Hi!

I would appreciate some advice pls. My hubby and I are planning to get dogs in the new year. My husband really wants an Alaskan Malamute and I would really like a Dachshund.

Do you think we can keep these dogs happily together?

Unless you're very experienced with multiple dogs it's usually a mistake to get two dogs at the same time. Best to choose one and introduce another in a couple of years time.

If you definitely plan to keep both I would say the Dachshund needs to come first.  A mal puppy will be easier to introduce to an adult Dachshund than introducing a juicy sausage, sorry a Dachs puppy to an adult mal.  But to be honest I think you probabaly ought to consider some sort if compromise.  Their needs are so different. (amount & type of exercise in particular). Mals are certainly not a breed for your average pet owner.  Nor a first time dog owner.  You MUST do a lot of research into and meet plenty of both breeds before taking the plunge.

Agree with Jeangenie it is almost impossible to train to pups at the same time and you never get the best from either dog.

One other thing that springs to mind the Mal being a spitz will probable consider it play to swipe at other dogs with it's feet and the Dachshund are prone to back injury so care would be needed to avoid the Mal damaging the Dachshund's back in play.

I'd advise getting the smaller breed first, then 3 years later getting the other of the opposite sex.  Malamutes are often not good with their own sex.

Please be very careful where you go for a puppy in both breeds but especially the larger as there are a lot of money motivated pseudo breeders who are not breeding for temperament or homing puppies responsibly.

A young man in my breed out with his very young children was attacked and mauled by 4 irresponsibly owned Malamutes, only saving the children from serious injury by putting them up a tree.  He has bad bites to his back, a dn a neighbour of the dogs was bitten a week ago.  The owners appear to be irresponsible.

This is untypical for the breed, but they are a large powerful breed and need responsible handling and training.

We plan to buy the mal pup from a KC accredited breeder. We want to get two dogs so they can keep each company and have read that mals in particular need the company of other dogs. We have had dogs before so we know that they are a big commitment and a lot of hard work but we also know that the unconditional love given in return is worth all the effort. We want to do best by the newest members of our family so it is most important that we get the right pairing.

Hi Nova, my biggest worry is that the mal might accidentally hurt the dachshund back when playing with it's big paws.

Yes they are pack oriented and do better with company, BUT you NEED to focus all your energies in training and socialising one pup at a time.  Getting 2 together, of any breed but especially a mal, will mean that you don't spend the amount of time on the individual pup as you should.  As has been said a couple of times, a gap between each pup of at least 18 months is important.  Please take heed of the advice you have asked for.

Don't just look for a KC Accredited breeder, find one with plenty of experience of the breed, one who either works or shows, preferably both, one who is a member of the breed club.  Improving though the ABS may be, there are names on that list who have barely owned their dogs long enough to learn how to raise one through the "Kevin" stage and beyond and so will not be in a position to support you in raising yours.

What do think of getting an older rescue dog first and then getting the mal pup later?

An older rescue Dachs?

Not necessarily a dach. But certainly a small or medium dog not a dog that will be a big as a mal.

I would strongly advise against having 2 puppies at the same time.Each breed has very different needs and responsible breeders would be very unlikely to to let a pup go into a new home enviroment were another pup has been recently added to the family.Mals are not for the faint hearted,need a responsible and knowledgeable upbringing.They can get on well with a multi dog home but equally it can go belly up especially when the mal reaches the terrible teens,this unfortunately is when many end up in Mal rescue.In the main they prefer the opposite sex,but this is no means a hard set rule.A smaller dog is best intoduced first,even a Malamute puppy is large and clumsy.Please do your research first and talk to owners of both breeds,look at the AMCUK site for advice and ethical breeders.I have heard of a Malamute recently being feed together with a pom,only for the Mal to unfortunately kill the little pom.Due to the owners lack of understanding this was another Mal rehome statstic.

>We want to get two dogs so they can keep each company

They will certainly be company for each other (at least until they reach adolescence and start competing for rank, which is when fighting can start), but it will be to the detriment of your own relationship with them. They will always prefer the company of their own species to that of another (us), unless they spend most of their time apart from each other and in human company.

Hi cornishmals,

What would advise a prospective mal owner to do? Get the mal pup first and see how the land lies when its 2yrs old before deciding whether to get second dog?

Everyone - thanks for all the info, keep it coming. We have read loads of info on the Internet and spoken to some breeders but have found a lot of conflicting info so it's great to be able to ask specific questions and get advice from those in the know. We want to do what is best at the end of the day and be responsible dog owners.

Suppose we should ask if we are talking standard or mini Dachshund although the back problem could apply to both, having a rescue is also prone to problems as you do not know the breeding and as back weakness is a problem it is important to buy from a breeder who has born this in mind when attempting to improve their line.

Mals are one of the breeds that has suffered from over demanded following one or two films and the Bank Book Breeders have jumped on the Gravy train - so again much care needs to be taken when choosing a breeder, it does not matter if they are Accredited or not you need someone who has been in the breed for a number of years, is a member of the breed club and is prepared to help you through the first 2 or 3 years.

