We've had our 85lb. malamute for 5 years now. She came from the Humane Society when she was alledgedly 2 yrs old with no history. The first year or so I ran her 5 miles with the bike every morning. After that she just mellowed out and now I give her about 1 1/2 hours of mooching around the neighbourhood each day. She's now more interested in sniffing than running although she is a great hiking companion. During the day she has the run of the house and back yard but its like having a husky rug around as she does like to sleep in a quiet corner.
Mals don't howl like sibes but will talk to you like Chewbacca. Niki is almost completely silent whih is appreciated by the neighbours. It toook 3 months for us to hear us make a bark or any other noise but now she will remiind me its dinner time or walkies if I am late.
I have a couple of select areas I let her off but they are somewhat contained and away from the general population. Even when my son got old enough to learn to open the front door and let her out she merely goes and lies out on the front grass and watches the world go by.
She has yet to meet a human she doesn't like although as she has got older she is more selective about which dogs she does and does not like. Of course, it doesn't hurt that she likes to crotch peck as a greating and most evangelists/door to door salesman and othe runwanted visitors mistake her for a wolf. I should train that habit out but it is far too funnny and useful.
She is great with the kids. She tolerates them and only interacts on her own terms. If I am not there to control him she will keep her distance. If she doesn't like what my son is doing she will merely give me a look to control him and then head outside. I like this as I don't want her being protective or having a guarding instinct.
I found the Humane Society to be a great place to get a dog. Its a rescue which is a big plus as they behavious test the dogs and look for things like food agression which is not good around children.
Obedience has been less about formal training and more about coming to a mutual agreement about what is acceptable. Mals are VERY strong willed and tend not to do things unless they see a benefit. It requires a slightly different mindset as they are not necessarily out to please a master. If you establish rules you must enforce them rigorously. You can tell them no a thousand times but just one moment of weakness establishes precedent in her mind. They do continually test who is in charge in the relationship so you have to reinforce your leadership position continually but there are plenty of web sites that give advice on how to do this as part of your daily routine without being too dramatic.
As we are in the desert she has a short coat compared to most mals so hair is less of a problem. We have a 6 week period in may where she blows her winter coat and the shedding is horrendous. Other than that the hair issue is, if anything, better than my friend's lab.
Her big weakness is that she is a huge food thief. Watching her ears circle the edge of the kitchen counter is like being on a desert island watching the sharks fins circling you. She is relentless and will take advantage off the slightest mistake. We lock the bin in a cupboard and no food is ever left out unnattended EVER.
If you like Huskies but want something a bit more mellow then malamutes are great dogs especially for outdoor activities. As others have said, take your time and choose a good one.
In my case I prefer hanging out with my Niki to most people.
)
