Question by : Were considering getting a 3 year old alaskan malamute and we have 2 other dogs and 3 cats. Will this be safe?
I mean like safe for the cats and no fighting…..
Will the dog be ok and warm up to the cats and will it get along with my 2 other dogs which one is a 12 year old golden retriever and the other is a golden retriever ossie mix.
Best answer:
Answer by ladystang
safe for what?
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Our Kennel in 2009!
Phoenix playing with her mother. A visit the the breeders home, where Phoenix met her mother Luna and her two sisters Taiga and Luna. She is just over 5 months old in this clip…
Ali wakes up from her nap with the most confused look on her face and i start wheezing from trying not to laugh.
Question by : what is the difference between a Alaskan malamute and a Siberian husky?
they look the same to me but what is the difference?
Best answer:
Answer by Soph
The Malamute is a lot bigger dog, while the Siberian is smaller.
The Siberian was developed by the Chukchi in Siberia while the malamute was developed by the malamut tribe in alaska. The Siberian was bred to go faster with a lighter load, the malamute pulled heavier weight slowly. The Siberian Husky can have blue eyes, the mal cannot. The Mal has triangularly ears placed off more to the side, the siberians’ are more on top of it’s head and larger. Siberians come in a wider range of colors, and malamutes are generally “calmer”.
Here’s pictures and more info.
http://www.minnesotamalamuteclub.com/malvsibe.htm
What do you think? Answer below!
Article by Jack Russell
So, you decided to train your dog win in sled races. Here are some tips to do it.
1. Provide dry and clean bedding.
If you want to have a winning dog, provide him first with a clean and complete house. It is your duty and responsibility that your dog must have adequate and clean bedding.
2. Give high quality diet.
Give your dog the best diet that you can find. All year round, feed him with the best diet possible. This includes giving the dog some quality fat in his diet. Fat gives your dog enough energy to run. How much fat you give depends on various factors. For example, Alaskan Huskies are burning fat seemingly by just standing still! Some dogs like Malamutes and Siberians do not require fat as much. Don’t scrimp on quality.
3. Follow schedule.
Make a regular schedule for your dog to relieve himself. Stick to the schedule. Making a schedule to relieve your dog will earn you his trust. Whether the schedule is every after two or four hours (or more), follow strictly your schedule.
4. Provide shade.
Give shades to your dogs, especially in summer.
5. Clean your dog regularly.
Clean the dog’s house regularly. This is also for your dog’s good health.
6. Control flies.
Your dog would appreciate if you put something on him to defend him against flies.
7. Give water consistently, adding a few more buckets in summer.
Like humans, your dog needs water too. Give them clean water regularly. Add a few buckets of water in summer, when the heat is too much for some dogs.
When your dog is training and running all day long, you might want to give him water right after his run. If you are training your dog on a cool season, then you might probably not give him water every after run. But, if you are training in summer, be sure that you give your dog water consistently. Your dog might collapse from heat if you ignore his need for water.
9. Buy your dog from well known breeders.
If you have no dog yet, you might want to buy a puppy from a winning breeder. Winning bloodlines enhance your dog’s chances of winning. Of course, having a dog from a winning breed does not ensure outright victory in sled racing. The dog still has to be trained to win.
Having a winning dog in sled races is a cooperation between your dog and his trainer – you. It entails a lot of mutual trust and care to ensure a winning dog.
Jack Russell is a a long time dog fancier, visit his Dog Resources Blog and download his Free Dog Owners Handbook – it’s Dog Gone Good! http://www.daveshealthbuzz.com/dogcare/
Article by Susanne Pacher
On a crisp winter day, our coldest day so far, with a brilliant blue sky, I got going early at about 7:15 am and drove about 20 minutes from Banff to the tourist town of Canmore. This mountain town is located about an hour from Calgary, just 5 minutes outside the gates to the Banff National Park and is part of Kananaskis County, one of the main recreational areas just outside of Calgary. The Nakiska Ski area is not far from Canmore and it played host to the alpine events during the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.
Canmore is nestled deep inside the Bow Valley beneath the Front Ranges of the Canadian Rockies. Due to the beauty of the surrounding wilderness areas, several Hollywood movies have been filmed here, including movies such as Legends of the Fall and Dances with Wolves.
The development of this area really took off when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) constructed its railway line through the mountains in 1888, providing convenient access to mining companies looking to tap into the area’s rich coal deposits. Canmore was founded shortly after and attracted prospectors which were soon followed by hotels, restaurants and shops. The North West Mounted Police had an outpost here with a “two man and two horse barrack” and at some point Canmore even had an opera house.
Mining came to an end in 1979, but today Canmore has developed into a major recreational centre that attracts athletes, artists, nature lovers and adventure seekers. That was the category that I fell into today, as I was seeking out a truly unusual adventure: Dog sledding!