I am wondering if someone is home for most of the day as you are talking about dogs needing company, yes, they do but first and foremost they need to look upon you as their leader. Particularly with the Mal you need to put in a good deal of work in the first couple of years hopefully working and showing your Mal to keep him busy and happy. 

> What would advise a prospective mal owner to do? Get the mal pup first and see how the land lies when its 2yrs old before deciding whether to get second dog?

I'm not cornishmals or a Mal owner, but I think with any breed it is best to have one first and see how you do, then dependent on that, consider again in 2 yrs time whether a 2nd dog of any breed is going to work for your situation. That's based on watching and seeing others' experiences.... and taking that advice myself.

Many dogs are not cut out for living with another dog whatever breed it is, or whenever you bring it in... Best to know as much as you can about your first one, give it all the training and guidance you can, before trying to expand.

Neither breed is mine, but I do have little and large -although perhaps not quite as big a difference (not sure what a Malamute weighs but they are definitely bigger than my dogs). My smallest dog weighs 1.8 kg and my largest 30 odd. I just wanted to add that much as they can get along just fine and be company for each other, such extreme size differences will never be as much company for each other as dogs of similar sizes. You can't let them off lead to play together, you can't easily walk them together, you can't even safely leave them unsupervised indoors together, because accidents happen so easily. All you need is a big paw on a back or leg and you can have serious injuries. I keep my little and large separate, in separate parts of the house, they even have separate gardens to go out into, and I never walk them together unless on lead. It works for me because I have several of each -had I just had one of each it would not have been practical or fair. So yes, maybe look at something a bit bigger. :) And I fully agree about not having two pups together -been there, done it (not out of choice), got the grey hairs and nightmares to prove it.

Like marianne I have neither breed but do have a little and large agree with her comments although mine do not have as much separation as Mariannes can my gsd weighs in at 46kg and little pomxchi at 3.5kg ( big for her breed but tiny by comparison. They are never left alone together whenever I am out or at night. She sleeps in her open crate in the kitchen and he in my room.
They are fed apart although she is boss she doesnt like being near him to eat. Yes they play but supervised and it is cut short if he gets too heavy pawed or looks like it. I had gsd first and two years later added her I am now hoping to add a flatcoat and am very pleased I did it this way round and not together.
If you are worried about one of the dogs being alone why not employ a dog walker during the hours you are not around. My two are walked by someone who knows them well and is very capable and trustworthy on the2 days work

I keep both large and small breeds, and I can only ask you to read Mariannes post - and read it again.

You can't ask two dogs to keep each other company - you should be the ones keeping them company!  And you would have to seperate when you are out of the house, so it defeats the object.

I agree, big mistake to get two dogs together.

Hi.
Have two slighty larger versions of dachshunds and one of those silly owners who have only a year between them. I would not have two so close in age again, you just don't get enough time with the first or have enough quality time for both when second pup joins the family. Whether your choice is standard or miniature you have to be so careful of their backs even supervising/watching them together you can never anticipate what is going to happen it is too easy for a larger dog to bring it's weight down unintentionally. Our elder dog used to play with a miniature dachshund and although the owner was only to happy it used to terrify me and I ended up avoiding them. Another perhaps minor point is that with dogs so close to the ground is that they take up more floor space than you would imagine as you can't get you feet under them. I would be very concerned having such a large boisterous breed with another who although has a huge character is so easily injured because of it's size and length.

Hi jeanSW. I can assure you I am reading all of the posts on here and taking everyone of them seriously. See my earlier post about doing research on the Internet and finding conflicting info - that's why I am here asking for advice. As explained we had read that mals like the company of other dogs. If the consensus is that the right thing to do is to concentrate on caring for one dog then that is what we will do.

Thanks Lacy. Just the info I was looking for. I think from all the info gathered here we will look into get the mal and raising it on it's own then consider getting another medium/large breed dog 2-3 yrs later. Hopefully I will get the pleasure of owning a dach later on in life.

I think you've made the right choice, I'm one of those who got 2 puppies at once, very similar breeds in size and temperament but we still had trouble with the 2 boys when we added a girl 3 years later. I will not have 2 so close in age ever again, even though it works for some people. And if you add in the size difference in the 2 breeds you are interested in, it would be very hard!

