# Giant Mals



## Mitchell (Aug 16, 2010)

how do u all feel about giant malamutes. Im getting one in a month. the breeder is close to me like 15 min away. there well taken care of. He even feeds them Orijen as well as raw. id have to say the most magnificent dog I have ever seen. I have done all my research and am ready to brush him every day. feel free to share any experience u or your friends may have had. thanks a lot


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## stajbs (Jun 5, 2010)

They are impressive aren't they? I have known many and have nothing negative to say about them. My only hang up is preferring the size mal that fits the breed standard for size because I believe a dog should be able to do what the breed was develped to do. I have seen some giant mals do well in weight pulling, but likely they would not do so hot in harness. Then again if that is not your goal for the dog then it is not a big deal. Enjoy your dog, will the breeder be doing health testing?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Aren't you getting a black and tan coonhound?


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## stajbs (Jun 5, 2010)

Did some more thinking about your post since I posted. lol You said you did your research and indicate you are prepared for the grooming involved due to the coat blows. Sometimes I am amazed at the amound of undercoat they can blow, dog hair is practically a condiment at our house and that is with us vacuuming 4-5 times a week. Also, there is at least one other mal person on this forum and they can probably add to this. In my experience with mals and sibes they are highly prey driven. Certainly not all of them are highly prey driven but it is fairly common. I notice you have a pic of a small breed posted. I would be aware of this, and cautious. Also, if you have cats it is something to be aware of. Chickens, would be a delectable snack too. Of the ones I have known and pet sat for there are some with beautiful temperaments and some are a bit more inclined to not get along well with other dogs. They can also be quite stubborn, and have a tendency to require an experienced owner, one who is prepared to be the leader. 

The health issues I have experienced with them are related to thyroid and also a zinc responsive dermatosis. 

Just my two cents for what it's worth.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Did I miss something???  Now your getting another puppy?


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## Mitchell (Aug 16, 2010)

i was getting a hound from my gf father. but his hunting parters need them. i told him i understand hounds are how he provieds for his family so its ok. the mal is not from a breeder per say. he is just a hobbiest. he loves them all very much. brushes them every day hand makes the food raw and kibble. they are all needled and checked at the vet there all sweet hearts. i have 2 picks of my puppy and 3 of the father ill be happy to post if u all like


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## Eurobox (May 17, 2010)

We were just talking about over sized breeders...

http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/general-dog-discussion/4038-oversized-undersized-breeding.html

Black and Tan coonhound, and a Mal are COMPLETELY different dogs. So what exactly are your requirements for a dog? What job are you going to provide, what made you choose this breed, what made you choose the other? Does the dog breed just change with the flavor of the week? 

How old are you???


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

I gotta say I'm a little worried....

The two breeds you have picked are neither one great dogs for a first-time dog owner who has very little knowledge and experience(which it sounds like you may be). 

I am concerned that you may be picking a dog based on looks, rather than actual compatibility. This is dangerous and unfair to the dog. Shoot, if I were going strictly off of looks alone, I'd get a wild timberwolf. But I know that I don't have nearly the experience necessary, and that could cause many people and/or animals to get hurt.

Although my suggestion for you would be to head down to the local shelter and adopt a sweet tempered mutt, here are a couple quizes that may help you to see what breeds fit your knowledge base and lifestyle:
Breed Selector, Dog Search, Puppy Survey, Puppy Test, Test to find the right dog, Breed Quiz 
Animal Planet :: Guides :: Dog Breed Selector

Not to mention that I think your dog breeding "hobbyist" sounds like a back yard breeder...


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I think this is a great idea as I too am a little worried that these two breeds definitely aren't for first time dog ownership, the dog test is a "lets see where you are" and what really is compatible with your lifestyle and knowledge. Good Luck, we are here to help you with the choices you have to make.