Punctually at 8:15 am I arrived at the retail outlet of Snowy Owl Adventures to be included in their 2-hour “Power Hound Express” tour that was to start at 9 am. The retail outlet itself features a variety of clothing, souvenirs, pictures and books with a dog sledding theme. I also rented big insulated boots to make sure my feet wouldn’t get cold on this very brisk winter day.
A group of about 9 or 10 people were ready to get out on the trails, to be pulled by a group of enthusiastic canine athletes. Our group had travelers from various parts of Canada, Texas, England and Holland and everybody was excited to get out there. Chris, our driver, packed us into a van and up we went into the mountains. We drove by several extremely scenic drinking water reservoirs and about 20 minutes later we arrived in the Spray Lakes area of Kananaskis County, very close to the Three Sisters Hydroelectric Generating Station.
The first thing we saw was the trailer with the transport kennels for the sled dogs and five teams of enthusiastic canines were already waiting for us. Jereme, one of our dog sledding guides, gave us a half hour safety presentation and instructions on how to ride the sled. That’s where my first big surprise came in: I didn’t realize that we ourselves would get a chance to drive the sled, I had assumed that we’d simply be packed into the sled and the guides would be driving us.
But no, there are actually 3 options for dogsledding adventurers: you can sit comfortably inside the sled and be driven by a guide; you can drive the dog team one-on-one together with one of the instructors; or you can actually drive the sled dog team yourself with the company of family and friends, following one of the instructors. So for all the real adventurers out there: this is an opportunity to get behind the sled and drive the dog sled team yourself!
To get started I actually decided to play it safe and elected to sit down and let my instructor Natalie handle the driving. Since I was here to document this experience that would allow me to actually take photos and video clips of this unique experience. Three of the dog sled teams this morning had signed up for the 2-hour program and 2 of those sleds were going to be driven by the participants themselves rather than the instructors. Two other teams were scheduled for the 4-hour “Sunfeather Winterlude” program, this half-day excursion is Snowy Owl’s most popular ride.
The safety instruction introduced us to the essential commands to get the dogs going (“Hike!”, or as Natalie would say “Hike up, puppies!”) and to get them to stop (“Whoa” – in a deep voice) while stepping on the sled’s brake. In between it’s a great idea to cheer on the dogs with enthusiastic comments. Jereme also explained that the dogs are Alaskan Huskies, and most of them are a mixture of huskies or malamutes with other breeds like border collies which makes for a very enthusiastic, cooperative and smart breed of dog.
Jereme mentioned that it’s very important to step on the brake while riding downhill to slow the sled down, and to lean right when heading into a right-hand turn, and to lean to the left when heading into a left-hand turn. The key thing is never to let go of the sled or step off the brake when standing since the dogs can be a bit mischievous and may take off on you. On uphill runs it is recommended that the sled driver get off and run beside the sled so the dogs have to pull less weight.
Well, now that our briefing was coming to an end, the excitement was building, both among the human passengers/drivers as well as among the dogs. 5 teams of Alaskan huskies were raring to go and towards the end of the safety presentation there was lots of barking, yelping, howling and commotion, indicating that the dogs were indeed ready to take us out on our big adventure.
So I sat down inside the comfortably cushioned sled and Natalie zipped me into a sleeping bag to keep me warm. All the teams were now ready to go and Natalie issued the key command “Hike up, puppies!” and off we went through a beautiful narrow forest trail that opened up into a clearing from where you had a gorgeous view of the imposing mountain range behind. Then we went down a series of hills and I got bounced a bit in the sled, fortunately the sled’s and my own built-in cushioning protected my rear end from most of the impact. There were a few spills in the amateur-driven sleds behind us, I guess first-time dog-sledding is similar to any adventure sport in that it takes a bit of time to get the hang of it. But none of the spills were serious and once the initial challenges were overcome it was a smooth ride for everyone and we continued our beautiful journey through the forests above Canmore.
After about half an hour our three teams on the 2-hour program had reached the turnaround point and we arrived at a picturesque mountain lake called Goat Pond that was completely surrounded by mountains. Now it was picture time and Natalie kindly offered to take photos of all the sled teams.
After a brief rest we were ready to continue on and Natalie asked me if I actually wanted to drive the sled myself. By this time I was thoroughly comfortable with the experience, so of course I jumped at the idea. One of the passengers from another sled took my cozy spot inside the sleeping bag, and Natalie and I each balanced ourselves on one of the rails of the sled, while our eager sled dogs were pulling us onto the home stretch. Natalie told me a little about herself, that she is a dog sledding instructor in the winter and a construction worker in her brother’s company in Northern Alberta in the summer. She seems like a thoroughly outdoorsy and adventurous woman who really enjoys what she is doing.
