Principles

We are a small family-operated breeder of fine Alaskan Malamutes.  Small breeders are the best place to find a pup as they are doing the work because of their love for the breed.  Many large-scale breeders of different type of pups tend to operate such that they must breed and sell many, many pups just to pay their overhead.    They are sometimes concerned more with selling than finding the right family. 

Small breeders have an advantage in that they are in the work solely for their love of the breed. They want their breed to have a good reputation, and consequently breed for health, disposition, and continual improvement. Small breeders are diligent to know all they can about their breed, so as to do the best job possible and help other owners.  They are there as a dedicated friend to your family and pet, and care most that the pups are put into the right family. 

Some breeders specialize in breeding “show dogs,” but actually, because a good show dog is not common – and show dogs do not whelp show dogs every time – for every good show dog they get they will also get a few “non-show dogs” that will have to be sold.  Usually, show dog breeders will keep a real show dog for themselves, or sell it at a really high price to others whom they know well, or those who intend to show the dog, being in the show dog circuit.  They do not usually sell a real show dog to just anybody.  They may tell you it is a show dog, but see if they guarantee a win at show.  What they might mean is, the parents are show dogs or have show dogs in their pedigree.  Even our pups have champion show dog in their pedigree, but we do not imply in any way they are show dogs, or that they will win at show.  Our desire is to breed quality AKC registered purebred Alaskan Malamute pets that people can have as companions and make a loving part of their family. 

There is a big difference between dogs that are bred for show and those that are bred for pets.  If you intend to show a dog, you should first get familiar with the circuit and know really well what you want and what you are looking for.  Be prepared for putting forth a lot of time, energy, and money toward this work.  Dogs that are bred for show generally do not have great dispositions, and are bred neither to be family friendly, nor to have good socialization skills – they are bred specifically for performance in the ring.  Please do not misunderstand, these may be great dogs, I am simply saying the priority of breeding is different than ours.  The pups intended for the ring are removed from the litter an early age and immediately are trained for show – how to stand, walk, etc.  They are groomed and introduced to the ring at an early age.  We know people who paid a lot for a “show dog” that really wasn’t, and it had a bad disposition.  What they really wanted was an excellent pet.  Their “show dog” was not a good pet for a family, especially with the children.  If someone tries to sell you a show dog, ask if it is guaranteed to win shows.  If it were, they would probably keep the pup themselves.  Remember that pups inherit their dispositions, so make sure to meet the parents.

We, at Desent Alaskan Malamutes, have a number of principles that we go by to do what we can to make sure pup and owner are happy.  We put our name on these dogs, and that means something to us.  You are welcome to contact other folks who own our dogs and get their opinion of us.  We are happy to give references.  We know that a puppy is a long-term commitment – 10 to 15 years.  You need to make sure you get the right pup, as you will be living together with it for a long time.  So, up front, we want to inform you of these principles we go by:

First, we want the purchasers of our pups to be completely satisfied.  It is a bad thing when a family has a dog that doesn’t work out as they expected.  A misplaced pup is good neither for the family, for the pup, for the breed, nor for the breeder.  Especially with the Alaskan Malamutes – the king of dogs – owners need to do all the research they can in respect to this breed.  No one should select a dog because they like the look.  Every dog breed has strengths and weaknesses.  For every dog and family, some are a good fit, and some are an ill fit.  We do not want to cause any negative opinion of the breed.  We know that families who have experience with Mals, or who are prepared to give a lot of daily attention to the dog make the best owners.  Folks who have long schedules and are away from home a lot during the day will not make good owners for a Malamute.  Mals are very intelligent and need stimulation during the day.  They need to be around people.  A Malamute left to himself too long will find a way to keep occupied – many times in disastrous ways.  A Malamute who has someone home during the day will turn out to be the best pet a person ever had.  A Malamute left in a crate will cry, bark, dig, scratch, foam, chew, and cause much grief to himself and his owner.  Mals are very intelligent, but thy also have a great need to be with people.

We stand by our dogs and offer help and advice if needed.  All our customers are satisfied with their pup. (We have had very few that learned the breed was not right for them.  They were not dissatisfied with the pup, but realized they were not able to offer all they thought they could.  This is why we are careful who get our pups).  All our pups’ owners will say it takes effort to raise the pup rightly (i.e., constant care for a few weeks), but the effort pays off.  Malamutes respond to human life better than any breed we know.  They love to be part of the family.  To do right by a Mal, you should be prepared to make it welcome in all areas of your life.  They won’t be much trouble that way.  If neglected or left alone too long, watch out – your Malamute WILL find a way to amuse himself.

