FCI Standard No. 243 / 14.08.1996 / GB
ALASKAN MALAMUTE
(Alaskan Malamute)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD: 14.08.1996
UTILIZATION: sled dog
CLASSIFICATION FCI:
Group 5 (Spitz and Primitive Dogs)
Subgroup 1 (Nordic sled dogs)
No performance tests
OVERALL APPEARANCE: The Alaskan Malamute is one of the oldest Nordic sled dogs. He is a strong and powerful dog with a deep chest and a strong well-muscled body. The Malamute stands firmly on his paws and his posture gives the impression of great activity, his posture is proud, his head is erect and his eyes stare with alert interest and curiosity. The head is wide. The ears are triangular and erect when aroused. The muzzle is massive, tapering slightly from root to muzzle. The muzzle is neither raised nor too short. The coat is thick with a hard coat of sufficient length that well covers the thick undercoat. Malamutes are of different colors. The marks on the facial part of the head are the distinguishing mark of individuals. They consist of a hood on the head, the facial part of the head is all white, or with characters with a stripe or mask. The tail is well furred, carried over the back and resembles a tuft. The Malamute must have a strong skeleton with strong limbs, good movement, a deep chest and strong shoulders. It must have all the physical properties necessary for high performance. The movement must be smooth, balanced, tireless and absolutely effective. It is not intended as a racing sled dog for competitions in speed races. The Malamute is ideally built to deliver strong and enduring performance, and all the characteristics of dogs of this breed, including the characteristics, must be suitable for this purpose. Any deviations contrary to this purpose are considered a serious defect.
TEMPERAMENT: The Alaskan Malamute is a kind, friendly dog, not the dog of one master. He is a faithful, devoted companion, playful on challenge, but generally remarkable in adulthood for his dignity.
HEAD:
The head is wide and deep, it is harmonious in shape and elegant, it is not rough, but in the right proportion to the size of the dog. The expression is gentle and clearly expresses the kindness and friendliness of the dog.
Eyes: Set obliquely in the skull. The eyes are brown, oval in shape and medium in size. Blue eyes are a disqualifying defect.
Ears: Medium size but small due to the size of the head. The ears are triangular in shape with slightly rounded tips. They are set wide on the outer sides of the cerebellum at the same height as the upper edge of the eye. When they are upright, they look as if they are protruding from the head. The erect ears point slightly forward, but at work the ears are sometimes folded towards the skull. High set ears are a defect.
CRANIAL REGION: Skull broad and moderately arched between the ears, slightly flatter and narrower towards the eyes. A frontal furrow is indicated between the eyes. The junction of the upper line of the cerebellum and the upper line of the bridge of the nose forms a slight stop.
Muzzle: Broad and powerful, in good proportion to the size of the skull, from the root of the muzzle to the snout slightly tapering in width and depth.
For all coat colors except red, the snout, the edges of the lips and the edges of the eyelids are pigmented black. Brown is allowed for red dogs. Lighter annealing of the "snow" snout is acceptable. The lips fit snugly.
Upper and lower jaw: wide with large teeth. Cutters in scissor bite. An overbite or underbite is a defect.
NECK, UPPER LINE, BODY:
Neck: Strong and slightly arched
Chest: Well developed
Hull: compactly built, but not too short
Back: Straight and slightly sloping to the stern
Loins: Firm and well muscled. Long hips weakening the topline are a defect.
Tail: Set on moderately and smoothly following the line of the spine at the base. If the dog is not working, the tail is carried over the back. However, the tail is not twisted, twisted against the stern, nor is it bushy like a fox. The tail of the malamute is well furred and resembles a tuft.
FOREQUARTERS:
Shoulders: Moderately sloping; forelegs strong and well muscled, straight when viewed from the front to the big toe.
Pastern: Short and strong and slightly sloping when viewed from the side.
Feet: Snowshoe-like, deep and closed, with firm pads that make the feet look firm and compact. The feet are large, the toes close fitting and well arched. Protective coat grows between the fingers. Paws strong and hard, claws short and strong.
HINDQUARTERS:
The hind legs are strong and heavily muscled in the thighs, the knees moderately angulated and well sloping. Seen from behind, the pelvic limbs are parallel to the movement of the forelegs in posture and movement, neither too narrow nor too wide. The paws of the hind legs are undesirable and are removed shortly after the puppies are born.
MOVEMENT:
The stride of the malamute is persistent, balanced and full of strength. He is very alert to his size and body structure. Seen from the side, the hind legs show a strong shift, which is transmitted by the well-muscled hips to the forelegs. The forelegs gain a strong impulse from behind, which they transmit in a smooth long stride. When viewed from the front or rear, the limbs move in a straight line, not too close or too far from the center line. During a fast trot, the limbs tend to move closer to the body axis. Lameness or any step that is not perfectly purposeful and tireless is penalized.
COAT HAIR
COAT HAIR: Malamute has a thick hard coat; it must never be long or soft. The undercoat is thick, one to two inches long, greasy and wavy. The length of the coat and undercoat varies. The coat is relatively short to medium short on the hips, its length increases on the shoulders and neck, on the back of the stern, on the back of the thighs and tail. In the summer months, malamutes usually have shorter and less dense hair. Malamutes are shown with naturally groomed fur. Trimming is not permitted, except for adjusting the feet to make their natural shape stand out.
COLOR: The usual colors are from light gray to medium shades of gray to black, sable and sable to red. Color combinations are acceptable in the undercoat and on the edges of the body. The only uniform color allowed is all white. White is always the predominant color on the underside of the torso, parts of the limbs, paws and parts of the markings on the face. On the front of the head a bald spot or a collar or a spot on the neck are attractive and acceptable. Malamute has a mantle and spots spreading over the hull or uneven spots are undesirable.
SIZE, PROPORTION, WEIGHT:
Individuals of this breed grow to a certain extent. The required ideal size is:
Dogs: Height at withers 25 inches - 85 pounds
Bitches: height at withers 23 inches - 75 lbs
However, the evaluation of size should not prevail over the overall evaluation of type, correct proportions, movement and other functional features. If the assessed dogs are identical in type, proportions, movement, preference will be given to the dog that is closest to the ideal size. The depth of the chest corresponds to about half the height at the withers of the dog, the deepest part of the chest is located just behind the forelegs. The length of the body from the shoulder to the top of the sciatic bone exceeds the height at the withers of the dog. The body must not be excessively heavy and the bones must be in good proportion to size.
IMPORTANT SUMMARY:
When judging Alaskan Malamutes, the greatest emphasis is placed on their functionality as a sled dog in the transport of material cargo in Arctic conditions. The degree of penalty for dog defects must be in direct proportion to the size of the deviation from the description of the ideal malamute and in direct proportion to how the defect actually adversely affects the functionality and performance of the dog. The limbs of the malamute must show exceptional strength and exceptional strength when moving forward. Any fragility or weakness of the limbs, paws, front or back, in posture or movement should be considered a serious defect. Such defects are considered to be, for example, any deviation from the ideal position of the limbs, cow stance, incorrectly built big toe, steep shoulders, insufficient angulation, any unbalanced, insufficiently copious and smooth stride, too high limbs, shallow chest, clumsiness, fine skeleton and insufficient harmony of proportions. .
FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree. the evaluation of the defect should correspond exactly to the degree of the given deviation from the ideal.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: Blue eyes, aggression or excessive timidity
NOTE: Males must have two apparently normally developed testicles fully descended into the scrotum.