SELECTING A BREEDER

Before you make a commitment to any breeder, you should visit their kennel.  If that isn’t possible ask for references of people that have been to the facility and call them.  If it is possible for you to go to the kennel, it is a good idea to spend time watching the prospective parents of the pup you intend to buy. Even though it is not unusual for the parents to be nervous around strangers, they should be at ease and friendly towards their owner. 

Ask for references of people who have bought pups from the breeder before and talk to them about the behavioral characteristics, health, problems, etc., that they might have experienced with their pup.  Ask the breeder if he/she guarantees the pups and if you will be given a written contract. Ask the breeder if he/she will take the animal back should something happen that you can no longer keep the pup. 

Here are a few things that should make you have second thoughts about buying a pup from a particular breeder.

• The parents are over aggressive.  
• The parents are kept on chains.  
• The kennel is nasty and the animals do not look healthy.  
• The breeder refuses to give references.  
• The breeder will not take back their pups if a buyer is no longer able to keep it.  
• The breeder will not guarantee the health of their animals.  
• The breeder will not allow you to see the parents.  
• The breeder is willing to sell a Malamute to a first time owner.
• The breeder does not ask you about your containment or previous experience.  
• The breeder tells you that they make great guard dogs.  
• The pups look unhealthy (pot bellied with protruding hip bones, watery or dull lifeless eyes.

One should be familiar with the various looks and colorations of Huskies and Malamutes before trying to assess that the parents are Malamutes.

BREEDING MALAMUTES :

Almost everyone believes that their Malamute is a wonderful animal. However, that should not be the only criteria considered before breeding. Unless you have a set plan and have chosen your animals carefully, please do not breed. Animals that are bred should compliment one another in looks, health, and temperament. The main goal in breeding is to produce animals that are better than the parents.

If you choose to breed, health screening prior to breeding is recommended. A breeder should strive to avoid problems such as hip dysplasia. Having your breeding pair checked for hip dysplasia will cost approximately R890-00 per animal.

Breeders should know the background of any animal considered for breeding in order to determine if there are any physical or psychological problems within the line. Problems such as a maloclusive jaw is caused by recessive genes and may not be known unless two animals carrying the recessive gene are bred together. Even though some problems such as hip displasia can be surgically corrected, the procedure is extremely costly.

Some females are unable to give birth without assistance, and pups must be delivered by c-section. If you are gone (work, etc.) when the female goes into labor, she can easily die before you get home.

If you think that you will make money breeding Malamutes - think again. Almost all breeders that breed responsibly will tell you, that they usually do not make enough money to break even. The information below sets out a few facts that you should think about before counting your money.

THE PUPS:

If you have decided to breed, a birthing kennel must be readied for the new mother. Shortly before the pups are born, the female should be moved into this specially prepared area. However, she may not necessarily want to go into this specially prepared place. Therefore, the new kennel will need to be dig proof and climb proof. There should be a house or birthing box for her with bedding that will not mold and is not harmful to the pups. The area should be free from parasites such as fleas and ticks and the soil should be treated to get rid of diseases such as parvo.

Many new mothers are very protective and will not allow you to touch their pups. However, socialization should begin by the time the pups are two or three weeks of age. If the mother will not allow you to interact with the pups, you must pull the pups and bottle feed them. The mother may howl and be depressed for several days or even weeks once you take away her pups. Remember, if the new mother would not let you handle the pups while they were with her, then she certainly is not going to peacefully allow you to take them from her.

Once the pups are pulled, they may not like the formula, or may not do well on the formula you have chosen to use. If this happens, you will need to change the formula in order to get them to eat. Diarrhea is one problem you may encounter, and changing or adjusting the formula may be necessary to avoid loose stools. On the other hand, each time the formula is changed, it is likely to cause diarrhea, so all changes must be done gradually. Getting the pups to take a bottle can be problematic because some will not take it at all while others will try to suck too hard and aspirate. If the pup aspirates, then it can easily progress into pneumonia.