We offer a self-evaluation for potential owners to determine for themselves if a Malamute is right for you.  You simply score yourself so you can judge for yourself if this breed is right for you.  We are happy to e-mail the self-evaluation to you upon request.

Interested owners should consider the amount of time, effort, patience, and environment that are needed for living with a Malamute.

Second, we breed for health and disposition.  Mals have a tendency to look like the sire (father) and have the disposition of the dam (mother).  One person said that 80% of a Mal’s disposition he gets from his mother.  We believe this is true.  We encourage all interested parties to visit and meet our dogs.  This way, they can get first-hand knowledge of what the pups will be like when they are grown.  People will see that we breed only Alaskan Malamutes, and have full control over both the sire and dam.  We do not use other dogs for mating* for two reasons: 1) if you use a stud dog you cannot always be sure he is totally healthy or of great disposition.  As with people, dogs can also transmit venereal and other diseases; and 2) if you, the buyer, can’t meet the parents, how can you be sure the pedigree is correct, or the dog is what you want?  Our buyers can be sure of who is mating with whom, and see and meet them.  Also, one should be cautious if he cannot meet the parents of a pup he is interested in.  Why not?  Are the breeding conditions poor and unsanitary?  Will the female look unhappy or abused?  Are they afraid their dogs might be aggressive toward strangers?  Dogs that are penned up or put on a line for too long indeed become territorial, and in turn can be come aggressive toward strangers. Always be sure you can meet and spend time with the parents of any pup you buy.

In respect to health, no breeder can ever guarantee your dog will never be sick or have problems.  As with people, so with animals – you just really can’t see into the future, or how the dogs will be taken care of. Most sicknesses can be avoided by good food and environment, and regular veterinarian checks, and treatment if necessary.  Mistreatment of any animal will make him susceptible to all kinds of diseases.  Proper nutrition is a must for every pet – and person.   Most unhealthiness can be attributed to diet or environment.  Dogs can be poisoned by chemicals in the air, water and ground.  Although we cannot foresee all events, we do offer a 3-year health guarantee.  If, within 3 years of age, your pup has any genetic problems that prevent him from functioning as a pet, and this is not due to abuse or accident, we will replace or refund the cost of the dog.  We do not require the dog to be returned.  Be careful and ask this question to breeders: Do I need to return the dog for the refund? Some breeders only give a 2-year guarantee (knowing most problems show up after 2 years), and require you return the dog (this, most owners won’t do because they have grown to love their animal).

Third, early puppy care is instrumental in the good development of a dog.  Right from the whelping box, our pups are cared for, handled and spoken to gently, and kept cleaned and safe.  These pups learn human interaction so early that it becomes part of their consciousness.  They are familiar with the feel, sounds, odors, and activities of a household from the first day of their life. Our pups are people friendly and are adapted to the home.  Many of our pups are paper-trained by the time they leave our care.  We learn about the disposition and personality of each pup so we can better fit pup and owner.  Because of the high intelligence of Malamutes, when they are raised this way, they think themselves more human than dog.  You do not want your pup to just start learning about humans and the home at the time when you get home with him – you want that settled and part of the pup.  Those first 7 – 8 weeks are very crucial for the hardwiring of the pups’ disposition.  We make sure the care is constant and careful, and the pups show the difference.

The care we give our pups makes it necessary to never ship our pups.  The trauma of being taken from a warm, loving environment and being put in a cold, hard cage, shipped by strangers with the possibility of abuse or neglect (who will answer the little pup’s cries as he is left alone??), is a shock that will affect the pups personality for life.  We want a seamless transition from one loving home to another when it comes to our pups.  You should want that, too.

Fourth, we make sure our pups are current with their vaccinations and deworming.  We believe these are very important for all animals.  This necessary process should never be neglected in any dog.  We use the standard puppy shot with some extra protections (please see our handbook for details as it is too detailed for this paper).  We do encourage standard veterinarian examinations, and you should consider your vet’s recommendations carefully.  There are some folks who follow a naturalistic method of dog prevention.  This has merit and if interested you should diligently research this option.  However, for our work, we prefer to make sure all our dogs are current on all vaccinations, deworming, and the preventative measures.

