Alaskan Malamutes are the large domestic breed of dog which were originally bred for their strength and endurance to drag heavy freight and later as sled dogs in Alaska in the middle of 20th century.

Despite being dignified and affectionate, this large dog needs various training that polishes it to become a better family companion. Here are some methods and techniques that you can use to train your pet.

When to Start Alaskan Malamute’s Training?

You can start training your Alaskan Malamute when they are six months old. It is better to start training your dog from an early age of pup where he can learn simple commands like “sit” and “stay”.

Two alaskan malamute puppies. Image source: Pets$4Homes

Alaskan Malamutes are playful and friendly dogs so you can start training your dog when he/she reaches six months old.

Where to Start Malamute’s Training?

Every dog training begins at home. Likewise, your new mate starts learning things on his/her own at an early age. The place he/she will start learning is obviously your home.

Until the Alaskan Malamute reaches the eligible age for formal training, your home is the perfect place for him/her to learn. When the dog becomes old enough, you can train him/her taking him to parks, puppy kindergarten and your backyard also if you have a big one.

How to Define Task for Your Pet?

There’s no denying that defining task for your pet is one of the hardest jobs you’ll ever have while training. And when your pet is big as the Alaskan Malamute, it becomes even more difficult.

You should show the demo to your Alaskan Malamute before expecting him/her to understand it. Doing so will make him more clear about the task.

Alaskan Malamute playing with his owner. Image Source: DreamsTime

You should also need to know what your companion loves so that you can offer him/her as bribe for performing tasks. Providing rewards for doing the tasks properly will increase the dog’s sense of recognizing the task.

Training Process

Here are some training processes that you’ll need to be familiar with if you want to train your Alaskan Malamute properly.

Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is a method used by every dog owners around the world. This method begins with rewarding your Alaskan Malamute if he/she does a desired act of your choice.

This way the dog comes to associate the behavior with the reward thinking that he/she will get rewards upon doing the task. You can combine this method with clicker training.

Two Alaskan Malamute dogs pulling a man in a cart. Image source: LancasterOnline

This provides the dog a distinct sign of the exact moment the behavior was completed. Commands also need to be short and to the point such as “sit”, “stay”, “come”,etc

Scientific Training

Scientific Training relies on information that is continually building and changing. It aims to understand dogs’ temperament, their ability to be conditioned, and the effectiveness of rewards and punishments.

Animal behaviorists are constantly creating new studies and experiments to figure our understanding of dog psychology. You can rely on these studies to work with dogs.

Clicker Training

Clicker Training method refers to the use of a device to make a quick, sharp noise, such as a whistle or a clicker to signal to your dog when a wanted behavior is accomplished.

The advantage of using clicker training is that it signals the exact moment the desired behavior is finished and exactly what is being rewarded to your dog.

First, your Alaskan Malamute needs to be prepared to know that a click means a reward is coming. Then he/she can associate a behavior with a click and a reward.

This is a great method for learning new tricks, and it can help shape your pet’s basics into more complicated tasks.

Strategies and Techniques for Easy Training

The Alaskan Malamute is a very patient and affectionate breed of dogs. However, it also requires some training in order to learn to socialize and adapt accordingly.

Here are some strategies/techniques that’ll help you train your Alaskan Malamute with ease.

Socializing

Socializing is probably one of the most important strategies of Alaskan Malamute training. In order for it to behave well and control its habits, your Malamute puppy has to get used to other dogs, cats, animals, people, children, traffic, crowds, etc., as early as possible.

This eliminates all the unwanted behaviors of your dog such as aggression to other dogs, chasing every cat on the street and jumping on every passer-by.

Go Slow

Although your Alaskan Malamute is a very intelligent breed, it may not catch up new things easily and fast. So what you need to do is go slowly in training him/her, one command in a day with perfection.

Avoid Punishments

The most effective strategy of training your Alaskan Malamute is by avoiding punishments to him/her. If you punish your dog in a recursive manner, he/she may feel anxiety and loose trust upon you. So try not to punish your pet as much as possible.

The conclusion is that your Alaskan Malamute’s training depends on how well you train him. You must act like a friend to your dog and make him/her feel that training is fun after which the dog will learn commands faster.

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