The Akita Malamute mix is an incredibly large and powerful dog that requires a lot of exercise, as well as patience in obedience training, due to how independent and stubborn they can be.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the physical characteristics, temperament, and training requirements of the Akita Malamute mix and explore what makes this breed such a special companion.
Contents
Quick Profile
For the sake of this article, we will be focusing on the American Akita rather than the Japanese Akita, as these are more commonly bred with the Malamute and also more common to see in the US.
Before we get into the details, here’s a quick overview of this mix so you can get an idea of what they are like.
- Other Names: Malkita, Malakita, Akitamute
- Average Lifespan: 10 to 14 years
- Average Height: 24 to 28 inches
- Average Weight: 75 to 130+ lbs
- Coat appearance: Dense and double coated, medium to long in length, depending on genetics
- Eye Color: Usually dark brown or blue
- Activity Level: 2 hours every day as a minimum
- Grooming Frequency: Regular grooming is necessary due to the double-coat and medium-coat length
- Typical Temperament: Akita Malamutes tend to be very affectionate to people they know but wary of strangers. They are very independent and can be difficult to train
- Daily Food Consumption: Very high
- New Owner Friendly: Not very friendly for new owners due to their sheer size, exercise, and obedience commitments
- Suitable to live with children? Must be socialized from an early age
- Suitable to live with other dogs? Must be socialized from an early age
- Suitable to live with cats? Must be socialized from an early age
Appearance
Akita Malamutes have an intimidating appearance and combine key features from the Malamute and Akita.
They are tall and can easily exceed well over 100 lbs. They will always have a thick double coat that ranges in length from short to long, with thick curly tails and alert ears.
Their face is typically broader than an average Malamute, with a more muscular build overall.
In order to get a better idea of how the Akita Malamute mix looks, it’s important to look at the parent breeds.
American Akita Appearance
American Akitas have an imposing appearance, with a large and muscular frame and a large, broad head. They can easily reach over 100 lbs in weight and between 24 to 28 inches in height, according to the AKC standard.
American Akitas have thick double coats, medium-sized pointed ears and thick tails that typically curl over at the back.
Malamute Appearance
Alaskan Malamutes have a classic Spitz-type appearance, with large fluffy double coats, pointed ears, and fluffy, curled tails.
Malamutes are one of the largest spitz-type dogs, with an average height of 23 to 25 inches at the shoulder and a weight of 75 to 85 lbs; although this is just the breed standard as per the AKC, many Malamutes easily exceed these guidelines.
Malamutes can have a lot of different coat color variations, but the most commonly seen is black and white.
Average Size
There’s no doubt that the Akita Malamute mix is a pretty massive dog.
They will very easily exceed well over 100 lbs in weight and can reach nearly 30 inches at the shoulder. They are very well-built and pack a lot of muscle and strength in their frames.
Coat Appearance
Akita Malamute mixes will always have a thick double coat, but the length can vary between quite short and dense to medium or long in length and fluffy.
In terms of color, it is quite common to see shades of brown and black from the Akita, as well as white from the Alaskan Malamute.
The Akita Malamute mix almost always has several colors in its coat, but there is a large variance as both parent breeds come in a wide range of coat colors.
Physical Features
Malkitas exhibit a lot of physical features that are characteristic of both breeds.
They have pointed and alert ears, fluffy double coats, and curled tails, which are seen across many Spitz-type breeds.
They have more of a square face than the Malamute and are more imposing physically due to their larger size.
Grooming Guide
The Akita Malamute mix is a demanding breed in terms of grooming due to its double coat.
A double coat is a term used to describe when the coat contains two layers – a short, wooly layer and a long guard layer.
Twice each year, a double-coated dog will blow their coat, where they transition from its winter coat to its summer coat – releasing a lot of fluff in the process.
In terms of the Akita Malamute mix, you’re looking at daily grooming if they have medium to long-length fur or grooming once or twice per week if their coat is shorter. A full breakdown of this process can be found here.
You may also need to groom them more than once per day when they are blowing coat, but this shouldn’t last for more than a couple of days.
Bathing
Bathing should not be done frequently as double coats are great at keeping themselves clean.
Akita Malamute mixes are also natural groomers and will take care of their coats themselves for the most part, so bathing should be done every 2 or 3 months as needed.
Nail Trimming
Nail trimming should not need to be done very often, as the Akita Malamute mix is highly active.
It’s always worth checking their nails once every week or so, and if they start to become too long, we recommend using a metal nail grinder to keep them short.