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## stajbs (Jun 5, 2010)

Mitchell, the advice folks are giving is sound and worth sincere consideration on your part. Both these breeds are really not "easy", they will challenge you as alpha and you need to know how to handle it without turning the animal against you. The destruction a mal, or giant mal is capable of doing is unbelieveable. I can't speak for the other breed you are considering. 

Being prepared to groom a mal/giant mal is almost really the easy part, it is a commitment, but not difficult compared to the other challenges you would face. The hardest part would be dealing with temperament issues and these breeds you mentioned both need a "job". They need to have a purpose in addition to the purpose you may see in your mind to be your buddy and best friend. Can they do this, yes they can, but only if you really know how to handle them with respect to training.

I have not done much research on giant mals and hopefully our mal member can share in the discussion, but I do know there was some kind of M-Loot genetic thing, I know little about that, but I think(don't know for sure) that is how we have come to have giants. 
Honestly I am used to handling mals and I am not physically a light weight, but a "normal" size mal properly trained can weight pull over 3,000-4,000 pounds, as can a giant mal, and perhaps they could pull more weight in proper condition. I can tell you I was unprepared being a person who has shared life with 7 siberians, for the difficulty I had my first time I tried to walk a giant mal into a convention center for a show. The gorgeous boy started booking and the next thing I knew I had done a face plant on the asphalt. I quickly realized I was going to have to take control of that situation or he was going to turn me into a mahed potato. Till we got the 200 yards or so to the convention center he and I had come to an understanding. It was after that experience I never again underestimated a malamute. Shoot my siberians can pull 2000lbs. in weight pull, and I have had them yank me off my feet when I was least expecting it. 
Please give careful consideration to your choice and I have found it to be quite helpful to go to at least one obedience class when taking on any dog. Along the way I have had to go back to obedience classes to learn how to handle different dogs within the same breed


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## stajbs (Jun 5, 2010)

Shoot, I tapped the wrong key and poof, that post popped up before I could edit it or finish it. Sorry, as a social worker, I tend to talk a lot. lol

I was trying to say for any first time dog owner, or even if you have done so before obedience classes are the best. I have gone back for classes depending on the dogs and my own recognition that I had a problem that needed more work. Sometimes the dog needs the socialization, sometime we as owners need to look at a problem in a different way. 

There is much you can learn from folks with years of dog training experience. Also, lots you can learn from folks who have shared their lives with dogs for years. I am just heartbroken to see the number of dogs who end up in shelters becaue they were not what the buyer expected. We did our research before getting into sibes too, but trust me when our first one was 6 months old we came very close to trying to re-home her. We had to sit down and take a long look at ourselves, our commitment and the changes we were willing to make. Unfortunately some folks don't, or can't do that.

Please be careful, and please choose wisely, a dog should be a lifetime commitment. They count on us from the moment we bring them home as pups, or older dogs from shelters to take care of them. They give their heart and soul to us humans we owe them the same in return.


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## Mitchell (Aug 16, 2010)

ok ummm im 22. i live with my rents. my mother has already owned a husky before. as far as working and or playing for exersize i have a huge pool and im going to make her swim laps with me.. in the winter im going to get her a pull harness and experament. i have over an acre of fenced yard and plan to take her to a dog park. the mother and father are very timid and listen to every word he says. there gentel giants so to speak well at least this blood line seems to be. i have always wanted a mal and since the **** dog was a no go i started to look for them i have read up on them and spend hours a day with them every day. i am very commited to do the best i can and i am looking forward to spending hours a day training working and over all exersizeing her. she is very beautiful and i hope to give her the best posable life she could ever have. i have many picks of her and am happy to show them...... it would be nice if some one had confidence in me an or my dog and believed i can do it...


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## Mitchell (Aug 16, 2010)

i also have dog training booked and set up. cant wait so excited


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Thats sounds great, its not that we don't have confidence in you, it just seemed that you were a little wishy washy, back and forth, first it was a **** hound and then a giant mal, two totally different dogs but ones that require a very knowledgable dog owner.

