The dog should be given a 5-minute brushing daily. Dogs will shed heavily once a year and females twice a year during their seasons. Uniquely, Malamutes are reported to be free of doggy odor so they should not need to be bathed frequently.
Grooming requirements
Every Day
Trimming required
None
Tendency to shed hair
Heavy
Show characteristics
This is a powerful, heavily- boned dog. The head is broad, especially between the ears and there should be a slight furrow between the dark, almond shaped eyes. Bulky in proportion to the skull, the muzzle has an almost uniform width and depth throughout its length. A black nose is preferred but a brown nose or a streaked 'snow nose' is acceptable in lighter-coated dogs. The teeth should be large and meet in a scissor bite. Medium in size, but small in relation to the head, the ears are triangular in shape with rounded tips. They are set wide, on the outside back edge of the skull, almost in line with the upper corner of the eyes. A strong and moderately arched neck leads into a deep chest that should be equal to half the height at the withers. The body is compact but not short coupled so that the length of the body is slightly more than the height to the withers. There is a gentle slope to the hips and the loins should be well-muscled and of a moderate length. The tail follows the line of the spine, not tightly curled to rest on the back, nor like a fox-brush, but carried with the appearance of a waving plume. The shoulders have a moderate slope and lead into the heavily boned foreleg. Straight to the pastern, which is short, strong and almost vertical, the legs end in large feet with close toes and very thick, tough pads. Broad through the thigh, the hind legs should show a moderate bend in the stifle and hock joints. Overall, the legs should give the impression of tremendous soundness. A Malamute must exhibit an efficient and tireless gait with impressive forward reach and rear propulsion. The outer coat is thick and coarse, while the undercoat is woolly and greasy. The insulating undercoat can be 1-2 inches deep! Acceptable colors for the show-ring are wolf gray, black, sable and red, all with white markings. White markings should appear as a cap or mask on the face, on the legs and feet and on the belly. A white blaze on the forehead or a spot on the neck is acceptable. Splashes of white on the back are not allowed. The only solid color recognized is white.
Breed classification
Alaskan Malamutes belong to the Working group and are used for sled-pulling, sled-racing, as companions and seen in the show-ring.