There are hundreds of things that can and do go wrong when trying to bottle feed pups. You should have a veterinarian standing by because chances are that you are going to make at least one visit to the vet’s office during the next few weeks. Whether you mix your own formula or buy a milk supplement, the costs is going to be expensive. One formula that breeders use is listed below.

Puppy Formula:

• One can goats milk mixed with an equal amount of Pedialyte (or water).  
• 3-5 heaping Tablespoons plain Danon’s Yogurt. (The yogurt must have active culture)  
• 1 dropper of Poly-vi-sol baby vitamins (human)  
• 1 package dried Knox Gelatin dissolved in small amount of hot water  
• 1 small jar of beef baby food (without onions or seasoning)
• 1 Tablespoon white Karo syrup

Variations of this formula include rice cereal for babies and an egg yolk, some breeders substitute canine Red Cell for baby vitamins. (The rice cereal and egg yolk are usually added after the pups are a few weeks of age.)

Mix well in a blender and refrigerate. Each pup should be fed two ounces every two or three hours.

At 4:00 in the morning, it is often hard to remember which pups have already eaten and which ones still need to be fed. Remember - this has to be done 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the first several weeks of the pup’s life.

If you can leave the pups with the mother, they still need to be handled daily in order to socialize them to humans.

Before pups leave your property they should have at least one and possibly two sets of their puppy shots in order to avoid parvo and other diseases. Many times pups may harbor the virus, and the stress of leaving can trigger the virus.

SELLING THE PUPS:

The pups should be sold prior to breeding. Contracts should be signed, returned to the breeder, and deposits received for all of the pups before you allow the pair to breed. (Numbers vary - but normally 7 or 8 is the recommended number that should be pre-sold.) You should be prepared to keep the pups in case a sale falls through.

Too, you may find yourself in a situation where you have sold 4 males and 3 females, but when the pups are born you only have 1 male and 6 females. It is not uncommon for buyers to back out of sales, or for the pair to produce exactly the opposite sex of what you have pre-sold.

In order to find the best homes for the animals you produce, you should have a list of questions prepared for prospective buyers. There are many many things to consider when screening a potential buyer. Below is a partial list of things you should know about a potential new owner.

• Type of containment (size, height of fence, type of fence, dig wire, etc.)  
• Whether or not the buyer is in a legal area.  
• Level of experience of the potential buyer.  
• Have they ever owned a Malamute before?  
• If so, what happened to it?  
• How many dogs the buyer already owns.  
• Does the buyer have children, if so how many and what age?  
• Is the buyer aware of what to feed Malamutes?  
• Does the buyer travel a lot?  
• What do they intend to do with the pup (inside animal or outside).  
• Who is their vet, and will he agree to treat Malamutes?  
• Will they agree to spay and neuter if required by you.  
• Where do they live - is it rural, residential, an apartment, etc.  
• What are the neighbors like - do they have dogs running loose, do they    object to large dogs, etc.
• If married, what does the spouse think about getting a Malamute.  
• Are they picky about their yard?
• Do they intend to bring the pup inside, if so for how much of the time?  
• Are they going to train the dog in basic obedience.

The above questions are only a few that should be asked. It is a good idea to talk to other breeders and ask them some of the problems that they have experienced in the past when selling pups.

BREEDER’S RESPONSIBILITIES:

• A breeder should accurately represent their animals to all potential buyers.  
• A breeder should make sure that potential buyers are qualified to own a Malamute.  
• A breeder should disclose any unusual or hard to manage behaviors found in their line.  
• If a breeder represents percentages , they should be verified.  
• A breeder should take back any pups they produce.
• A breeder should guarantee the health of their animals.
• A breeder should not produce more pups than they can responsibly place.
• A breeder should always be available to the buyer.
• A breeder should furnish a contract and enforce it if necessary.

In other words, it is your responsibility as a breeder to equip the new owner with all the information that is needed to be a successful and responsible owner. If that means being available for the life of that animal should the buyers have questions, then you are obligated to do so.

Breeders should prepare educational packets and give them to the new owner when they pick up their pups. The packets should include information on containment, behavior, training, and a list of books and/or web sites with information that will assist the new owner in raising their new pup.