10 Facts About The Alaskan Malamute

The Alaskan malamute became the Alaska state dog in 2010 after a group of school kids championed the effort through the Alaska Legislature as part of a class project. We think it’s a pretty fitting choice. Here are a few things you might not have known about the official dog of Alaska!

  1. The history of the breed dates back a seriously long time. 5,000 years ago the first settlers of North America kept Alaskan malamutes as their companions and as work dogs.
  2. Some relatives of the Alaskan malamute you might recognize are the Samoyed, the Siberian husky and even the Labrador.
  3. If you want one of your own, keep in mind they need daily exercise (they are sled dogs, after all). They don’t bark much, but they are vocal and love to stretch their vocal chords and howl sometimes.
  4. They’re built to withstand cold temperatures, and were historically used in Arctic expeditions. They helped settlers hunt, track, look out for bears and also helped to haul gear across snowy terrain, pulling heavy sleds.
  5. Alaskan malamutes have even been known to act as babysitters, although we wouldn’t recommend this in 2017.
  6. They’re credited with helping to open Alaska up for settlement and development by performing tasks like carrying mail and transporting supplies.
  7. During World War I, 450 Alaskan malamutes were shipped to France to deliver supplies to French army troops isolated in mountain outposts.
  8. During the Gold Rush, these dogs were in extremely high demand as hopeful prospectors used them to haul massive amounts of food and supplies over mountain passes.
  9. Alaskan malamutes were also used in World War II, this time to sniff for mines, carry weapons and act as search-and-rescue dogs.
  10. Endlessly helpful to their human friends, Alaskan malamutes were also a part of the historic 1925 Serum Run.

How To Comfort Your Dog During Fireworks

Try giving your pup lots of extra play time during the day through tugging, chasing, and fetching. A sleepy pooch may not have the energy to be bothered by any noisy fireworks, they may even sleep through them altogether. Be aware of when fireworks will be set off in your area so you can plan on letting your dog out earlier in the evening. This will avoid having to let them out later and will mean you can keep them safely inside.

Put your dog in a quiet room that can block out a lot of outdoor noise by keeping the windows shut. You can create a temporary hangout spot for your dog by making the room extra inviting. Give him/her lots of treats, their favorite blanket or bed, and toys. You could even give them a brand new toy to help distract them from any scary sounds.

Sometimes, the only thing your dog needs is some extra TLC. Try petting your dog and speaking to them softly during the fireworks. Keep in mind that dogs enjoy being pet certain places more than others.

They say the key to the heart is through the stomach, and that may be the key to keeping your dog calm, too. Get the peanut butter or other treats that your dog loves ready when the fireworks go off. It will help distract them and give them a little bit of positive reinforcement for staying calm when hearing a loud boom.

Sometimes the bright, flashing lights can be scarier to your dog than the noise! Be sure to keep all your curtains closed in the house where fireworks may be visible to your dog.  Remind the humans of the household that they can enjoy the show outside.

Music and white noise not only help people destress, but they can also help your dog, too. Not sure what type of music would be best to help soothe your dog’s firework fear? Recent studies have shown that playing music reduces stress in dogs at animal shelters, with less barking, lower respiratory rates, and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Music therapy is used as a natural anti-anxiety remedy and to help with sleep disorders, and it’s easy to use the same technique for your puppy or adult dog.  Reggae and soft rock are the most relaxing music for dogs in shelters, and classical music also helps calm down dogs in stressful environments.

Why Does One Select A Particular Breed Of Dog?

Write a blog about why you chose your specific breed of dog or if you’re a cat person or a reptile or pot belly pig person — blog about what drew you to the species and tout its benefits!

When I was a kid I really wanted a dog for our family. At the age of 11 my sister & dad went to get us a Pomeranian puppy, who we named Lassie. Now, I have never liked the breed much – still don’t – and it wasn’t my choice but hey! A puppy is a puppy. She unfortunately had some complications and died within 4 days. I was devastated and wasn’t sure about keeping pets for a while. But we had a stray cat deliver babies inside our house (she found an slightly open window) and my sister & I ended up taking care of the kittens for 2 weeks. The mamma cat came by when were in school and seemingly took all 4 kittens away.

That incident made my sister & me want to have cats as pets. We were at to our mom’s mother’s place for a few days and another stray cat had delivered babies in an old auto-rikshaw that was lying in the grounds next to the house. My sister & I took permission from our parents and took 2 of the kittens home with us. We named the girl kitten Lollipop – she was almost all white with just a couple of patches of ginger on her – and the boy kitten was called Chocolate – he was mostly ginger. They had such awesome personalities and were very loving to us. They both died within a year of each other, Chocolate by the time I was turning 16.

