Alaskan malamute and agility trials

Padjo1981

I have recently gotten an Alaskan Malamute and am interested in getting into agility trials with him, is anyone involved in those, and if so can you give me some advice on getting started please. Thanks in advance for any advice

Amimad

Padjo,
It depends what part of the country you're in. There are a number of places to train but almost all competions take placein/around Dublin.
let us know where & what type of classes your after, maybe I can help.

Murraydeb

Glad to meet a fellow Malamute owner!
I have done basic agility with mine and am just about to start showing her. Whereabouts in the Country are you?

Padjo1981

I am in wexford, where are you based??

Bobby04

As a Malamute owner also, I'm surprised any other owners wish to use them for agility trials?? They are pulling dogs! We need mushing events here in Ireland as is very popular and well subscribed in the UK.

EGAR

I have APBT, amongst other breeds and x breeds, which were initially bred for dog fighting - does that mean I must fight them now because that is what they were bred for way back then?

I am very happy to see peeps getting into agility, man trailing, s & r or whatever takes your or your dogs fancy, regardless of the breed or what they were *bred for*! If it's fun for the dog and owner then go for it! I wish you the best of luck

jameshayes

EGAR wrote: »

I have APBT, amongst other breeds and x breeds, which were initially bred for dog fighting - does that mean I must fight them now because that is what they were bred for way back then?

I think you're being a bit harsh. Some dogs love to pull, just like others love to smell, walk or even swim. A pulling dog gets fulfilment from pulling and thinks it is pleasing his owner, just like a natural hunting dog will bring back food to his owner.

lightening

EGAR wrote: »

I have APBT, amongst other breeds and x breeds, which were initially bred for dog fighting - does that mean I must fight them now because that is what they were bred for way back then?

Lol! Have you still got that Bullmastiff? I have a lovely bull that needs to be baited.

lurchin along

lightening wrote: »

Lol! Have you still got that Bullmastiff? I have a lovely bull that needs to be baited.

I have a lurcher that's waiting for that 'special' drunk to accompany.
And a shih tzu waiting for that special someone with a roll of toilet paper.
And a poodle who'll fight him for it...
I usually find jameshayes postings spot on-keep meaning to ask where he acquired so much knowledge-but not this time.
Sled dogs enjoy pulling once they're trained to it but it doesn't mean that it's all they'll enjoy doing.Dunno how trainable malas are but I've known some fabulous obedience/agility Samoyeds.Okay they were never going to make it to the main ring at Crufts but if your idea of winning is all about rosettes you shouldn't be in the game.
Saying that I entered a pair of mismatched hounds(same breed but NOT a matched pair) into a show brace class once just for the craic-and got the third!Upon querying the judge she said she was giving to me for my courage in being prepared to make a total fool of myself at a big championship show.It was a great laugh,I fell over twice when the dogs made a maypole of me.Dog shows can be a bit too serious sometimes!
Oops sorry,it was someone else NOT JH who thought it inappropriate for malas to do agility.

jameshayes

Well, as I've said on previous threads, I only speak from experience, and from my experience of Sled dogs Huskys, Malmutes & Samoyeds love to pull.

Killme00

My Beagle loves to sniff everything. I play hide and seek with her on Bull Island, where i tell her to stay and go and hide and shout when she can come find me. She loves it and licks the face off me when she find me. My partner oversees in case she get distracted from another direction but that doenst happen too often and she has never failed to find me. When she is a bit older, i am going to take her to some agility classes in dog training ireland.

Edit to add: I dont see a problem with dog sledding or agility as long as they like it, at least it will be an outlet for their boundless energy. As for bull breeds, i have very little experience as to what games or trials they would like.

EGAR

As for bull breeds, i have very little experience as to what games or trials they would like.

Anything and everything that is fun and asks for a bit of brain , lots of Bull Breeds in Agility Trials, lots of APBT in Search and Rescue and as PAT Dogs etc pp.

Lol! Have you still got that Bullmastiff? I have a lovely bull that needs to be baited.

