Activities you can do with your Malamute

*For event details go to the Events & Calendar page.

If you are just interested in hiking with your dog for fun, then you can put items such as food, drink and clothing in his pack - as much or as little as you like. Anyone is welcome to join in on our walks - your dog doesn't have to carry weight if you are not seeking to obtain a title, and you don't have to complete the full distance.

Training should begin with walking you dog with a lightly loaded pack to get him used to the feel of it, and to ensure that the pack is fitted correctly and is comfortable for the dog. Once the dog is used to wearing the pack, gradually increase the weight in the pack and the distance of your walks. By building up the weight in this way, any problems with your dog or the backpack should become apparent before you find yourself miles from anywhere participating in a backpacking event. A badly fitted pack will not only be uncomfortable, but may rub the skin raw or cause injury, so if you're not sure that you've adjusted the pack correctly, please find someone to assist you.

Working Pack Dog Title: The AMCV offers a Working Pack Dog title which is available to registered Alaskan Malamutes who have met the requirements set out under the AMCV's Working Dog Title Program. The rules and application forms for the Working Pack Dog (WPD) can be obtained from the Backpacking co-ordinator or the Secretary. To qualify for the WPD title your dog must carry 30% of its body weight for a minimum of 16 km on four occasions - a dog weighing 40 kg would therefore have to carry 12 kg of weight, which is the equivalent of 12 litres of water. We do not recommend that you and/or your dog attempt this unless you are both fit, healthy and have done some training.

Obviously you will require a sturdy backpack which is sufficiently large to hold the required weights. The weight is usually made up of something that is dense yet can mould to the shape of your dog: bags of rice, bags of damp sand and/or a soft pack of water (similar to the bladder of a wine cask) are suitable. It is also important that you know how to adjust the pack so that it is fitted correctly and is most comfortable for the dog.

The AMCV holds several backpacking events each year at various venues around Victoria (usually within 2 hours drive of Melbourne), and anyone with a healthy and fairly fit dog over 12 months of age is welcome to come along. Further information about backpacking with your dog and AMCV backpacking events can be obtained from the club newsletter, The Malamute Mail, or by phoning the AMCV Backpacking Co-ordinator.

The number one priority with any of our events is the welfare of the dogs, and the rules reflect this. Anyone who jeopardises their dog's wellbeing may risk disqualification. We are not out there to win races, but primarily to have a good time working as a team with our dogs. To prevent the dogs suffering from heat stress there is a maximum temperature restriction of 15oC, so sled dog events are only scheduled from late autumn to very early spring and commence early in the morning or in the evening.

Venues for the sport are limited as dogs are not permitted in National Parks. The only snow area that allows dogs (with the relevant permit) is Dinner Plain, near Mt Hotham. This is the venue of our club's annual Snow Trip which is a fun weekend that provides a good opportunity to try your hand at sledding on snow.

AMCV races are held on dirt tracks at various venues around Victoria including the You Yangs Reserve near Little River, the Bannockburn Reserve near Geelong, Heathcote and other forest areas where dogs are permitted. Trail distances start at about 3 km for the 1-dog class in sprint races, and can be quite a lot more for larger teams, and for freight and endurance runs.

If you think that you and your dog would like to try sled dog racing, we encourage you to come along to a race event or training day. Training days are held at the beginning of the season (late April/early May) and a calendar of events can be obtained from the Secretary or the Race Co-ordinator, and is also published in the AMCV's bimonthly newsletter, "The Malamute Mail".

Equipment: You will need a suitable show lead and collar. Choose something unobtrusive but strong such as a reasonably fine correction chain or nylon collar and a thin nylon lead in a colour that blends in with your dog or outfit. Clothing and foot-ware should be sensible, clean and neat, and should complement (not hide or distract from) your dog. Always take water and a bowl, some form of shade and some means of confining your dog – a dog crate is ideal for this.

Show details: Show Schedules are published in "DOGS Victoria", the monthly magazine of the Victorian Canine Association (VCA). You will need to be a member of the VCA to receive this publication. The schedule will include the time, date and venue for the show, entry fees, where to send your entry, who the judges are, closing date for entries and other details. Entries for a show usually close about one month before the show is to be held, so you have to plan one month ahead.

