Any fundamental difference in temperament between huskies and malamutes?

[Axiom]

I've heard various accounts on how they differ in temperament. One owner of both breeds claimed that malamutes are more aloof with stranger, but I've not found this to be true at all. I've encountered huskies being quite reserved/uninterested in me, while the few malamutes I've met have all been social and forthcoming, more like labradors. Mals in some places have, quite the contrary, a reputation for being sociable. I own a 75% malamute myself.

As for toughness, I've witnessed huskies who are soft and those that are polar opposite, tough as nails. Just like with malamutes.. No substantial difference there either.

So then, is there actually  a fundamental difference in the temperament between the breeds?

[robke]

have not got a clue..only got huskies and a welsh springer spaniel (now that is totally different then a husky LOLOL)

[Axiom]

Feel free to make suggestions, Husky owners! I have yet to spot a difference, but of course love the cousin breed of my malamute. 

The exterior differences aren't very consistent either. Even though the breed standard for Siberian Husky prohibits the tail curling to touch the back (as the malamutes does) plenty of Huskies have that too.  

[Rachael_Astro]

I don't know anything about malamutes sorry!


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[Emma]

I haven't owned a mally myself but I've read on the kennel club website that they can be quite dominant to other dogs. To be fair though, that's just a guide and all dogs will differ. I had a staffy who technically speaking should be same sex dog aggressive according to her breed type but she never showed aggression to anything in her entire life. Just take them as you find them, I think in summery, lol.

 

 

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[Axiom]

1 hour ago, Emma said:

I haven't owned a mally myself but I've read on the kennel club website that they can be quite dominant to other dogs. To be fair though, that's just a guide and all dogs will differ. I had a staffy who technically speaking should be same sex dog aggressive according to her breed type but she never showed aggression to anything in her entire life. Just take them as you find them, I think in summery, lol.

 

 

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Yeah... but individuals in any given breed can exhibit dominance towards other dogs. You can see from clips on YouTube that malamutes are pretty submissive when interacting (greeting, playfighting, etc)

 

 

[Rachael_Astro]

Yeah... but individuals in any given breed can exhibit dominance towards other dogs. You can see from clips on YouTube that malamutes are pretty submissive when interacting (greeting, playfighting, etc)
 
 

In any breed you will get some dogs who are submissive and others that aren't

I've got 2 huskies - one is grumpy, likes to be left alone, doesn't like cuddles, hates being brushed, is very sensitive to how I'm feeling and picks up commands quickly. The other loves being around people, loves cuddles, lives in his own world with no idea what's going on around him and has been difficult to train. Even within the same breed you will get a lot of differences

Huskies and Malamutes are 2 completely different breeds from completely different parts of the world. it's like asking if there any difference between a husky and a Yorkshire terrier!


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[Axiom]

4 hours ago, Rachael_Astro said:

 

In any breed you will get some dogs who are submissive and others that aren't

I've got 2 huskies - one is grumpy, likes to be left alone, doesn't like cuddles, hates being brushed, is very sensitive to how I'm feeling and picks up commands quickly. The other loves being around people, loves cuddles, lives in his own world with no idea what's going on around him and has been difficult to train. Even within the same breed you will get a lot of differences

Huskies and Malamutes are 2 completely different breeds from completely different parts of the world. it's like asking if there any difference between a husky and a Yorkshire terrier!


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They were from different parts of the world but later intermixed.... There's Siberian Husky blood in every Malamute out there. I was surprised though, since Alaskan malamute was more of a design dog (with presumably both the oldest breeds and newer ones in them, making them bigger), that it had more overlapping DNA structures with wolfes than Siberian Huskies. 

 

[Aris]

http://www.practicalpaw.com/alaskan-malamute-vs-siberian-husky/

[Axiom]

17 minutes ago, Aris said:

http://www.practicalpaw.com/alaskan-malamute-vs-siberian-husky/

Those type of sites aren't very insightful and are overly simplified. The size differences aren't written in stone. Here's  a relatively small malamute female:

I guess you could tell by the ears (not sure) that it's a malamute. But could you based on the body or anything else?