Make sure you post pics of the girl and remember that you can't start too early with strenuous workouts as this will cause joint problems in the latter years. Good Luck, and we just wanted to make sure you were making the right choice for you and the dog.


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

I think that a lot of people here have seen dog owners rush into it without doing their research, and end up being overwhelmed with a dog that they cannot control and/or does not fit with their lifestyle. Usually this results in the poor dog being re-homed, put to sleep, physically abused, tied to a stake in the yard, or some other undesirable outcome. We do NOT want to see that happen with you or your future dog.

All that we know about you is from the posts you have made here. Many of these posts clearly illustrate that you have not owned a dog before. Which is perfectly fine. We were all like you at one time. So it's a little confusing that one minute you want one kind of dog and the next minute a completely different dog. We are trying to gain insight about you and what it really is that you are looking for (as well as verifying that you are not Paris-Hilton-fickle :biggrin.

I am sorry if I came off as overly aggressive. I've just seen too many instances where someone was SUPER excited to get a dog, said they learned "EVERYTHING" they needed to know, and when the new dog novelty wore off, the dog suffered. So if I perceive that a case like that may be happening, I jump all over it! 

You are doing your homework, and that is a great thing. :smile: We are here to help answer your questions. But like all new "Pawrents" learn, there are many things that that will only be learned through firsthand experience. :biggrin:

ETA: POST THE PICS!!! Mals are actually my favorite.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

Mitchell said:


> how do u all feel about giant malamutes. Im getting one in a month. the breeder is close to me like 15 min away. there well taken care of. He even feeds them Orijen as well as raw. id have to say the most magnificent dog I have ever seen. I have done all my research and am ready to brush him every day. feel free to share any experience u or your friends may have had. thanks a lot


I love giant mals. I have one and he's 120 lb. He can definitely do what a standard size mal was bred to do. Giant mals come from the M'loot line and standards come from the Kotzebue line.

Grooming isn't really that bad as most people say (at least with my mal). As long as you keep up with it, say about 3-4 times per week for 30 minutes, it really isn't bad. Use an undercoat rake. They are lifesavers!!


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## Mitchell (Aug 16, 2010)

ya i love **** hounds there amazing but he ended up needing the pup. mals are my fav so i figuired y not. she still at his house with the mom but i see her every day and brush her and id love to post pics. o dont worry she will be spoiled and well taken care of i promise. love that little fur ball with my whole heart


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## stajbs (Jun 5, 2010)

Mitchell, I too did not mean to offend you, as others have said some of your posts indicated a possible need for concern. I have to admit after having done rescue for years I am "jaded." I never want to be the person who assumes everyone interested in a siberian or mal is not right for them. Apparently based on all the recent info you have shared you have done your homework, and it sounds as if you are prepared to be dedicated to the dog. I wish you the best of luck with your new pup, and absolutely do not hestitate to ask for advice or ideas if we can help in the future. We were fortunate enough to have a host of friends to call when we had a problem we could not figure out how to resolve. Sometimes it was a simple fix, and we would not have thought of it. 

Welcome to the fold and hopefully you will feel free to post and ask questions in the future when needed. 

Oh, and when you get that pup you had better share a pic!! If you are 22 you will be able to figure it out I am sure, I am ancient and it took me forever to do that.


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## Mitchell (Aug 16, 2010)

thank you and i take that all in to conswideration. i hope she will be a good girl. but i already have training set up and paid for. cant wait to start


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## stajbs (Jun 5, 2010)

Mitchell, that sounds great, and I wish you and your pup good times ahead. Is the photo one of the new pup? Either way, very cute!! I admit though to being an absolute sucker for northern breeds, especially sibes and mals. 

Am very pleased that you stuck around despite being questioned about your intentions with your new pup. It shows your strength and determination. One day, a few years from now you may read a post and feel similar concerns. Moving forward I have learned to try and control my somewhat "jaded" reactions in the future.

Best of luck with the new pup, look forward to hearing about her as she grows and your adventures begin!!


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