Entry forms: Booklets of show entry forms can be obtained from the VCA. They can also be purchased from other outlets that sell dog related goods, such as the vendor caravans which come along to most dog shows. All dog show entries must be filled out on these forms and most of the information you need to complete the form will be found on your dog's registration papers. You will also need to know which age class to enter you dog in – keep in mind that this is based on the dog's age at the commencement of the show.

Other requirements: A good sense of humour and sportsmanship is a must. If you are going to get upset if you don't win, then dog showing is probably not the hobby for you. Remember that when you enter a dog show, you are paying for the judges opinion of your dog relative to the others in the competition on the day. What one judge chooses one day could well be the opposite of what a different judge chooses the next day, so it pays to persevere. Whether you win or lose, you will still have enjoyed a day's outing with your dog.

You will also need to be prepared to get up early on the weekend. Most dog shows commence at 9 am and, as Malamutes are the 2nd breed in Group 6 after Akitas, you will usually need to be at the venue well before the show starts so that you and you dog are ready on time. Always check the show schedule: occasionally shows have reverse order judging, sometimes Group 6 is divided between two or more judges, and sometimes the Alaskan Malamute Judge may also be judging other breeds or groups prior to judging Group 6.

More information: For advice about any aspect of showing and hands on practical training, bring you Malamute along to the Activity days. You are also welcome to contact the AMCV Show Secretary if you have any queries. The VCA produces a booklet called "About Dogs N' Shows" which they will send to members on request - see the VCA website www.vca.org.au for details.

For show details go to the Dogs Victoria Website.

WEIGHT-PULLING

Weight pulling is a timed event in which each dog is allowed 60 seconds to pull the weight-pull trolley a distance of 16 feet. The dog must qualify for the event by first pulling the empty trolley, which weighs 160 kg. After each dog has attempted the pull, the trolley is loaded with more weight and each dog who successfully pulled the previous weight is again given 60 seconds to pull the higher weight. A dog is out of the competition if it fails to pull the loaded trolley, and that dog's result gets recorded at the highest weight that it successfully pulled. In the event that two or more dogs finish up the competition having pulled the same weight, then the dog that pulled that weight in the quickest time is placed the highest.

The AMCV offers 5 weight-classes for the dogs competing in its events so that smaller dogs are not competing against significantly larger dogs. The results of the competition are based on the overall weight that the dog pulled within the class, as well as weight to weight ratio, that is, how much the dog pulled relative to its body weight.

All that you need to compete in AMCV Weight-Pull events is a dog over twelve months of age and a correctly fitting weight-pull harness. Your dog does not need to be registered and does not even need to be a Malamute in order to participate in events, but keep in mind that as a breed club, the AMCV is only able to offer major prizes for the purebred, registered participants. Minor prizes are however awarded to dogs that do not fit this criteria. It is also advisable that you have your dog's hips x-rayed and assessed for soundness before participating in weight-pulling or any other strenuous activity.

The AMCV has several harnesses that members are able to borrow, but you must make sure before borrowing any harness that it fits your dog reasonably well. An ill-fitting harness can make weight-pulling uncomfortable for your dog, and may even cause injury. For this reason it is best to have your dog measured and fitted for a weight-pull harness by someone who has experience in this field, and Activity days are an ideal place to have this done.

For more information on weight-pulling contact the AMCV Weight-Pull Co-ordinator, or come along to an Activities day or training day – details of these are published in the AMCV bimonthly newsletter, The Malamute Mail.

OBEDIENCE

The AMCV conducts several obedience practice sessions as part of the events calendar.  The Obedience sessions are fairly casual and should be used in conjunction with a weekly obedience class at an all-breeds obedience club. We recommend any obedience clubs that are affiliated with the Victorian Canine Association (VCA) as they are fairly cheap to attend and usually have quite a few instructors and good facilities.

The aim of our practice sessions is to give you some additional assistance with your obedience training and offer some Malamute-specific advice that you might not get at an all-breeds obedience club.

All are welcome, no matter what age*, whether you dog is registered or not, well-behaved or uncontrollable!
If you would like assistance with any specific problems, or would like some general advice about your Malamute, obedience equipment or training, please contact us.

For details of AMCV Obedience Practice Sessions, please see the Events & Calendar page.

*Pups must be at least 13 weeks of age – please bring proof of vaccination