Many people want to keep a cute Alaskan Malamute, but how can you actually get such an adorable dog to follow your commands? Today we will share five simple but practical methods to help everyone train their Alaskan better.
1. Build and deepen the emotional bond
If you want an Alaskan Malamute to be obedient, you first need a foundation of trust and emotion. Without a real bond between owner and dog, it is unrealistic to expect the dog to follow your commands willingly.
Therefore, the first step in training is to build a good emotional foundation. If your bond is not yet strong, spend more time playing with the dog and offering small rewards so the relationship becomes warmer and closer.
2. Establish the owner’s authority
Once you and the Alaskan have developed a certain emotional bond, a mild-tempered dog will usually care more about your wishes and begin to show more willingness to carry out your commands.
However, if the dog is more mischievous, being overly soft will not make it obedient. The owner still needs to establish authority. When educating the dog, the attitude should be serious and the tone firm. When necessary, clear displeasure and consequences should be shown, so that the dog understands boundaries and becomes more willing to cooperate.
3. Use subtle, everyday training
The best way to train an Alaskan Malamute is often through repeated daily influence. During ordinary games and interaction, owners can intentionally play more obedience-based and command-based games. This helps the dog gradually get used to following the owner’s words without feeling forced.
On the other hand, if the owner gives stiff and overly blunt commands all the time, the dog may instead become resistant and unwilling to listen.
4. Teach first, then correct
When the Alaskan Malamute behaves badly, the owner should first make sure the dog clearly understands that it made a mistake and what the mistake was. Only after that should correction or punishment be given.
This helps the dog understand right and wrong. Once the dog truly understands what is correct behavior and what is not, it will naturally become more obedient. When receiving punishment from the owner, it is also less likely to hold resentment or develop a rebellious attitude.
5. Reward with treats
People often say that if you want a horse to run fast, you have to let it eat grass. The same principle applies here. Use treats as rewards for the Alaskan Malamute. Once there is a reward system, the dog’s enthusiasm and obedience both improve. After using firmness when needed, you should also give the dog the “carrot” in your hand so it understands the benefit of cooperating. That makes it much easier to help the dog become smarter and more obedient.
Pet care tip:
Alaskan Malamutes usually shed quite a lot, and owners who have kept them know this well. In daily feeding, you can choose mild, lower-salt natural dog food containing EPA and DHA. This kind of food can help improve the coat, maintain coat color, and reduce shedding. You can also moderately feed foods such as carrots and cooked egg yolks to make the coat softer and shinier.