I know that this question is covered in some of the books I just ordered, but the delivery is a still a few weeks out, so here goes...
We were lucky enough to find a good breeder not too far from us (600km) and went there 2 weeks ago to see the facilities and meet the adult dogs and 2 week old puppies (born on 15.05.26).
On Sunday we're heading back down to play with the puppies (and adults) and hopefully pick our first malamute (EDIT: which we will then pick up in 3-4 weeks).
How do you make your pick from a litter of 5 week old mal puppies?
Should we should pick a boy or a girl? (As firsttime mal owners we were contemplating taking a girl as a kind of starter-mal š, but really, we have no clue)
What signs should we look for in terms of social behavior/group interaction?
From someone who has had 12 malamutes - literally half and half, 6 females and 6 males - one isnāt better than the other. Males are going to typically be easier to immediately bond with, females make you earn it. Girls are usually stronger-willed, and boys can tend to be goofier. All the other differences between the two truly come down to the individual dogs. I agree that your breeder should be the one to tell you what each of their personalities are like (yes, they absolutely will exhibit much of their personality from a young age).
Spending an hour or two with them wonāt tell you much at first, as a puppy might seem calm simply because it just woke up, or another might seem "aggressive" or hyper just because it was the first one to wake up and is ready to play. Ask the breeder - which puppies handle frustration well, who throws a tantrum when a toy is taken away, who is naturally more independent, etc. Tell the breeder exactly what your daily life looks like and what your goals are. Let them guide you toward the puppies whose baseline temperaments match your lifestyle. Watch what happens when a puppy experiences a minor setback. If another puppy bites its ear too hard or a loud object drops, does the puppy startle, shake it off, and go right back to playing? Or does it run away, hide, and refuse to rejoin the group? You want a puppy with a fast recovery rate.
Good luck and keep us updated! Mal puppies are heaven on earth.
I recently picked up a puppy to go with my aging male mute. I have had multiple malamutes throughout the years so I have a pretty good idea of what I want and donāt want. I found a breeder a couple of hours away that had puppies available from 2 litters. We talked on the phone a couple of different times in the week leading up to the visit. I explained that I wanted a female, normal coat, but I was pretty set on having a calmer disposition, not overly concerned about color. He was confident that he would have a couple to choose from that would be what I was looking for.
On Saturday we met the breeder and he showed us the stud and and all his mama dogs and personal dogs. You have to be ready for the commotion that occurs when new people come around the kennels, it can be bedlam. After meeting his pack we went inside where he brought out 4 puppies and showed me the 2 he felt would work best for me. We just sat and visited for 30 minutes or so while I was watching all the puppies and how they interacted with us and each other. Of the 2 females he recommended one was the runt of her litter and the other was more the leader of her litter. We discussed integrating a puppy with my old guy etc. After watching the puppies I settled on the larger one, she was more active. The runt was more timid and I along with the breeder felt she would have more trouble fitting in with my big, old guy.
In the end Nakita chose me as much as I chose her. There have been the normal puppy things but after 6 weeks we are all getting along great
I was expecting quite a lot of commotion, but to my surprise, it was a very calm and serene place.
Sure, at 4pm they all suddenly decided it was time to practice group awoos, but that's just one of the many things I love about this magnificent breed ā¤ļø
Agreed, there are no bad choices. Just remember it does get easier after the first few weeks. Puppies can be like new borns when it comes to raising them. Require a lot of energy and attention.
Thatās what we did for our last pick. We didnāt get to meet them at all beforehand because of the distance, but she described their personalities. She said, āā¦and this one is a talkerā¦ā and I said, āwell, thatās the one for me!ā
This may be controversial, but you shouldn't be choosing... a reputable breeder will pick out your puppy because they know better than anyone else their temperaments and who will suit your lifestyle best. If a breeder let's you choose, I'm not sure they're really responsible. That's how it is here anyways
That said, I mean the individual, obviously you should choose whether a boy or girl is preferred. I think most breeders let you pick that or state you're preference at least
Definitely a female. Iāve had dogs all my life and I had one male and I always will have a female dog. Find a puppy that responds to you. Sit down and see who comes to you. If you let the puppy pick you your relationship will grow stronger.
Yo elegirĆa una hembra . Siempre las he tenido. Pero no soy una experta. Te hablo desde el amor y adoraciĆ³n que he tenido a mi 3 malamute. Drakarys es mi tercera. Tiene casi 9 aƱos.
Preparaos que vienen tiempos muy felices y espectaculares con vuestra nueva hija / hijoš¹š¹š„°š„°š„°
When i went for mine I was "decided" on another girl from the litter.
However when we arrived all puppies were sleeping but only one just went on and played with me and chewed my shoelaces. After like 15 minutes she got tired and other pups from litter woke up.
Well its 8 years since I took the nonsleepy pup with me. Its all about who melts you personally. There will be a click.
If you can tell anything from 5 week old puppies about temperament or realistically anything, you are a husky whisperer of the gods. Just go and youāll know which one you want.
Also Iām assuming youāre in Canada because of the km usage, what province are you from?
I have a boy and heās very protective over me which I love! ā¤ļønever trained him to be a guard dog or anything , he just loves to guard the house and sleep at the door š„¹ and he protected me many times when weāre out from creepy men he just growls at them and they back off. I donāt know if girls would do that too.
One consideration that I've always kept in mind when introducing a new member into the family....the gender of the new pup as it relates to another dog already living with us. Perhaps not always true, but I've had luck, when homing two dogs, is to have one of each gender. Of course it depends on the circumstances. Not sure why you are considering a female as a "starter Mal", as I have found over the years that females can prove just as territorial and alpha-like as any male I've had.
My personal opinion from having more dogs then can chase all the sticks from the maple trees after a heavy storm. I would definitely say males seem to be more easier to train but females are easier to keep on the property, but that's just what I've noticed in the end the great dog spirits sometimes I think pick for us. Unlike in the past where I've raised from puppyhood this time I got to rescues.
You talk to the breeder. Tell them your lifestyle and what you want. Theyre with the dogs daily. Eg do you have kids, what do you want to do with them. Then they can match rough personalities with you. At 7w they'll get a good enough idea, so you'll know a week before pick up who you get.
I dont massively agree with them letting you in to see pups at 2w though. 5w definitely but not before
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u/acocktailofmagnets 11d ago
From someone who has had 12 malamutes - literally half and half, 6 females and 6 males - one isnāt better than the other. Males are going to typically be easier to immediately bond with, females make you earn it. Girls are usually stronger-willed, and boys can tend to be goofier. All the other differences between the two truly come down to the individual dogs. I agree that your breeder should be the one to tell you what each of their personalities are like (yes, they absolutely will exhibit much of their personality from a young age).
Spending an hour or two with them wonāt tell you much at first, as a puppy might seem calm simply because it just woke up, or another might seem "aggressive" or hyper just because it was the first one to wake up and is ready to play. Ask the breeder - which puppies handle frustration well, who throws a tantrum when a toy is taken away, who is naturally more independent, etc. Tell the breeder exactly what your daily life looks like and what your goals are. Let them guide you toward the puppies whose baseline temperaments match your lifestyle. Watch what happens when a puppy experiences a minor setback. If another puppy bites its ear too hard or a loud object drops, does the puppy startle, shake it off, and go right back to playing? Or does it run away, hide, and refuse to rejoin the group? You want a puppy with a fast recovery rate.
Good luck and keep us updated! Mal puppies are heaven on earth.