Even though I missed the cats, I really wanted a dog. So in 1994 I kept looking out for puppy sales in the newspaper. I really wanted either a Golden Retriever or a Labrador Retriever. It didn’t matter much to me at the time, I just liked both from what I had seen on some Discover shows. However the fact that the Goldens looked more prettier kinda won me over and since I was picking the breed, I choose Golden at the end. I found a breeder who had 2 pups left from a litter of 8 – 1 boy and 1 girl. My cousin & I went to pick out the dog and I wasn’t sure if I should get the girl or the boy.

The reason I picked the girl? The boy puppy wasn’t coming towards us while the girl puppy was very curious and playing with my shoe laces. So I told my cousin that this was the one I wanted and I went to pay the breeder as I was in love with the girl puppy. I brought her home and that dog is the legendry, illustrious and forever my best friend – Shawny!

Prompts from September Blogging Prompts For Pet Bloggers

8 Things Every Responsible Dog Owner Must Know

XX Things Every Responsible Dog Owners Knows (AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Month)

Having a dog in your life is one of the biggest joys you can have. The love of a dog is one of life’s greatest things ever and therefore we should give serious consideration to about the commitment that being a responsible dog owner entails.

Commit for the Long Haul – getting a dog is a commitment. You have to be sure you want a dog and can provide for him/her.

Make Time for Your Dog – dogs will love you no matter what. But they need and deserve that time and attention. Ensure to give it every day.

Provide Proper Identification – get your dog a collar with a name tag with your contact information. Consider micro-chipping your dog as well.

Spay and Neuter – If you do not have your dog spayed or neutered you may be contributing to the problem of millions of unwanted stray or pound dogs.

Don’t Be a Backyard Breeder – If you choose to breed your dog, be sure to follow the proper protocols and don’t just let the dogs birth in the backyard so you can make some money.

Keep Your Dog Healthy – regular vet visits and checkups. Stay off the foods that the vet says to keep them away from. Always provide plenty of fresh drinking water and an appropriate amount of quality nutrition for your dog. A place of shelter and comfort is also important for your dog’s physical and mental wellness, and exercise is a must.

Train Your Dog – some training is always good. Canine etiquette is not just for our benefit.  well-trained dogs are more content because they have been given a sense of structure. A well-behaved and properly socialized dog is less likely to upset people and pets in public places and will be more welcome at gatherings.

Respect Others – don’t let your dog bar throughout the day or worse at night. Pick up after your dog when you take him/her for a walk. Keep your dog on a leash or in a fenced-in yard when outdoors.

Prompt from 100+ Writing Prompts & Blog Post Ideas for September at Pretty Opinionated

Five Ways to Stop Your Dog Biting

Dogs are beautiful animals, but they still have sharp teeth! There’s still no reason to worry that your dog will bite someone though. Try this handy guide to make sure your dog doesn’t become a biter.

1. Start Your Dog’s Training Immediately

As soon as you bring a new dog home, set the rules as you mean to go on. Don’t allow them to bite or mouth anyone’s body parts or clothes. If you make it very clear from the start that they are not to use their mouth on human beings, they will be much less likely to bite later on. A rescue puppy nibbling your finger is one thing, but when that puppy is a large dog with weight and teeth behind it, they’re going to do some severe damage. If you’re adopting an adult dog, train them as you would a puppy — everything is new to them, especially you, so it’s an excellent opportunity to teach them what you expect from them.

2. Chew Train Them

It can help if your dog is appropriately chew trained, then they will have less inclination to bite. You could begin this process with bitter apple spray. Dogs hate the taste, and it teaches them to avoid licking or biting areas they consistently find it on. Make sure your dog has adequate chew toys or treats, and praise him when he chews them. If he chews something he shouldn’t, give him a firm, “No,” and swap the item for a chew or toy.

3. Keep Their Teeth Clean

This may sound odd, but a dog who has pain in his mouth is likely to bite something in an attempt to stop it hurting. Train your rescue dog to tolerate regular teeth-cleaning. When you go to the vet for annual health checks, always get your dog’s mouth checked out. Your vet will be able to advise on any further dental work needed, such as a professional clean under anesthetic.

4. Maintain Their Health and Happiness

Obvious to some, but unknown to others, your dog’s physical and mental health can be contributors to unwanted behaviors like inappropriate toileting, scratching furniture, or even biting. Get your dog checked out annually, or more often, is advised to by a vet. If your canine friend is acting out, always consider whether a medical issue is the real culprit. When your dog still passes a medical with flying colors, re-examine their lifestyle and their home. Has anything changed recently? Is something making them stressed, unhappy, or anxious? When you find out what it is, it should be easy to combat, but there are excellent dog behaviorists out there who can help you. At the bottom of many dog bite attack claims is an unhappy dog.

5. Neuter

Neutering your dog is one of the best ways to prevent aggression and over-excitement, in both males and females. Unneutered dogs are much more likely to bite.

If your dog is well-trained and kept happy and healthy, he should never bite anyone. Follow these five tips to ensure it stays that way.