Alaskan Malamute
Big, strong and heavy-shedding. Realistically not an apartment dog.
About the Alaskan Malamute
The Alaskan Malamute is a large spitz-type breed of dog that was originally bred for its strength and endurance to haul heavy freight as a sled dog. It is similar to other arctic breeds such as the husky, the Greenland Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog, the Siberian Husky, and the Samoyed.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Key facts
- Origin
- United States
- Weight
- 34–43 kg
- Height
- 58–64 cm
- Lifespan
- 10–14 years
- Est. monthly cost
- $121 (≈ $1452 per year)
- Purchase price
- $2,600–$4,550 from a breeder
Where the monthly cost comes from
Routine care for a Alaskan Malamute averages about $121 a month, or roughly $1,452 a year. That figure is summed from the measured US line items below — food is scaled to this breed's body weight and grooming to its coat — not quoted from any single clinic or breeder.
| Category | Per month |
|---|---|
| Food (scaled to 39 kg) | $445.81 |
| Treats | $60.00 |
| Routine veterinary care (adjusted for this breed's known issues) | $347.55 |
| Medications (flea, tick, heartworm) | $101.85 |
| Grooming (4/5 coat requirement) | $450.00 |
| Toys | $37.00 |
| Licence | $15.00 |
| Total | $121 |
Pet insurance is not in that total. The average US accident-and-illness premium is $676 a year for a dog, but most pets are not insured, so adding it to every breed would overstate what a typical owner pays.
If you insure, board and budget for emergencies
Owners who carry insurance, leave the pet boarded when travelling and set money aside for emergencies land near $224 a month — about $2,683 a year. This is a modelled budget, not a survey result:
| Item | Per year |
|---|---|
| Routine care, as itemised above | $1,452 |
| Pet insurance (NAPHIA average premium) | $676 |
| Boarding (10 days at $25/day) | $250 |
| Emergency fund (one ~$900 event every 3 years) | $300 |
| Fully-loaded total | $2,683 |
Boarding rate from MarketWatch ($25/day). Emergency allowance modelled on Rover's finding that a typical emergency visit starts near $300 and reaches $4,000 with diagnostics and an overnight stay. The number of boarded days and the once-in-three-years emergency frequency are our own planning assumptions, stated here so you can substitute your own.
Includes routine vet visits, food, grooming and supplies. Excludes emergencies, training, boarding and the purchase price above. Method and sources: data sources.
Temperament and care profile
Health issues to watch
The FDA's animal adverse-event database holds 1,355 reported events filed under this breed name (data current to 2026-10-05). Reports are not proof of causation and are not adjusted for how many animals of the breed exist.
More photos
Photos via Dog CEO.
How it compares
Pick a second breed to see a side-by-side breakdown of cost, size, shedding and lifestyle fit.
- Alaskan Malamute vs Samoyed
- Alaskan Malamute vs Afghan Hound
- Alaskan Malamute vs Akita
- Alaskan Malamute vs Chow Chow
- Alaskan Malamute vs Golden Retriever
- Alaskan Malamute vs Poodle
- Alaskan Malamute vs German Shepherd
- Alaskan Malamute vs Great Dane
- Alaskan Malamute vs Shetland Sheepdog
- Alaskan Malamute vs Siberian Husky
- Alaskan Malamute vs Bichon Frise
- Alaskan Malamute vs Border Collie