Our ride continued on beside a river until we reached the Three Sisters Hydroelectric Power Station and finally returned to our starting point. Then it was time to pet the dogs and take pictures of our eager transportation providers. The dogs are amazingly friendly and from what I could tell, they enjoyed the experience as much as we humans did.
Our exciting outing concluded with refreshments, hot apple cider and “mystery cookies” beside a fire at West Side Camp where all the adventurers and our instructor had a chance to socialize and talk about our experience. A photographer had also taken pictures of each dog sled team and this was an opportunity to buy some photos.
In addition to the 2 hour and half-day dog sled tours, Snowy Owl Aventures offers a variety of other unique adventures: Snowy Owl also offers an 8 hour full-day program that includes instructions on how to track indigenous animals like wolves, cougars and rabbits. Their 4-hour “Snowy Mountain Experience” takes you back in time to a winter festival in local Inuit and First Nations communities. Their 4.5 hour “Bow Trail BBQ” combines a 2-hour dog sled outing with a Western Style Ride provided by horses, capped off by a blazing bonfire in their “Donut Tent” for storytelling. Their “Ghosts of Fortune Mountain “program extends over 2 days and 1 night and includes touring, kennel visits and hearty meals. The nights are spent in a genuine, heated Sioux Indian Tipi. Last but not least, the “Flight of the Great Snowy Owl” lasts 4.5 hours and takes you by helicopter into the wilderness of the Canadian Rockies before spending a half-day touring by dog team.
Just shortly after 11 am our van driver Chris arrived again with another batch of adventurers from the village and it was time for us to wave a final goodbye to our canine friends and enjoy the scenic ride back into Canmore. Once back at the retail outlet I returned my boots and hopped back in the car to drive back to Banff to pick up my husband so we could go on our final half-day of skiing at Lake Louise.
My two-hour Dog sledding adventure in the morning was the perfect start to an exciting winter day and it’s certainly been one of the most unique and special adventures I have ever had a chance to experience……
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com), a popular web portal for unconventional travel and cross-cultural connections. Check out our brand-new section featuring FREE ebooks about travel (http://www.travelandtransitions.com/ebooks.html)
Article by Tom Selwick
Experience one of the less well known winter sports when you vacation in Park City, Utah. The Rocky Mountains offer the ideal terrain for any winter sport, but dog sledding is especially fun.
Even though dog sledding is a purely recreational sport today, this has not always been the case. For hundreds of years before around the 1800s, dog sledding was used as a main form of transportation around the Arctic region of the world.
Dog sledding was used for a long time even after snowmobiles and airplanes were invented because the harsh weather conditions would prevent these new technologies from working properly. Dogs were the only way cargo and people could travel through many of the northern wildernesses for a long time.
Some researchers even believe that the peoples that inhabited that region would not have been able to live there without the assistance of the dogs and sleds. The dogs were responsible for the transportation of everything including daily necessities, mail, and medicine.
The first dog sled races that we know of today occurred between 1850 and 1886. In 1886, a sled dog race was help at the Winter Carnival in Minnesota.
This race has become a tradition that has lasted to today and is still a big part of the festival. The Winter Carnival race in 1917 that ran from Winnipeg to Saint Paul became the basis for the Walt Disney movie Iron Will many years later.
When the Alaskan Gold Rush and the Yukon Gold Rush struck the north, sled dog races started being followed throughout the world. The first and most prominent of these races was the All-Alaska Sweepstakes.
The All-Alaska Sweepstakes were first set up in Nome, Alaska. When the gold rushes ended around 1920, the gold miners returned to their homes and brought the dog racing tradition with them.
These races became very popular very quickly in New England. It was an extremely popular sport throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
Businesses would sponsor the best professional mushers and would fund the teams to travel throughout North America to compete in their sport. Throughout this time, the popularity and news coverage helped the sport spread even further.
By 1932 dog sledding was considered a popular enough sport to include in the Lake Placid Winter Olympic games. Twenty years later, the dog races were again held in the Oslo Olympics in 1952.
However, the dog sledding race was held as a pulka race instead. In a pulka race the driver follows the dogs on skis behind the toboggan or pulka that the dogs are pulling. It was not until 1992 that sled dog racing was officially declared an Olympic sport by the International Federation of Sleddog Sports.
They hoped this would help focus and provide an outlet for the hard work of many national, local, and international racers as the strove to win the gold and the Olympian status.
Today, hundreds of people experience this history and the joy of the relationship between man and dog every year in Park City. Dog sledding is a fun sport that the entire family can enjoy.
There are two main options that most visitors select from. The first allows the entire family to learn and practice driving the dogs.
During this activity, the family will be taken through several exercises that will teach them how to properly interact with the dogs while on some of the most beautiful trails by Park City.
The second option allows you to choose the destination, trail, and make any other special requests that you would like. This option has catered to marriage proposals, bringing a private chef along, private parties, pretend races, business retreats, and tours of the area.
