History of the Breed

Alaskan Malamutes are the largest and one of the oldest breeds of sled dog. The name 'Malamute' derived from 'Mahlemut' which is the name of the tribe they were owned and bred by. They originated from the Kotzebue Sound area of Alaska and were bred to pull heavy loads over long distances.

During the Alaskan Gold Rush, an increase was seen in the demand for sled dogs and several were brought into Alaska and cross mated. The Malamutes remained fairly pure as they were rather isolated in the Sound. Arthur Walden established the Chinook Kennels which was named after his foundation dog, Chinook. The majority of dogs used in the Byrd Antarctic expeditions were from this kennel. Arthur Walden himself was part of the first Byrd Expedition to Antarctica in 1928. He left his kennels in the capable hands of Milton and Eva Seeley. The Seeley's wanted to reproduce what they considered to be their ideal sled dog and they looked to the dogs of the native Mahlemut tribe. The first Malamute litter was born in 1929 and four pups were born, one of which was Gripp of Yukon who became the first Malamute Champion. The Seeley's developed the strain of Malamutes that were known as the Kotzebue's. They, along with a small band of enthusiasts who were dedicated to keeping the breed alive, developed the Alaskan Malamute Breed Standard and Malamute's were registered by the American Kennel Club as a recognised breed in 1935.

Eva Seeley was granted the Kotzebue affix by the AKC and all malamutes registered in the early days were Kotzebue dogs. However by 1950, the number of Malamutes had dropped significantly as several were killed during the war or on expeditions. The AKC decided to re-open the register and this allowed the registration of another strain that had been developed. The M'loot strain was developed by Paul Voelker, Sr., and Paul Voelker, Jr., with dogs they brought in from Alaska in the early 20th century. Some of the Voelker's dogs were in service in both WW1 and WW2 and were also part of second Bryd expedition. As the AKC had re-opened registration, several M'loot Malamutes were then allowed to be registered as pure-bred Alaskan Malamutes and in 1960 a new breed standard was written which encompassed both lines. Modern day dogs tend to be a mixture of the two strains.

Alaskan Malamutes were first brought into the UK in 1959. The Preston's brought over three Malamutes from America, one dog - Pawnee Flash of North Wind and two bitches - Preston's Cheechako and her daughter Ambara's Nuviya. The first litter was born on 28th July 1960 from a mating between Pawnee Flash of North Wind and Ambara's Nuviya. The Preston's bred the litter under the kennel name Kananak and the litter contained 3 dogs and 5 bitches. The Preston's bred two further litters before they returned to America, one from a mating of Pawnee Flash of North Wind and Preston's Cheechako which resulted in a litter of 5 dogs and 2 bitches being born on 13th October 1960. Their final litter was a repeat mating of Pawnee Flash of North Wind and Ambara's Nuviya and was born on 2nd June 1961. A small group of enthusiasts joined together and in 1964 the Alaskan Malamute Club of the United Kingdom (AMCUK) was formed.

The KC have awarded Malamutes CC (Challenge Certificate) status in 2006. A Malamute will become a champion if it is awarded 3 CC's by three different judges.

© K.Parker - Koyukuk Alaskan Malamutes & Australian Shepherds 2005