Alaskan Malamute: History

One of the oldest Arctic sled dogs, the Alaskan Malamute's forebears crossed the land bridge from Siberia to Alaska with native peoples thousands of years ago. One tribe, known as the Mahlemuts, settled in the northeastern area of the Seward Peninsula and it's there that the Alaskan Malamute was developed. The dogs were used to hunt seals, chase away polar bears, and pull heavy sledges loaded with food or camp supplies.

The Eskimos treated their dogs well and valued them highly. The gold rush of 1896 brough a great influx to Alaska of dogs of many sizes and breeds who could survive the weather. Many native dogs were interbred with these dogs and pure type was lost. The Mahlemuts were a relatively isolated tribe, so the Alaskan Malamute survived the incursion better than other breeds.

Arthur T. Walden established his Chinook Kennel in New Hampshire and began breeding Alaskan Malamutes. He and his successors, Milton and Eva Seeley, supplied many dogs for the Byrd Antarctic expeditions in the 1930s. The Seeleys began a program to reproduce the dogs found in the Norton Sound area of Alaska. This strain of Alaskan Malamutes became known as the "Kotzebue" strain.

A slightly different strain was developed by Paul Voelker, Sr. with dogs he bought in Alaska in the early 1900s and later in the 1920s. This strain was known as the "M'Loot" strain. Some of these dogs were used in World War I and II and by Admiral Byrd's second expedition.

The Alaskan Malamute Club of America was formed in 1935 and the American Kennel Club recognized the breed that same year. During World War II, most of the registered Alaskan Malamutes were loaned out for war duty because there was a great demand for sled dogs. Tragically, many of them were destroyed after serving their nation on an expedition to Antarctica during World War II.

All AKC-registered Malamutes today can trace their ancestry back to the original Kotzebues or to dogs registered during the open period in the late 1940s. Today, the Alaskan Malamute ranks 57th among the 155 breeds and varieties recognized by the AKC.

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