KaeKuta

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(Rowdy of Nome - the dog that inspired Eva Seeley) 

The Malamute was originally used by the Malhemut People of the Kotzebue Sound area of Western Alaska.  They were used as freighting dogs, to pull heavy loads, across long distances, at a steady pace, hence not being a racing dog.

 At the end of the 19th Century, during the Goldrush in Alaska and the Klondike, men needed Dog sledding teams to hunt for Gold, and so Malamutes were bred indiscriminately to fulfil the demand. The Purebred Malamute suffered as a result and many were lost in expeditions (the most notable with Admiral Byrd) and many lost at War, and very few purebred dogs survived.

 In the early 1920’s/30’s two people decided to reinstate the breed separately, although their idea of the Malamute standard was different.

Eva 'Short' Seeley with 2 Siberian Huskies

Eva “Short” Seeley founded the Kotzebue lines, which were smaller, stockier, more compact freighting dogs and in the opinion of many, had very good temperaments. Her first Malamute Dog was Yukon Jad, given to her by Leonhard Seppala, of Seppala Siberian Husky Kennels. She then acquired her first Malamute Bitch, Bessie, from Arthur T Walden, who was the founder of the New England Sled Dog Club and owner of the Chinook Kennels.  Her first Litter from these 2 dogs in 1929 produced 4 Sons, 1 of which, named Gripp of Yukon, became the very 1st American Kennel Club Alaskan Malamute Champion, once Eva had gained AKC recognition for them in 1935.

 Paul Voelker founded the M’Loot lines, around the same time as Eva Seeley. His dogs were leggier, taller dogs, which were more rangy, many lacking substance, and most had larger ears and longer muzzles. These dogs were bred for working and therefore they had working temperaments and could be harder to handle. Paul never registered his dogs, but sold them to people who later did. Paul acquired 2 of his founding dogs from the Army, following World War II, after they no longer needed sled dogs and many dogs were sold in liquidation sales. M’Loot dogs ranged from very light Grey in colour to Black/white (Seal/white).

 Both Strains of Malamute had excellent qualities, but lacked in others. The Kotzebues had better Heads, denser bone  and good rear ends, the M’Loots had better fronts, being slightly narrower in the chest, which prevented the elbows ‘going out’ and offered the wider range of colours to the breed. Breed Specialists of today agree the best Malamutes came from the ones who were as a result of combining the two strains to compliment each other, as seen in Robert Zoller's American Kennels’ Husky-Pak dogs around in the 50’s and 60’s. There are of course those that still to this day, disagree, and prefer one strain over the other.

 The American Breed standard was based around Eva Seeley’s Kotzebue dogs, as she was the one to gain final AKC recognition in 1935, so in 1960 after much consultation, the American breed standard was changed to reflect the addition of the M’Loot dogs. The American Breed standard of today, is a combination of both original strains.

  Malamutes in the UK

 The First Malamutes in the UK came with Bill and Barbara Preston in 1959, whom brought 3 dogs with them : Pawnee Flash of Northwind (pictured below), Preston’s Cheechako and her daughter Ambara’s Nuviya.  

Both descended from the Mulpus Brook’s kennels which combined the two original strains of Kotzebue and M’loot lines, therefore giving the breed here an excellent platform. In the UK they used the Kennel Affix Kananak, as they couldn't use Ambara, which was their American Affix. They had 2 litters here, and then returned to the States, leaving Nuviya here in whelp to Pawnee Flash. Aninrak of Kananak (pictured below) (out of Ambara’s Nuviya, by Pawnee Flash) was possibly the most influential foundation bitch of the Breed in the UK. Once the Preston’s returned to the States in 1961, the breed was left very sparse, and another dog was imported : Kobuk Chancellor of Clebar, who descended from Ambara/Husky-Pak lines.  

Only the Preston’s first litter had any lasting influence here, and only 2 bitches formed the foundation Malamute Kennels of the UK : Highnoons Kennels and Clebar Kennels.

 Over the years more people became involved with Malamutes, imported dogs and formed new Kennels and in 1964 the UK Alaskan Malamute Club was formed.

The Alaskan Malamute Club of the UK  

Since then, the breed has grown and become more popular, which has been good for the growth of the breed, meaning that, at last, in 2006, the breed went from rare breed status to being able to gain  CCs in the showring,  and the  first  UK bred Champion - CH Chayo Blue Thunder, owned and bred by Sue Ellis of Chayo Kennels was crowned.  

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