Coat
Be warned invest in a GOOD hoover !
Malamutes are a double coated breed. Colours range from black, gray, silver, red, and liver whilst parts of the legs, feet, tail and under sides of their body is white. They have many types of face markings
Color Description
Gray and White — Gray guard hairs with light gray, cream, or white undercoat. No red factor is evident. Dog definitely appears gray, even though there may be some black hairs on the topline
Black and White — Black guard hair with black or dark grey undercoat.
(Alaskan) Seal and White — Black or black tipped guard hairs with white or cream undercoat. Dog appears black at a distance, but is not a true black because of the light undercoat.
Red and White — A definite shade of red, either light or dark; with light points (lip line and nose), and eye color. No black factor evident.
Sable and White — Black or gray guard hairs with a reddish undercoat and red trimmings. Both black and red factors evident.
Silver & White — Light gray guard hair with white undercoat.
All White — Both guard hairs and undercoat are white. Often evidence of a mask in cream color. Only solid color allowed.
Face Markings
Cap — A cap of color covers the top of the head and ears usually coming to a point in the center of the forehead.
Goggles — Dark areas under the eyes and extending sideways to the cap.
Bar — A dark area extending from the center point of the cap down the nose.
Star — A small white spot in the center of the forehead.
Eye Shadow — Dark markings under the eyes but not extending out to the cap.
Full Mask — The combination of cap, goggles and bar.
Mask— the combination of cap and goggles.
Open Face — A cap covering the top of the head and no other markings on the face.
Closed Face — Dark coloring covering the face with no distinct markings on the face.
Blaze — A white mark extending from the center point of the cap back up the forehead. Width and length can vary.
Chest Markings
Necklace — A curving band of dark color across the chest.
Eagle — Two bands of dark color protruding partially across the chest forming a pattern resembling the eagle emblem.
Mismarkings
Mismarkings — Undesirable, uneven splashings
Malamutes hardly have an odor and like to keep themselves clean.They have a thick, coarse guard coat and a soft Denes warm under coat.Which is oily and woolly that provides the dog with insulation from the cold.
In the breed standard-Thick, coarse guard coat, not long and soft. Dense undercoat, from 2.5-5 cms (1-2 ins) in depth, oily and woolly. Coarse guard coat stands out, with thick fur around neck. Guard coat varies in length as does undercoat, but in general coat of medium length along sides of body, increasing somewhat around shoulders and neck, down back and over croup, as well as in breeching and plume.
Inca in coat |
Inca out of coat |
|
|
Malamutes are seasonal shedders; this means they will "blow" out their coat twice a year they will need a great amount of grooming to keep the coat healthy and clean.
When the coat is loose the under coat comes out in big clumps it is ready to blow. To help the shedding process groom every day or at least every two days. Giving the dog a warm bath will also help the blowing along and a professional high speed blower can help blow the loose coat out as you dry.
A few malamutes have long coats called "woolies" which require more frequent grooming to prevent mats a wollie coat is a fault to the breed and should not be shown.
THIS IS JUST 3 DAYS OF NIKITA BLOWING HER COAT !
And she still has 60% of her coat !
Keeping your Alaskan Malamute groomed is not only important to their appearance, but to their health as well. Regular grooming of your Alaskan Malamute can control parasites in addition to improving general appearance. Grooming is a good time to check the condition of your Alaskan Malamute’s coat,skin, eyes, ears, and teeth. Bonds are formed when grooming your malamute
If your house proud you might want to rethink whether owning a malamute is right for you .You should also consider individuals in your home who may be allergic to the hair.
Nikita groomed for a show
Your malamute should be feed on a good quality food that's why we feed and recommend our dogs on
& use a food supplement Vita Oil for the coat and skin with remarkable results on our dogs .I spoke to Doreen Paige at Grooming winners naturally
with both these products our dogs coats have never looked healthier!
Quality harsh coat shampoo
Quality white coat shampoo
Tornado heater/ blaster 93
Grooming table
Towels
Non slip mat
Steel-toothed comb,
rake
Slicker brush
Shedding bade
Nail trimmers
All dogs need to be bathed epically show dogs , you can check with your breeder or you can get good advice at shows to find out what shampoo is best for your dog .I use a quality shampoo from Groomers salon seaweed & cucumber for the body as it is a coarse coat shampoo and malamutes must have a harsh coat.This is a concentrated shampoo so it must be watered down, I also use a white shampoo on the chest,stomach,tail,feet,and legs.
If you are going to bath you malamute in doors be ready for some Major post-bath cleanup and that you will probably be wetter than the dog! when bathing in the tub always put a non-skid rubber mat in the tub to prevent slipping over.
When bathing my dogs I take my time I find each dog can take me up to 4 hours to get ready for a show. I find it very important to start off by Brushing them first as this removes any mats or dead hair this will make it easy for when the time comes to dry and brush. I use a slicker brush and I use the comb or rake to remove undercoat or to tease apart tangles or mats. I lightly mist the coat with water then brush in direction of hair growth, from head to tail, Then brush and comb in the opposite direction, layer by layer, a small portion at the time. Divide the hair with one hand, hold and brush then comb down to the skin. When entire body has been brushed you are ready to bath.
You must be careful to not get the water or shampoo in the eyes or ears so this does not happen you can cover eyes with your hand,put Cotton balls in the ears or fold the ears down when you rinse the dog's face. I use a wash cloth to wash the dog’s face.
You must Soak your dog to the skin in warm water Remember they are a double coated breed so work the water in well.
Apply the white shampoo first to all the white bits on the dog working it into the skin with your fingers untill you get a good lather.Be warned they will shake so I find I have to re-soak the coat.
Then apply the coarse shampoo, I always do the head last so starting with a ring around the neck and work it into the skin with your fingers from the neck, all the way back to the end of the tail making sure it is worked in well with a good lather.
Rinse your dog well with warm water don't forget as they are a double coated breed you must be sure to remove every bit of soap, every bubble from the dog’s skin and hair. Rinse from the top of the neck and back and work your way down to the legs and feet. Then rinse, rinse, rinse again. When you no longer see soap or bubbles falling from the dog, After the final rinse, stand back and allow your dog to shake, this is usually best done out side you can encourage shaking by just softly blowing near the ear, I also use a towel to help soak up as much water as possible. Any Shampoo left on the dog will dry and look like dandruff and will cause the dog to itch.
My next step is to dry and groom I recommend investing in a grooming table as this will help not only your back but you will find the dog is at eye level too. As malamutes are a double coated breed they can be prone to hot spots so its is very important to make sure they are 100% dry.To dry your dog quickly and to make the coat fluffier, I use a Tornado 93 dryer and blaster. As I blast the coat I start at the top working my way down the back to the tail then each side of the body is done followed with the under belly, legs and feet try to create a circular motion as you blast I then Use a low heat setting following the same route but drying the fur in the opposite direction whilst brushing. Do not hold the dryer too close! Then I finish the dogs off with line combing again the fur is combed in the opposite direction all over the body to give that fullness look.
Hopefully you will find that all that time and effort has paid off as once a malamute has been properly bathed and groomed they look very impressive !
