coming to meet the dog, letting it meet our dog, walking it near the cat area to see if it even cared about the cats, meeting it to see if it even likes us!

That is sad. There are many dogs that are best-suited for a one-pet home, but it's unfortunate that they won't even 'test' her to see if she would be ok with your dog, or if she's safe to be around cats. It's normally hard enough to adopt out older dogs (particularly big older dogs), so it's so sad that they are immediately turning down someone who wants to adopt her.