• Reputable Breeders are very careful with the placement of their dogs, and are able to knowledgeably answer questions about
their dogs. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions about yourselves and your life style, and be prepared to have a homecheck
performed.
• Reputable Breeders microchip or permanently identify their dogs and those they are responsible for producing!
• Reputable Breeders do extensive pedigree research and health checks on their dogs before breeding them. This includes:
OFA Certification - at the very minimum hips and eyes, though can include cardiac, elbow, thyroid: www.offa.org
DNA test for Polyneuropathy (PN more info here: http://alaskanmalamute.org/health/health-topics
More info on Malamute health can be found here www.alaskanmalamute.org/
• Reputable Breeders breed for the All Around Dog. This includes conformation - not just looks - an unsound dog is unable to
perform the functions it was bred for. Health and temperament should also be kept in mind. Any time only one aspect of a dog is
concentrated on in a breeding, such as size or color, or breeding just for the show ring, the All Around Dog is not being taken into
consideration.
• Reputable Breeders don't send their pups to their new homes before 8 - 10 weeks of age - sometimes later. They rarely breed
their girls before 2 years of age, and rarely more than 2 - 4 times in their life time.
• Not all reputable breeders show all their dogs, but usually show some or have in the past shown some, and the pedigrees of
their dogs usually have several AKC champions behind them in the first two or three generations.
• Malamutes are classified as a working breed. They are highly intelligent and excel at performance and working activities such as
sledding/carting, weight pulling, back packing, obedience, agility, rally. Not all reputable breeders constantly work their dogs but
the breeder whose dogs have conformation and working titles is concentrating on producing the All Around Dog!
• Reputable Breeders register their dogs with the AKC, or in the case of Canada, the CKC. They sometimes are dually registered
with UKC, but any other registration is marginal at best.