I feel like I've never seen a solid white malamute before. Is it uncommon? Or am I just unlucky? lol. I also feel like most mals I've seen have MUCH longer coats... but I live in Georgia so I feel confident most breeders in the area are byb.
White Malamutes have been in the breed since the start (below are several white dogs, all 3 are M’Loot lines):
For a long, long time white, although stated as the ONLY solid color acceptable in the breed in the standard, was not popular with breeders. White puppies were often culled or sterilized. Even now it is often said it is more difficult to obtained a Championship with a white dog vs a dog exactly the same in all regards except for color.
The very first white Champion was Ch PokerFlat’s Murphy’sLaw, WTD WWPD “Tommy” in 1995…keep in mind the breed was accepted into the AKC in 1935, 60 years prior to Tommy’s win.
Tommy’s Uncle (i believe…) Ch Poker Flat’s Frosty the Snowman CD WWPDWTD WLD was the first white Alaskan Malamute of any sex to win the points at the National…again not that long ago in 1995. (both these dogs are related to my own, Frosty is below):
HERE is an article about their history making wins.
White as a whole is not super common, but I would not classify it as rare either. It is about as common as red, but red was seen as a desirable color much before white. We are seeing a LOT more white malamutes in the past couple of years.
HERE is a good explanation of the color white (recessive red technically) in Malamutes.
and HERE is a breakdown of the different kinds of white that can occur in the breed.
Malamutes come in a MUCH wider range of acceptable colors than many people believe. Only a few colors are popular in the show ring, but HERE is a list of the many colors the breed comes in (via the Alaskan Malamute Club of America website).
Now, in terms of coat. The standard describes the coat as “The Malamute has a thick, coarse guard coat, never long and soft.” The illustrated standard further elaborates that “The texture and quality of the Malamute’s coat was critical for survival in the Arcticenvironment. A double coat with harsh, water-repellant properties allowed these dogs towithstand extreme temperatures and difficult conditions. Texture is the most importantconsideration in determining a correct coat. The oily & wooly undercoat is approximately 1-2”in depth and is softer to the touch. The 3-4” guard coat should not be long or soft yet will bemore profuse around the neck, down to back, and in the pants & tail area.”
For reference, Sigurd’s guard hairs are exactly within standard when I can find them, I measured on the other day at 4″.
Genetically there are three coat types to the Malamute: Short Coat, Carrier of Long Coat, & Long Coat. HERE is a better explanation of coat type.
Long coats are considered undesirable to use as breeding stock by responsible breeders as they decrease the dog’s function as an arctic sled dog. Long coat in the malamute often presents itself soft in texture and long enough it is a danger to the dogs in the arctic conditions they must survive.
Dogs with long coats experience snow sticking to the fur and also mat a LOT easier (they require a LOT of grooming to keep them in good condition), all of these things make long coated dogs at danger for hypothermia in arctic conditions.
Below is a Bernese Mountain dog (similar texture, long hair) showing how snow can clump, endangering the dog in below freezing conditions:
Long coats DO exist in the breed today, either from admixture with Siberians (who also have this gene and originated as a recognized breed from the same kennel) and their ancestors the Nenets Laika or from admixture with Western dogs brought north during the gold rush.
Newfoundland type dogs were popular in Alaska at that time and would certainly explain the VERY profuse long coat that happens in Malamutes. Often times responsible breeders will produce long coat puppies since the Carrier coat type is popular amongst show people (since it results in flashier looking coats). These dogs are placed in pet homes and live wonderful lives.
While there is argument over if long coats existed pre-gold rush, we can determine some facts. Very few, if any, of the original dogs classified as malamutes pre AKC registration have long coats. You can take a look through my Historical Malamute series HERE and take a look for yourself (Dogs are mix of pre registration and after registration). We also know that related Native Arctic Dog populations that have NOT been touched by western influence like Greenland Dogs do NOT carry for the super long coat we see in Malamutes, so take from that what you will.
Greenland Dogs below: (did you know the Greenland dogs has been considered for Outcrossing should the Malamute need it in the future?)
