Below are some books about the Alaskan Malamute, associated activities
and dogs in general.
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Alaskan Malamutes
Title:
The Alaskan Malamute : Yesterday and Today Author: Barbara A. Brooks and Sherry E. Wallis
Review: I have owned, bred and showed Alaskan Malamutes in Australia since 1986. I believe I have had the opportunity to own and read most of the best titles of this breed. A.M. Yesterday & Today is in my opinion the ' cream of any publication ' written about Malamutes. I recommend it to all my puppy buyers - Delecrouix Kennels
Title:
The New Complete Alaskan MalamuteAuthor: Maxwell Riddle and Beth J. Harris
Review: The New Complete Alaskan Malamute is exactly what the title implies, a compendium of facts and relative information about the breed. Covered are aspects of the history, personality of the breed, sledding, backpacking, medical/genetic issues, grooming, the breed Standard interpreted, a glossary of terms, and much much more. For the prospective or fisrt-time owner, and even long term fancier, this book is a gem for the wealth, depth and breadth of information. Acquisition of this notable work is a must for all fanciers. - A reader from Sacramento, California
Title:
This is the Alaskan MalamuteAuthor: Joan MacDonald Brearley
Review: N/A
Title:
A New Owner's Guide to Alaskan MalamutesAuthor: Al Holabach and Mary Jane Holabach
Review: I'm a first time Malamute owner and I must admit that this book is generally good for knowing most facts about the breed. I thought, however, that the book lacked information on how to properly keep a Malamute in a run outdoors. I also thought strange that a longtime owner such as the author would not recommend keeping such a breed outdoors when it's clearly proven to like it better outside than indoors, especially in the winter time when houses are heated and can cause depression for the dog. Other than that, the book is rather good and the pictures are beautiful. - A reader from Hamilton, Canada.
Title:
Alaskan Malamutes : Everything About Purchase, Care, Nutrition, Breeding, Behavior, and Training (Complete Pet Owner's Manuals)
Author: Betsy Sikora Siino and Betsy Sikora-Siino
Review: I purchased this book because I was considering a Malamute for a pet. After reading it, I decided that I didn't have the right environment for a Malamute. I still think they are beautiful dogs, but I'm not the right owner for one. It's very informative and easy to understand. - A reader from Boone, NC
A fantastic book filled with such good, sound information the reader wonders how they got it all into so few pages. The book tells all about the normal things like grooming, feeding, and health, but it tells you so much about the history, how to train or find the right trainer, activity needs, and breeding issues. The book also has a wonderful section on "Do you know what you're getting into?". The excellent pictures in this book alone are worth the price. - A reader from Syracuse, NY
Dogs in General
Title:
The Dog's MindAuthor: Bruce Fogle
Review: For anyone contemplating stepping to the next level of understanding our canine friends' behavioural patterns, The Dog's Mind written by Bruce Fogle is an excellent platform on which to begin.
The author outlines the necessity for us to remember our canine companions are dogs, and not furry little people. By incorporating our pets as part of our family and thinking of their behaviour in human terms, we tend to lose the ability to understand them as they really are.
The book itself starts with an overview of our perception of dogs and a basic history lesson about the origins of the dog. It then takes us through an in-depth study of the anatomy and the physiology of the dog's mind. This involves full descriptions of the animal senses, hormones, peer imprinting and our influences - all aided with simple, clear diagrams.
Finally the book concludes discussing all types of social behaviour, from aggression through to eating and sex phobias. I found this section interesting as it also outlines the varying degrees of aggression, trainability and reactivity found through studies made on different breeds (our breed included).
This book is a must if we are to begin to change our perspective on how we view, treat and react to our canine companions. - Joanne Bob
Title:
A New Leash on DeathAuthor: Susan Conant
Review: This is the first book in a four-part, bone-chilling series starring Holly Winter - Dog's Life columnist and amateur detective. If she is Sherlock then Watson is her Alaskan Malamute, Rowdy.
This is an exceptionally easy book to read, with some all-too-familiar insights into the personality traits of our breed. It humorously describes the struggles one can face in adjusting to a household shared by a fully-grown Mally, but also captures those heart-warming moments when you know exactly why you'd place this breed above all others.
The heroine of the story, Holly Winter, comes from a "dog-world" family. In the week before her birth, two of her parents' Golden Retrievers produced 17 puppies… she was number 18.
The story centres on the happenings of a dog obedience training session which ends in murder. Between sit, heel and the final long-down, a retired doctor takes the longest down of all - strangled by his malamute, Rowdy's leash. - Belinda Brown
Title:
Winterdance - The Idiocracy of Running the IditarodAuthor: Gary Paulsen
Review: This book is the story of a person from one of the Lower 48 States of the USA who decided that he would run the Iditarod in Alaska. More than the story of how he prepared for this epic journey, the book could be described as a Mushers version of Murphy's Law.
The story is very light in its writing style and thus appeals to Dog fanciers generally and not only the serious mushers.
A number of little known facts about the Great Race are included within this book, such as:
- the "start" of the race in Anchorage is only staged for the media with snow being trucked in to cover the streets - after a short run, the dogs are packed into their trucks and driven fifty miles to the proper start in Knik;
- there is a section in the race where there is no snow at all, where the mushers drag the sleds over fallen trees, called "the Burn".
All in all, the writing style of Paulsen allows for ease of reading and provides an understanding of why this writer is highly awarded in the States.
Highly Recommended Reading. - Rob Roseworne
Dog Showing
Title:
Born to Win : Breed to SucceedAuthor: Patricia V. Craige
Review: A great book, full of important information for breeders. One of the real strengths of the book is the section on genetics and inheritance. I've read a reasonable amount on gene theory but this book really clarified how things work. I also really like the section on litter evaluation. Ms Trotter's style is emminently readable, and certainly one can't argue with her experience in breeding for success! - A reader from Hillsboro, OR
Title:
The Winning Edge : Show Ring SecretsAuthor: George G. Alston
Review: Excellent book. I find this book works well in concert with "Show Me". The information is helpful for the novice and the advancing handler. - Joyce A. Maley from Elgin, SC USA
I couldn't believe how many times he belittled the "owner-handler" in this book. He seems to think that ONLY professional handlers are the ones who deserve to win because they spend an incomprehensible amount of time training and grooming their dogs. It is a sport, get real and have fun, most people have real jobs during the day. He also liked to write about what "the judge likes" and how to hide faults instead of commenting on what is the most important aspect, the dog itself. I have found other handling books to be much less judgemental and more professionally written. He needed to keep a lot less "go-pro-handler" emotion out of the book and stay away from writing about all his experiences dealing with "owner-handlers" (one time, in Ohio...) - A reader from Texas