 

 

 

[Aris]

When you see Mal next to Husky physical difference is obvious. You cannot mix them esp if you are owner of any of them. No matter how big husky is (Aris/s father is bigger then standard) he is still husky not mal (by look). Regarding character I cannot judge since I/ve had contact only with house/apartment dogs and I think their characters are a bit different than real working dogs of each breed. With what I/ve seen there is no big difference in behavior 

[Axiom]

9 minutes ago, Aris said:

When you see Mal next to Husky physical difference is obvious. 

 I defy anyone to differentiate the picture I linked of a malamute with an above average sized Husky. Mals the size I linked are very common, not exceptions.

[Rachael_Astro]

 I defy anyone to differentiate the picture I linked of a malamute with an above average sized Husky. Mals the size I linked are very common, not exceptions.

Mals look completely different to huskies and are a lot bigger


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[Axiom]

1 minute ago, Rachael_Astro said:

 

Mals look completely different to huskies and are a lot bigger


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The husky below is waaaay bigger than lots of malamutes I've encountered, including my own.

[Rachael_Astro]

The husky below is waaaay bigger than lots of malamutes I've encountered, including my own.

 

That is an extremely overweight husky (if it is a husky!). Huskies are supposed to be slender

 

 

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[Axiom]

6 minutes ago, Rachael_Astro said:

 

That is an extremely overweight husky. Huskies are supposed to be slender


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Yeah but height and other measurements are irrespective of weight. It's a big one nonetheless.

[robke]

22 minutes ago, Axiom said:

The husky below is waaaay bigger than lots of malamutes I've encountered, including my own.

wow now that is an husky in need of a diet...

[Rachael_Astro]

Yeah but height and other measurements are irrespective of weight. It's a big one nonetheless.

It only looks big because its overweight! Breed standard huskies are not big, mals are


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[Axiom]

This Siberian Husky is not overweight.. Looks identical to a malamute apart from the eye colors in this particular case.

[Rachael_Astro]

This Siberian Husky is not overweight.. Looks identical to a malamute apart from the eye colors in this particular case.

What exactly is your point? You've gone from wanting to know what the temperament differences are to arguing about the size of a husky! And that does not look like a husky to me

If you want to compare temperaments you're best finding out about huskies here then going to a malamute forum to ask about them


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[Axiom]

5 minutes ago, Rachael_Astro said:

 

What exactly is your point? You've gone from wanting to know what the temperament differences are to arguing about the size of a husky! And that does not look like a husky to me

If you want to compare temperaments you're best finding out about huskies here then going to a malamute forum to ask about them


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That's a Siberian Husky (used to be a profile picture on a wikipage..) So let's put to rest this notion that its possible to physically differentiate huskies from malamutes. Myth! I don't know why malamute owners would know the answer to my question better than Husky owners.

[Axiom]

16 hours ago, Rachael_Astro said:

I don't know anything about malamutes sorry!


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Let me ask you, what is the point of this message? If you don't know, you don't post, obviously. Unless you want to take up space.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

This Siberian Husky is not overweight.. Looks identical to a malamute apart from the eye colors in this particular case.

 

Looks nothing like a malamute , the faceshape is different ears are higher set too , if someone asked me what breed that dog was straight away it's a husky not a mal tail is also different , mals tails tend to always curl over the back huskies don't , yes they can have a curl but it's not permanent

 

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[Axiom]

7 minutes ago, BingBlaze n Skyla said:

Looks nothing like a malamute , the faceshape is different ears are higher set too , if someone asked me what breed that dog was straight away it's a husky not a mal tail is also different , mals tails tend to always curl over the back huskies don't , yes they can have a curl but it's not permanent

 

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Wrong. Mals tail are kept low when calm, just like Huskies.  They are curled when excited/working mode. 

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

Wrong. Mals tail are kept low when calm, just like Huskies.  They are curled when excited/working mode. 

Like I said they tend to mostly be kept curled over , they have a tighter curl then huskies too , huskies carry their in more of a sickle curve

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