Myth#1: Malamutes are stubborn
Malamutes have an energetic and enthusiastic desire to do things, go places and meet people. A total zest for life and all it involves. What they do not do is perform duties they do not understand and do not see a reason for, and will not be forced against their will. If you take the time to help them understand the goal of the exercise, and provide them with a reason (reward) for doing it, you will find that they learn fast, perform with enthusiasm and always, always have a great time!

Myth #2: Malamutes are unreliable
Not so! Once an Alaskan Malamute understands the steps involved to obtain his goal (his reward), he has the ability to repeat the exercise with precision again and again and again. The trick is to convince him that this is what he wants to do. I have run dogs in agility with repeated perfect scores, and have heard of others doing the same. I have run dogs in flyball where the same exercise is repeated again and again all day long, with the same perfect performance every time. They MUST be aware of the steps involved and the end result, and MUST believe that there is something to be attained that will benefit them. They will then perform with perfection.

Myth #3: Malamutes have a limited attention span
The attention you can get from an Alaskan Malamute is amazing, but you must nurture and encourage that attention over a long period of time. If you are persistent, you will be rewarded with a Malamute that can not take his eyes off you. I use food to encourage this focus because I have not found anything a Malamute wants more. I also talk to him in a light, happy voice. Eventually you will think you have created a monster and wish the dog would occasionally divert his attention elsewhere. Once you have this obsessive focus on you, it can be diverted to any function you would like your Malamute to perform.

Myth #4: Malamutes do not make good obedience dogs
Malamutes learn quickly, but they can just as quickly decide that they would rather do something else. It is up to you to provide a reason or purpose, and to make training sessions enjoyable and interesting. One thing I have always enjoyed about Malamutes is their ability to think and comprehend even when they are excited. I have seen many other breeds run wildly in circles, choosing to go selectively deaf when they are excited. The Alaskan Malamute, on the other hand, has a traditional easy going nature, never quite reaching the stage of wild abandon. This is part of their heritage, enabling them to mentally withstand the arduous task of moving heavy loads over rough terrain. This clear thinking manner is an advantage in obedience, enabling you to maintain a high level of enthusiasm while still maintaining control.

The newer positive training methods used today, as opposed to the obsolete "do it or else" method, are ideally suited to the mental make-up of the Alaskan Malamute. While many breeds will perform simply because their "master" requests it, Malamutes must see a reward for themselves in the exercise. I remember an anonymous quote I heard many years ago. "With most dogs, you feed him, care for him, exercise him and love him and he will look up at you and think, 'Wow, you must be God!' With the Alaskan Malamute, you feed him, care for him exercise him and love him and he will look up at you and think, 'Wow, I must be God!'" While this might make it more of a challenge to train a Malamute, the end result is not a master/slave relationship but rather a partnership working toward a common goal. It is this special relationship that makes it so rewarding to train a Malamute in obedience.

Myth #5: Malamutes are not agile
Some people believe that Malamutes are heavy, cumbersome dogs because of their draft heritage. To the contrary, the Alaskan Malamute must move with ease and fluidity in order to maintain the stamina for the "long haul". Their moderate structure will not challenge the more extreme racing body of most herding or coursing breeds, but it suffices for the moderate requirements of agility. There is no extreme jumping ability required for this sport. Rather, it is a game of attentiveness of which the Malamute is more than capable. They also have a love of variety, no unreasonable fears and the ability to keep trying no matter what happens. Agility courses change constantly. No course is exactly like the last one. This variety is ideally suited to the Alaskan Malamute.

After an initial introduction to the various pieces of equipment, I always start my dogs out very slowly, regaining their attention with a reward after every obstacle. The object is to have the dog run the course you have in mind, not the one he makes up, so focus on you is the primary goal. Once the dog is automatically turning to you after each object, you can stretch it to two articles, then three, and so forth. It is much easier to speed up a dog once you have control than it is to regain focus on a dog that has learned to "run free". Some dogs are natural jumpers, taking off and landing the same distance from the jump and clearing the jump by a matter of inches. If your dog jumps far too high or low, or jumps too early or too late, do not despair. You can teach him to jump properly by laying out a series of jumps spaced to give a comfortable landing/take off area between them. By repeatedly working through this series, the dog will learn to take off and land comfortably, and to judge the height of the jump more accurately. The main goal of this sport is for both dog and handler to have fun, which is something the Malamute does easily.

Myth #6: Malamutes can't play flyball
No, the Alaskan Malamute will never be a speed demon and will never challenge the teams of Border Collies in the upper echelons of flyball. But they can and do play well. In this sport, as in others, Malamutes will not play with obsession, repeatedly going out to get the ball and bring it back for no reason at all. They need a reason to play this sport, the same as any other, and the reason I have found that works best is, as usual, food. Even my most capable Malamute retrievers do not have a tenth of the ball drive that other ball driven breeds have. You must create an understanding of the total exercise that must be achieved before the reward is attained.

When I am training a new dog to play flyball, I ensure that each step is learned thoroughly before going on to the next, avoiding errors rather than attempting to correct them later. Once a Malamute learns it can run free, chase the dogs in the other lane or avoid coming back to you, it is a very difficult task to take that thought out of their mind. It is much easier to teach each step slowly and methodically, thereby avoiding errors. This is a great sport for Malamutes. After all, what Malamute does not love to run free, jump over things, and be in the center of wild commotion? However, if you decide to become involved in flyball, you must have a tolerance for a high level of noise and confusion. Be prepared for hundreds of dogs barking in an enclosed building, often augmented by rock music blaring at top volume. It's great!

So get your dog out there and try some of these great canine sports. You might find you enjoy it just as much as your dog!