Fifth, we are careful in our breeding.  All our pups are AKC registered and come with full registration.  Our sire and dam are happy, healthy, and intelligent purebred Alaskan Malamute with great dispositions; and so are the pups.  We breed to improve the Alaskan Malamute, and mate dam and sire that have similar features.  We do not encourage or practice cross breeding – that is, mixing breeds. (Note:  We do practice out-crossing, which is completely different from cross breeding.  Out-crossing is a breeding method where the mating is of two purebreds – of the same breed only – from distinct lines.  This promotes hybrid vigor.  We do not practice inbreeding: that is, mating brother to sister, or father to daughter, etc.  This can contribute to genetic defects if done improperly or used too much.  Inbreeding is used a lot when trying to reproduce a champion show dog.  Make sure you check your pup’s pedigrees for too much inbreeding.  Please see our handbook for detailed information on this subject).  We do not breed any other type of animal – Alaskan Malamutes are our effort alone when it comes to breeding animals, and we focus much on breeding these for great family pets – one litter at a time.

We provide full AKC registration with our pups.  We believe the owners of our pups are honorable people who will do the best for their dog.  Some breeders withhold the papers until the owners prove the dog has been spayed or neutered.  Some breeders offer only limited AKC registration.  We want the life of your pet to be subject to your principles, not ours.  We encourage spaying and neutering, but we also respect the owner enough to let that decision be his or hers.  We provide the spaying and neutering information in our handbook showing all the reasons why it is a good idea, and it is indeed a good idea for the majority of pet owners.  We also encourage people to ask about breeding.  We would rather help them breed rightly, than hope they breed rightly.

Sixth, we encourage you to ask questions, get to know us, become friends, and be comfortable in your decision.  We hope and encourage owners to visit their pup while young and spend time bonding.  Only God is all-knowing, but we will do our best to give you honest and upfront answers to your questions.  We are not in business to sell dogs – we are promoting a great breed for the right people to enjoy.  A pet is a tremendous blessing, and sometimes if the situation is not right, a real curse.     We provide a lot of printed matter with our pups to the end that you will know your dog well, and know how to care for it rightly.

If you put a deposit on a pup, we will keep in contact with you and send pictures regularly.  We will keep you informed of your pup’s progress, and let you know about little things he has learned to do.  We love these little guys and know that you will enjoy them as much as we do.

Seventh, we expect our pups to go to homes where they will be loved and well cared for.   Malamutes need a lot of time around people.  We discourage any separation of a Malamute from the family.  We know people have to leave the house, but if it is a short trip or along trip, the Mali should go with.  If he must be left at home, you should be careful to make sure the dog is thoroughly ready for the experience:  played with until he is exhausted, well fed and watered and relieved, shown a lot of attention before you leave, make sure he is comfortable; and not left for too long, and allowed to enjoy his surroundings without causing damage to himself or your property.   The meanest thing that a Malamute can experience is neglect from the family – they must be right in the middle of all activity to be happy.  Malamutes are not hyperactive dogs.  They usually just lie around quietly with the ears “on.”  While you at home, they should be allowed to lie next to you.  On walks, they should go with you; when in the bathroom, let them keep you company.  While cooking, let them be part of the cooking experience; when going on errands, let them watch the vehicle.  When sleeping, give them a place on the floor nearby.  Malamutes will adapt so well to your family if you give them chance.  Let your Malamute run at full speed, swim in deep water, run on the beach, play Frisbee or football, stick its head out the car window, sit at your feet when on the computer, and be your pillow when lying on the floor.  Treat him with the respect he deserves and he will respect you.  Give him the attention as he tries to communicate to you.  Learn his behavior and body language as he learns yours.  Treat your Mali, as you would like to be treated.  Don’t damage your Mal by using crates or solitary confinement, using choke collars and chains.  Don’t tie him up on a short line and leave him for hours.  Don’t ignore what he is trying to communicate.  Learn to be your Mali’s best friend.  Remember what one man said:  There are no bad malamutes, just a few bad pet owners.  A malamute will return to you all your investment of time, respect, and fellowship. 

If a Desent Alaskan Malamute appears to be right for you, please see our website: www.BizzyBiz.Biz or contact us for more information.

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