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Why Your Alaskan Malamute Isn’t Fluffy and What To Do!

Malamutes are known to be big and fluffy, right?

So why is it that your Malamute isn’t as fluffy as others? This article will answer just that, and provide you with some tips to ensure his coat is as healthy and fluffy as possible.

The main reason why your Malamute’s coat isn’t fluffy is due to his genetics and blood lineage. Malamutes that descend from a show dog family typically have fluffier coats than malamutes coming from a working dog family.

Everything, including more reasons, will be explained below.

Are All Malamutes Fluffy?

Are Alaskan Malamutes supposed to be fluffy?

Well, the short answer is no, not really!

Fluffy or non-fluffy, malamutes have luscious thick double coats comprising of an undercoat and a topcoat.

Some malamutes will boast a longer topcoat, whereas others will have a slightly shorter topcoat.

This gives the overall appearance of either having long hair or short hair.

What about fluffiness? Some malamutes will naturally have fluffier topcoats than others, but this isn’t the case for all malamutes.

And it’s completely normal if your malamute doesn’t seem very fluffy.

3 Reasons Why Some Alaskan Malamutes Are Not Fluffy

Let’s explain the reason why your Malamute might not look as fluffy as others.

1. Genetics and Blood Lineage

Physical traits are closely matched to the parents. This goes beyond just their coat and accounts for their entire make-up.

For example, It’s normal for show/competition malamutes to only breed with other show malamutes. This way, the “quality” bloodline continues. And show dogs typically have fluffier coats.

And that’s how it goes… If your Malamute is from a lineage of show dogs, then it’s more than likely his coat will be fluffy like his parents.

Show dogs live a different kind of life compared to working dogs, who typically live outside, or at least spend most of their days outside.

Working dogs develop a stronger topcoat that’s more coarse to touch and naturally less fluffy. This provides extra protection from the outside elements.

And now you have the same situation. Working dogs are likely to mate with other working dogs, so the offspring will have similar physical traits.

2. Diet and Nutrition

Diet and nutrition play a role in overall skin and coat health, and this does affect appearance. It might not all be down to genes.

Ensure your Malamute eats a diet high in protein, medium to high in fat, and low in carbohydrates. This is the most appropriate macronutrient breakdown for Malamutes.

Using a premium brand is always recommended, and the ingredients used are fresher and more wholesome.

Premium brands are more expensive due to the quality of the ingredients and the processing being more expensive and time-consuming.

Lower quality brands are able to charge less because the ingredients going into the food cost less.

Premium brands include the likes of Orijen, Acana or Taste of The Wild

Ensuring a diet high in healthy fats, omega 3, 6 and DHA is will be crucial in developing and maintaining healthy skin and coat.

It’s only fair to state, that not all “premium” brands will work well with your Malamute just because they are premium.

Trial and error may still be needed. But it’s important that you eventually find a kibble that your Malamute’s body takes to.

3. Grooming

Shedding is a big deal with Malamutes.

Grooming is essential and will have a direct impact on the appearance of his coat.

When I say grooming, I’m not talking about bathing so much, and in fact, bathing should be kept minimal, to around 3-4 times per year. Any more than this, and you risk drying out his skin and coat. Which will certainly not help with fluffiness.

Brushing is where the magic happens. Having a solid brushing routine is critical to the health of his coat.

Aim to have short sessions frequently throughout the week. This may look like 3 to 4 times per week, for 20 minutes each time.

Use a simple undercoat rake for the first 10 minutes. This will remove the dead undercoat hair and will stimulate blood flow to the skin and promote oil distribution throughout the coat.

Finish off with a slicker brush for the last 10 minutes. Slicker brushes are awesome at combing through the topcoat to make it smooth, soft (and fluffy

This is original content produced and published by My Happy Husky | www.myhappyhusky.com | If this content appears on any other website or platform then it is not the original and action will be taken.

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How To Make a Malamute’s Coat Fluffier

From the section above, you can certainly see some things you can do to promote fluffiness.

However, fluffiness does not necessarily mean healthy.

Ultimately, every owner’s priority should be to keep your Malamutes’ coat healthy and strong, regardless of whether that means fluffy or not.

After all, if fluffiness isn’t in his genes, it will be hard to achieve the soft teddy bear look.

Tips for healthy skin and coat:

A summary of the important tips and best practices for skin and coat health:

● Have a brushing routine 3 to 4 times per week. 20 minutes each time. 10 minutes with an undercoat rake and 10 minutes with a slicker brush.

● Ensure a premium diet, high in protein, medium to high-fat, low carbohydrates.

● Consider switching to a kibble that uses salmon, duck, or other fish as the main protein source. This increases healthy fats and omega 3 intake.

● Consider a fish oil or flaxseed supplement. These supplements are known to help skin and coat health. (always consult veterinarian beforehand)

● Ensure exercise is high. Malamutes in their prime 2-7 years old should be receiving 2 hours of exercise per day. This keeps their body in optimal performance and health. Overall health without a doubt affects skin and coat health.

Don’t Do This To Your Malamute’s Coat

Still to this day, people advocate shaving their Malamute. The two most common reasons are to prevent shedding and to keep them cool.

This article is about making your Malamute fluffy so you likely aren’t interested in shaving him anyway! But It has to be said…

Shaving a double-coated breed is a big no-no and may ruin their coat for many years to come.

The undercoat and topcoat both have very important roles to play, including UV blocking, preventing bug bites and dirt from touching the skin, and yes, their coats help to keep them cool despite what other may think.

The other issue with shaving is that the undercoat typically outgrows the topcoat once shaved. This leads to a thick matting of the two coats. This reduces airflow, which leads to overheating, and even skin conditions.

Your goal should only ever be to keep his coat as healthy as possible, regardless of its appearance.

Final Thoughts

Although having a super fluffy Alaskan Malamute is desirable, if your Malamute isn’t destined to be fluffy, then that’s okay, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

There’s no incorrect coat type!

Focus on keeping your Malamute healthy, in shape, and well-groomed, and his coat will be at the best that it can be (fluffy or not).

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Disclaimer

The advice given in this article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice in any context. Before making any decisions that may affect the health and/or safety of your dog, you should always consult a trained veterinarian in your local area. For the FULL disclaimer Visit Here


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