Among the so-called ?three silly sled dogs,? the Alaskan Malamute is often considered the big one. Calling it the ?big silly one? does not mean it is necessarily the dumbest of the three, but rather that it has the largest body. Even so, thanks to its strikingly handsome appearance, people still love it.
The Alaskan Malamute lives in what is now the U.S. state of Alaska, but it existed in that region long before the area became American territory. Because the local climate is extremely cold all year round, the breed developed strong endurance and a resilient spirit. What local people valued most was exactly this stamina rather than pure speed. A powerful Alaskan Malamute can not only pull heavy loads but also carry goods over long distances. For that reason, local residents often treated these dogs as some of the most valuable assets in the family.
The Alaskan Malamute has a calm and noble temperament and a very high ornamental appeal. Once it forms a bond with its owner, it becomes extremely loyal. For people living in snowy regions, it is an excellent companion. Its intelligence ranking is not especially impressive, only around 50th among dog breeds, but this does not reduce people's affection for it. In fact, it can sometimes be surprisingly clever. For example, it may work out how to open the latch of its crate and escape on its own.
It is also very good at reading its owner's behavior. When it sees you putting on clothes or shoes, it often realizes that you are about to go out, and it may run to the door to wait for you. If you calmly tell it to stay at home and wait for your return, it is usually willing to listen.
Although the Alaskan Malamute is very large, it is no less charming or affectionate than a toy breed when it wants attention. Especially when it sees you eating, it may put on a pitiful expression and sit beside you staring hopefully. Interestingly, it often refuses to eat fruit peels that you have thrown away, which shows that it is not lacking in cleverness. However, when you eat grapes or cherries, you should keep them away from the dog, because those fruits are not suitable for it. No matter how cute or pleading it looks, you should not feed them to it. The Alaskan Malamute also knows how to play little tricks. When you are holding something it wants to eat or play with, it becomes very obedient. If you have nothing that interests it, it may simply ignore you. Similarly, when you take it outside, it may not listen closely when it stays near you because it knows it will not get lost, but when it wanders farther away, it often comes running back quickly the moment you call.
There is also some truth in the joke that it is ?a little silly,? because, like the Siberian Husky, it often does not distinguish between good people and bad people very well. It tends to be friendly to everyone, even a thief, so it is not a reliable guard dog for protecting the house.
Even with all of these so-called shortcomings, people still find it hard to resist the charm of the Alaskan Malamute.