by Kimberlee King

Created on: October 09, 2009

If you are already an Alaskan Malamute owner or if you are considering owning one of these beautiful dogs one thing you should know is that they shed enough hair on a daily basis to make puppies for all of your neighbors. You should be aware that grooming and especially brushing are a major part of their care. It is necessary to brush the Alaskan malamute thoroughly at least twice a week to cut down on their copious shedding.

The Alaskan Malamute is what is referred to as a "double coated" breed. This means that they have a woolly undercoat and longer top or guard hairs. Their coat length varies from one to three inches long. There are some Malamute called "Woolies" that have a coat length over 5 inches! I wouldn't want to be the one brushing that twice a week even though they are absolutely beautiful. Besides the year round shedding the Malamute also "blows" it's coat twice a year which means that the hair comes out in large chunks during it's heavy shedding seasons. Some owners actually vacuum their malamutes during this time if they will tolerate the noise. Bathing the Alaskan Malamute is usually unnecessary since it's dense coat allows it to shed dirt easily. An exception to this would be if your pet decides to roll in something especially stinky which we all know they do at the worst possible times.

Grooming tools for the malamute are minimal, consisting of only a slicker brush and a large tooth metal comb. A protein conditioning spray is also a great way to make brushing easier on your malamute with the added benefits of conditioning the coat and leaving it fresh smelling.

It is best to set a schedule for grooming your Alaskan Malamute twice a week and stick to it, when they are not brushed the coat can become matted and require shaving which is not recommended as it can cause the coat to grow back patchy and uneven and expose your dog to insects and sunburn. Spray your pets coat with a liberal amount of protein conditioning spray then brush the entire dog with the slicker brush. Follow this with the steel comb which will enable you to see if you have gotten all the tangles, make sure you brush through the double coat. Clean the ears with commercially available ear cleaner and cotton balls. Check the toenails regularly and clip as needed. Spray with a little doggy cologne if desired and you are done grooming your malamute.

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