Ah no, Bear has retired now from the Baiting .

Well, as I've said on previous threads, I only speak from experience, and from my experience of Sled dogs Huskys, Malmutes & Samoyeds love to pull.

I know plenty of them who have no interest at all in pulling . As I wrote before: whatever takes your and the dog's fancy and keeps them occupied.

EGAR

Re the mushing, don't get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with that whatsoever. But I wonder if the law does agree

Section 9 of the Protection of Animals Act, 1911 creates a specific offence for a person who uses to use a dog to pull or help to pull a cart, carriage, truck or barrow.

I know it's from 1911 but it is still law here :eek: and maybe that could create a problem re a Musher's Club?

kerrysgold

I suppose if it doesn't specifically say they aren't allowed to pull a sled? If that's what the things they pull are called of course.

lurchin along

I understand that the sledding trials in the UK have to happen on private land to avoid the side effect (interfering with a harmless sport) of this law.In the absence of sufficient snow the sleds are commonly on wheels.
I've read the Hansards on this particular piece of the 1911 act and it would be funny if it weren't so alarming.
Discussion consisted of 5 minutes worth tops.
Lord 1 had actually SEEN carting dogs in Belgium during a holiday and thought they looked well cared for and content.
Lord 2 (more agressive than Lord 1) despite NEVER having seen carting dogs was most vehement that pulling carts was a job for horses and horses only(one wonders if he bred carthorses on one of his estates) and not wanting to set against him the House voted with him.

Bobby04

lurchin along wrote: »

Oops sorry,it was someone else NOT JH who thought it inappropriate for malas to do agility.

Eh, where did I say it was inappropriate for mals to do agility? God there's quite a few hair triggers in this forum!
I simply would never have thought of the malamute as extremely agile, due to their build etc. I'm more than happy to be proven wrong on that count. I know they train well. Plus I couldn't agree more with the sentiment about whatever makes the dogs happy etc., and I couldn't agree more that too many people take the shows far too serious. But I obviously didn't make all this explicitly clear in my post above, so may I be struck down for trying to exclude malamutes from agility trials for ever :rolleyes: Chill...
That 1911 law is very interesting, great post Egar. I wonder if that does actually have anything to do with the lack of mushing events here?

robck1

Hey there,
Been having a bit of trouble locating a breeder for Alaskan Malamutes here in Ireland and with the warnings of dodgy breeders on donedeal.ie and buy and sell i am stuck in finder one. Seeing as a few of you here own a Malamute and seem to be very happy with your dog, any help in finding one would be very much appreciated. I have posted in the Breeders thread as well.

You can PM me or post some details on this thread of where you got your dog.
Thanks in advance,
Rob

Pranckuviene

copied from AlaskanMalamuteClub Ireland
SOCIALISATION: A daily regime of human interaction is necessary to ensure the development of good temperament also where possible the interaction and socialization with other dogs is advisable i.e. Obedience or ring craft classes.

ISDW

Malamutes would be fine for agility, if they enjoy it. I have huskies and a malamute, and a few bits of agility equipment, most of mine enjoy it, but I don't think they'd ever win any major championships.

I also take mine 'mushing' on scooters, one of my sibes doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as the others, although I think she'd be better on a rig with a larger team, its the fact that somethings right behind her that she doesn't like, I don't think she gets the concept that if she keeps pulling, its not going to hit her:D Now, she has never been hit by the scooter, before anyone asks.

The law was brought in apparently by a brewery owner, who owned carthorses - make of it what you will. The same law also applies in the UK. There is no law to say that you can't use a dog to pull something on private land, just on the highway. There is a mushing course opening in Galway soon hopefully, they have had some trouble with planning permission, but its all in place now.

Scootering with dogs is a growing pastime in Ireland, any dog can do it, even toy breeds within reason. Because its a scooter, you can help the dog along as much or as least as they need and hop on and off very easily.

Regarding malamutes, I will pm you, as we have a couple in rescue at the moment.