This option will fit any vacation plan or any lifestyle. There is no age limit on these dog sled rides.
The dogs are very friendly and non-aggressive. Children and parents will love their experience with the dogs.
For the most part the dogs are Huskies or Malamutes. These dogs love to interact with people and travel all over the mountainsides of the Wasatch and Uinta Mountain Ranges.
The opportunity to dog sled simply cannot be passed up. It will be a very fun and rich learning experience that everyone will remember with fondness for the years to come.
This is the perfect opportunity to get away from the world and draw closer as a family in the great outdoors.
Tom Selwick is a resident of Utah and has written hundreds of articles relating to tourism and Park City Townhomes. He has been involved in local travel and tourism for over 20 years. Contact Info: Tom Selwick TomSelwick09@gmail.com http://www.parksedgeparkcity.com
Our Red Girl Lexy!….Sirens really annoy her!
Video Rating: 5 / 5
Here is my Alaskan malamute, Yukiko and shiba inu, Tetsuya playing with the wild tail ball toy. As you can see, my shiba inu does most of the playing.
Question by : Is there any differences between a Alaskan Malamute and a Siberian Husky?
Is there any differences or they are just the same?
Best answer:
Answer by ada
YES
the biggest difference i know of is size. Huskies tend to be about 40-60 lbs.. malamutes can run 75-90 lbs.. Non show-quality malamutes.. I’ve seen some that are as big as 150 lbs, seriously.
Also siberian huskies are very very vocal. Not sure if Malamutes are, but I’ve heard some peopel say get a sibe cause they don’t bark.. well they may not bark in teh truest sense of the word but whatever it is they do (yammering, is what I call it) is extremely vocal and noisy
Malamutes are larger and can be more aggressive. The husky is freindlier to strangers. Both would be fine in a small house and big yard as long as they were well excercised. The husky would be your better bet for a jogging partner and neither one of them woould be a likely pick to go get your morning paper. Shedding would depend on the climate of where you live as their coats would become accustomed to it.
The Alaskan Malamute and the Siberian Husky are both Northern Breed dogs from the Working Group. Both breeds have similarities in coat colors and patterns. Both breeds were used for similar activities. The Alaskan Malamute being strong and powerful, was used to transport heavy loads for long distances. The Siberian Husky, being a more of a medium size, was used for pulling lighter loads a shorter distance at a moderate pace.
Both breeds are prey-driven and will go after small animals including cats, squirrels, birds, rabbits or any other creature that mistakenly gets into their territory. Both breeds do dig. They have been known to ruin many landscaping beds and to dig up small bushes and trees.
Both breeds are pack oriented and can be very destructive if left unattended for long periods of time without attention. Crate training is advisable.
Both breeds are born to run. Neither of these breeds should ever be left off leash to run in fields, woods, or neighborhoods. They will keep on running and will never come back. Many Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies have been picked up by local dog wardens who have found them running stray. Some of them are never claimed and end up in rescue organizations or euthanized due to overcrowding in local shelters.
Some of the differentiating characteristics are as follows:
The Alaskan Malamute is a heavy boned, powerful dog. The males weigh between 85 and 100 lbs and the females between 75 and 90 lbs. The eyes of the Alaskan Malamute are always brown. Their head is broad with ears set wide apart. Their tail is similar to a plume carried up and over their back. The Alaskan Malamute is known for being gender aggressive toward dogs of the same sex. They can also be food aggressive. They are very loving and affectionate dogs and carry a laid back attitude. They make good companions but are not guard dogs even though their size can be intimidating. Everyone is a friend to a Malamute. Malamutes enjoy hiking, backpacking, swimming, jogging and cuddling up with their owners. Malamutes are very intelligent and can be very stubborn. Unlike the Siberian Husky, the Malamute is not prone to fence jumping. If they are bored, they can easily dig themselves out of kennels or under fences. Lifespan 10-12 years.
The Siberian Husky is a medium sized, smaller boned dog. The males weigh between 50-70 lbs. And the females between 35-50 lbs. The Siberian Husky can have brown eyes, blue eyes, one of each or a split eye (one eye with two colors).
Their head is smaller and not as broad as the malamute with ears set high on their head and close together. Their tails are considered a fox brush shape and are carried in a sickle shape when alert and trailing when the dog is relaxed. The Siberian Husky does well in a pack situation. They do not have the gender aggression that is a characteristic of the malamute. They are, however, very high energy dogs that are very vocal. They are an intelligent breed with a stubborn streak. They are not a guard dog and not a “one-man” dog. Siberians require a lot of exercise and enjoy swimming, jogging hiking, and agility amongst other activities. The Siberian Husky can be an escape artist and is prone to fence jumping when left unattended for long periods of time. They have also been known to climb a chain line fence to escape. They do best is a 5′ or 6′ fenced yard. Life span 12-15 years.
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