Snowlion Alaskan Malamutes—Puppy Care

Part of the Pack

Snowlion puppies are raised in our home & kept with their dam past weaning age for proper socialization. Mom as well as other adults gently correct the pups so they learn appropriate behavior.

Puppies who are separated too early from their dams play more roughly and may lack social skills around other dogs  We found it best to let the mother determine her own schedule for weaning, giving her the freedom to visit the pups whenever she wants and letting her sleep with them at night.

Most of our puppies can leave their dam & littermates at 8 weeks, but some may need more time. Our priority is to ensure each puppy leaves when it’s ready so the transition to the new home is easier. ** Puppies Available Spring 2020**

A good start in life

We feed our Malamute puppies goat’s milk, kefir, eggs, cottage cheese, ground lean meat and rice cereal. At 2 weeks puppies are spoon-fed a gruel with these ingredients several times a day. 

Our adult malamutes are fed a combination of fish-chicken-pork kibble and home-prepared meals  of human-grade meat, cooked or canned fish, fresh vegetables, fruit, whole grains & yogurt. Detailed feeding instructions are provided to new owners. If you have any questions on how to feed our pups or adults, please ask us. Our dogs have lived long, healthy lives on this ‘combination' diet. We make sure that our pups have the best possible start in life; the rest is up to you. 

We are fortunate that none of the malamutes we’ve raised and kept here have developed cancer. We keep vaccinations to a minimum— using only core vaccines. Our dogs drink well water and have minimal exposure to toxins, chemicals and pesticides. We don’t use fertilizers, weed killers or any insecticides in our gardens or yards. Nor do we use any topical or oral flea or tick pesticides on our dogs. This is a heartworm-free area, so prevention treatments are not needed.

We encourage owners to look to natural alternatives for the sake of their dogs’ health. If you must use a tick/flea product on your dog’s skin, please use it judiciously and avoid year-round use. 

More information:

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/dangerous-over-vaccination-on-the-rise/ 

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-dangers-of-flea-and-tick-products/ 

http://snowlionmalamutes.com/feeding.html  

Exercise and Handling your puppy

Handle young puppies carefully as their bones and ligaments are not fully developed; growth plates can be damaged. It’s important that children remain seated while playing with puppies, and not attempt to carry them. A wiggly pup can easily be dropped and seriously injured. 

Puppies should be walked on a leash daily, gradually increasing the distance but they should not be forced to run at a sustained pace until they are 9+ months. Ideally pups will be exercised on trails and unpaved surfaces when the temperatures are coolest in the morning and evening.

For more more information on exercise & training  

Grooming your Alaskan Malamute

Our Alaskan Malamute puppies are handled extensively. Before their eyes open we hold our puppies in our laps and very gently touch them all over, paying particular attention to their feet. They learn to relax on their backs (in a submissive position) and enjoy the belly rubs. Every week the puppies have their nails trimmed and are wiped down as needed with bath wipes (warmed in the microwave).  From 3 weeks until the time they leave, the pups are bathed weekly with shampoo (we like Groomer’s Edge Desert Almond Shampoo, Isle of Dog, or Pet Edge's Ikaria brands) and dried with a (human-style) blow dryer. It’s important to continue the grooming & handling at home including nail trims every 2 weeks. Otherwise, the pup will forget its early lessons of accepting restraint and grooming will become a challenge. 

Step-by-step: How to groom your Alaskan Malamute

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