I would concentrate all my time,energies and resources in one breed for now and may be introduce another breed in about 2 years.Even then Iwould be wary of bringing in a much smaller and delicate dog as Mals are large and clumsy at times and can weigh 45kg up to 60kg for a particuarlly large boy.Mals aren't the ideal first time dog.They need time and dedication spent on them.They need to recognise that you are the leader,and need to be offered stimulation,exercise,strong leadership and socialisation+++++.They have a high prey drive,will chase and kill small furries and when focused on something more interesting than you will not immeadiately come back to you if let off lead.They become bored easily,can be destructive and though not normally a vocal breed can be noisy if left alone for long periods with no stimulation.So working  afull day and leavng your dog alone 5 days a week for 9 hours isn't an option.Though dog sitters and walkers are helpful.Though normally easy as a puppy,cute and it will take you hours to walk your puppy as everyone will want to stop and stroke your ball of fluffiness,when they reach the terrible teens at arould 9 months,even a well adjusted Mal will test all the boundries laid down by you.A 45 - 60 kg mal can be difficult to reason with.
Still want a Mal?
Well they are a wonderful,loyal and somewhat adictive breed.Having only wanted a Malamute 6 years ago following 20 odd years of having GSDs,we wanted one as a pet.However we now have 6 Mals including a rescued/rehomed Mal that is 13 years old next week.We work our mals in harness with our rig(just recreational) show our dogs reguarly and have been placed at Crufts (unbeliveable we thought as 4years ago I had never even been to a dog show)
Have you considered a rescue Malamute   http://www.malamuterescue.org.uk  Try looking at the Alaskan Malamute Club of Great Britain  
http://www.alaskanmalamute.org.uk  
If its a puppy you want the choose an ethical breeder(as named on the above web site).Make sure that the parents have been health checked.That is that they have been hip scored with a mean score of 13 or less and they have a current clear eye certificate for congenital cateracts.Health checks can be viewed here   http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/services/public/health/search
Choice someone that will give you 24/7 support,and if in the event that your mal doesn't work out will take the dog back.If this is your first dog and as I said it isn't an ideal first time dog,then prove to the breeders that you have done your thorough research and will be willing to except their help and guidence.
What area are you in.Most Mal owners/breeders are happy for visitors to meet and greet their pack.I often have people that visit my Woos.PM me and I may be able to suggest someone in your area.
Good luck and carry on with ther search.
Jude

they are a large powerful breed and need responsible handling and training

It might be a good idea to go to Discover Dogs to really see what you think of each breed--or maybe even look to see whether there another breed you both like. Malamutes and dachshunds are not the most likely of combinations in terms of temperament and physical needs. Unless you husband has a lot of time on his hands and the space to have a dog like that I'd think again. We had one left once at the veterinary hospital I worked at--at some point during the day the owner left it tied to the bench and disappeared. It was absolutely fine until one of the technicians took it into the back, which was when it laid his forearm open to the bone without warning--imagine if that had been a child or another small animal.

Sadly this is increasingly common in this breed.BYB are the bane of my life.They breed for money,not for temperment,health or breed standard.I very briefly cared for a foster Mal in the summer.With the overview of a through behavioural assesment and hopefully find an adoptee in the future.He came from a BYB and suffice to say within 10 hours of arriving with me from the south east this dog without any warning - no growling,snarling raising of hackles - nothing.I spent 8 days in hospital,have had 3 operations including skin grafts and plastic surgery.I am having a nerve graft next month to help give me a fully functioning hand.
Even in the show ring there is increasingly more 'aggresive'mals :(

Lots of accredited breeders of Malamutes are totally disreputable and breed from appalling dogs.

I am sure the same happens in other breeds too.

I have a Mal and she is great with smaller dogs and would love a dachshund friend but not all are good - I would get the Mal first and once it is 3 years old  - decide whether adding a small dog is right and what gender etc would suit best ...

off topic hope no one minds.Cornishmals  I remember your hand injury when it happened and the dreadful time you were having. Hope things are a bit better for you now even though it sounds like you are not yet at the end of the road .So unfortunate all round given the circumstances

Thanks,I am back at work and have a fitness to work certificate for light duties for 4 months ( banished to the world of ICT LOL).Have a pre assesment in January so hopefully will have my Nerve graft in January.Still have no feeling in thumb and side of hand but my ring finger is slowly improving.At least I get to wash the dishes now :)...and walk and show the the woos.Will be at LKA on Saturday with the baby of the family.My puppy Mal.

Different breeds entirely, I know, but my daughter got a whippet at the same time as I got a papillon.  They were brought up together but were NEVER left alone together.  At night they were crated and also if we both went out.  Just another thing to bear in mind when getting two mis-matched (size-wise) puppies.

Hi Cornishmals, I really appreciate all the advice you have given me here. I will PM you for some more specific info! Thanks.

Cornishmal I will be there too as aspectator will come and say hi

Please do,will be in bitch puppy with my big bald O.H lol!!!!

See you at LKA

> Will be at LKA on Saturday with the baby of the family.My puppy Mal.

OOh have fun tomorrow. Kinda wish i'd entered now, just to see everyone before Xmas.. And see your pup!! :-)

See you tomorrow Julie,HATE the early morning start,The big Bald one wants to leave by 4am  :0

I had my big dogs (shepherd/collie and wolf/rott) b4 I got my boston's but then again my big dogs were very well socialized with all animals from cats, ferrets to rats n mice lol

But yes think I would def get the lil chap 1st :-) Def easier to introduce the mal as a puppy to the dash :-) best of luck