Is The Akita Malamute Mix Hypoallergenic
The Akita Malamute mix is prone to shedding, so it is not a hypoallergenic mix.
This is the case with the majority of Malamute mixes and Spitz-type dogs.
Temperament
There are a lot of different aspects of the Akita Malamute’s temperament, including prey drive, guarding instinct, and much more.
It’s hard to know exactly which traits they will inherit from the parent breeds, but shared traits like prey drive and affection are much more likely to be passed down.
Prey Drive
Akita Malamute mixes are prone to having a high prey drive as both parent breeds also have a high prey drive.
This is important to understand because it is pretty much impossible to train away. If an Akita Malamute mix spots a small animal out on a walk, it will be inclined to chase it; and during this time, it is extremely difficult to recall them.
It’s also why they need to be socialized from a young age with cats, as they will be prone to chasing them as well.
Guarding Instinct
Akitas are naturally great guard dogs – they are suspicious of strangers and have a very imposing appearance.
Alaskan Malamutes, on the other hand, are terrible guard dogs. Despite their large size and intimidating appearance, they are naturally very friendly, even to strangers.
So you can expect an Akita Malamute mix to be on one end of this spectrum or somewhere in between – it will be hard to know before.
Affection & Loyalty
Akita Malamute mixes are incredibly affectionate and loyal to people that they trust.
This comes from the affectionate tendencies of both parent breeds. Akitas get their protective nature from a love of their families, and Malamutes have a strong pack mentality and love to be around people.
Highly Energetic
It should come as no surprise that the Akita Malamute mix is highly energetic, given how much exercise they need (at least 2 hours per day).
When you consider that Malamutes are capable of pulling sleds with heavy loads for miles without tiring and that Akitas are an incredibly active breed, it becomes clear to see why this mix is not at the top of the list for low-maintenance dogs.
Independent/Stubborn
Akita Malamute mixes are very independent thinkers, which can make them seem stubborn.
The truth is, both parent breeds are independent by nature which is seen across many Spitz-type dogs. This means that they are not particularly interested in pleasing their owners, especially during obedience training.
When you combine the fact that this mix is incredibly large and powerful with how difficult they are to train, it’s clear to see why we don’t recommend them for first-time owners.
Are Akita Malamute Mixes Good Family Dogs?
Akita Malamute mixes have the potential to be good family dogs, but there are several things to be aware of:
- Their large size can be problematic for younger children.
- They need to be socialized from a young age with other dogs and cats.
- They must be exercised a lot daily – this can be difficult to fit into a family schedule, especially if you have younger children.
- They can be difficult to train, which can make it hard to control them. You must be patient with this process and start from a young age.
If you can get over these hurdles, the Akita Malamute mix is a great family dog that will watch over and protect your family.
Health
For the sheer size of this mix, they are actually very healthy dogs with an average lifespan between 10 and 14 years.
However, the large size does leave them prone to hip dysplasia, a condition where the hip joint does not form correctly during growth which can lead to arthritis and several other problems in later years.
Is The Akita Malamute Mix Intelligent?
The Akita Malamute mix is highly intelligent, thanks again to the parent breeds.
Alaskan Malamutes are super intelligent, as our founder and Malamute owner, Caitlin, would attest.
This comes from their working background, and although Malamutes don’t rank highly on conventional dog intelligence tests, don’t be fooled – these usually rely on how quickly a dog learns a command, and we all know how stubborn Malamutes can be.
Akitas are pretty similar – they don’t rank highly on conventional dog intelligence tests due to their independence, but they are very intelligent nonetheless.
Are They Easy To Train?
Unfortunately, Akita Malamute mixes are prone to being stubborn and independent, which makes training difficult.
They won’t go out of their way to cause trouble, but they do like to have their own time and are not particularly interested in pleasing their owners during training.
For the best chance of success, it’s important to start with training from a young age.
How Much Do They Cost?
Akita malamute mixes are not commonly bred, so it’s unlikely that you would purchase this type of dog from a breeder over adopting one.
Both parent breeds are quite expensive, so purchasing one from a breeder could easily cost over a thousand dollars, but again this is not very common.
In Summary
The Akita Malamute mix is not for the fainthearted.
They are large to giant dogs with plenty of energy and stubbornness to match. They are difficult to train and need to be socialized from an early age to avoid issues with other dogs or cats.
If you are able to meet their needs, they are an incredible family companion.
If you’re interested in learning more about Alaskan Malamute mixes, you can check out some of our recent articles below:
