Malamoodle: Alaskan Malamute Poodle Mix

When looking to bring a dog into your home, you’ll probably find yourself either swaying towards a big or small dog. But have you considered dogs that are medium to large-sized? One Doodle that you may want to consider that has quite the contrasting parents is the Alaskan Malamute Poodle mix. As its name suggests, it’s the offspring of the Standard Poodle and Alaskan Malamute. This Doodle provides the best of both worlds.

It’s actually a very popular breed and a designer dog suitable for many homes. The Malamoodle is a charming breed for many types of families; you’ll never get bored with its playfulness and intelligent nature. They thrive being in the company of kids, making them a delightful Doodle to own for first-time dog owners.

But, being a happy breed that’s great with kids isn’t the only reason why you should consider a Malamoodle. In fact, this designer breed is truly unique to have in your life. To know why – keep on reading.

Little-Known Facts About the Malamoodle

Here are some interesting facts about the Malamoodle that may be worthwhile knowing when thinking about purchasing one:

• They’re a member of recognized clubs

While the Malamoodle is a designer breed and not recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC), they are a breed of two main clubs Designer Breed Registry (DBR) and the International Designer Canine Registry (IDCR).

• A doodle best for families

If you have a family, the Malamoodle is often recommended as one of the best breeds to own. Their intelligent nature makes them easy to train and fit into a home.

• Believed to have come into existence in the 1980s

Compared to some hybrids, it’s believed that the Malamoodle first came into existence in the 1980s. The reason for this is because breeders first started to cross dogs to develop close to hypoallergenic and gentle variations of their parents.

Are Malamoodles hypoallergenic?

To know fully if the Malamoodle is a hypoallergenic breed, we should review their parent’s coats. First of all, the Standard Poodle typically has a curly or wavy single coat, which hardly ever sheds. Therefore they’re close to being hypoallergenic.

On the other hand, an Alaskan Malamute has a thick double coat. Typically its undercoat is very oil and wooly. It’s so thick it can grow up to two inches in width! Unfortunately, this breed is not hypoallergenic as it sheds twice a year heavily.

While they can inherit either coat from both parents, generally, this designer dog tends to shed a lot. They will tend to have a thick double coat that sheds heavily in-between seasons, such as in preparation for summer. Therefore if you’re someone who suffers from many allergies, you might want to consider another breed, as this dog is not hypoallergenic.

💡 Other similar large and designer doodle breed, similar to the Malamoodle, is the Pyredoodle, so make sure you check it out as well.

Temperament & Intelligence

The Alaskan Malamute Poodle Mix is a highly intelligent breed, inheriting its smart nature from its Poodle parent. Because of this, they’re a dog that is easy to train and live in your home. They’re also affectionate Doodles, making them a pleasure to be around, play with and cuddle.

Are Malamoodles Good for Families?

This is one of the best Doodles to own if you have a family; they’re known to be family pets. Sometimes they can inherit stubborn traits from their Alaskan Malamute parents. However, this can be easily managed if you train them early.

As their Alaskan Malamute parent is a pack animal, they often inherit this pack nature, thriving around children. Moreover, they inherit the fast learning nature from a Poodle, enabling them to be a dog that can easily pick tasks and trick up around the home. Therefore saving you the stress of raising a dog and children.

Does The Malamoodle Get Along With Other Pets?

Most of the time, these Doodles are friendly to own; however, they might require a bit of supervision around other animals. They might need some supervision because they can often inherit a strong prey drive, making it difficult to control or walk them using a leash. However, if you socialize them from an early age, they may integrate and behave well with other animals in your home. The best way you can do this with an Alaskan Malamute is through positive reinforcement.

Food & Diet Requirements

It’s difficult to state exactly how much food an Alaskan Malamute Poodle mix should consume. As they’re quite a large active breed, you should aim to feed them kibble with a lot of protein, nutrients, and raw food. Ideally, you should split their meals up 2-3 times a day and let them eat from the bowl instead of free feeding. If you feed them from your hands, you might trigger obesity and bloat.

This is because it often inherits the Poodle’s ability to bloat, making it difficult to exercise and their lifestyle.

Feeding a Malamoodle is not a one size fits all method; therefore, you should consider its size, age, activity level, and health problems.

If you’re unsure what to feed, speak to your local vet, who will be able to recommend you accordingly.

Malamoodle Full-grown size

The Malamoodle is quite a large breed to own most of the time. However, their size slightly differs based on their gender. For instance, a female can grow up to 24-26 inches/61-66cm at the shoulder and weigh between 60-100lbs/28-46kg. At the same time, a male can grow up to 25-28inches/64-72 inches and weigh between 65-120lbs/30-55kg.

Life expectancy

On average, a Malamoodle can live up to 8-12 years. If they’re raised well, taken for regular exercise, and have a healthy diet.

Exercise

As the Malamoodle comes from two energetic breeds, they will require some exercise each day. You’ll want to mix up their exercise with walks, runs, and playtimes. If they’re well socialized, you might want to let them off their leash in a park to use up their energy.

Due to its Poodle parents’ intelligent nature, you’ll also want to provide them with sufficient mental stimulation, so they don’t get bored in your home. You can do this through Kong toys, puzzle games, and more.

Training

Training a Malamoodle can be quite a unique experience. Some Malamoodle owners say they’re easy to train as they pick up the intelligent and obedient nature of a Poodle. Others say they can be quite a handful due to their stubborn nature.

However, they can be trained from a young age; all you need is a bit of patience, consistency, and determination. The best way to train them is through rewards-based method to help them learn more quickly. If all fails, you might want to hire a professional trainer to help raise them quickly.

Grooming

Due to its thick double coat, you’ll want to brush a Malamoodle around 4-5 times a week to keep them looking good. When the weather gets a bit warmer, you might want to brush them daily to keep their hair under control. You should also check their ears each week, as with them being a floppy ear doodle, they can be prone to getting ear infections easily.

Malamoodle Health and Conditions

This dog is quite healthy to own most of the time, not having any major health conditions. If they get any health problems, it’s most likely inherited. The ones they could have but are not guaranteed are bloat or polyneuropathy. To avoid them having serious health problems or keep on top of them, you should take them to a vet a couple of times a year.

Conclusion

Overall the Alaskan Malamute Poodle mix is a loving dog to own if you have a big family. They’re not aggressive but do require a bit of supervision around other animals due to their strong prey drive. Unfortunately, they’re not hypoallergenic and are not ideal to own if you suffer from allergies. If you plan on owning this breed, you must have additional time to dedicate to their exercise and grooming needs.

What interests you about a Malamoodle? Let us know in the comments below.