Are Alaskan Malamutes good in hot weather?

How Alaskan Malamutes handle the heat

The cooling problem

Alaskan Malamutes carry a dense double coat evolved to trap warmth. It insulates against heat as well as cold to a point, but in high temperatures it works against them, and humidity makes it worse. The coat is a heat store they cannot simply shed on a hot day.

Practical summer management

Shift walks to early morning and late evening, and skip them entirely on the hottest days. Carry water on every outing, provide deep shade in the garden, and give access to cool floors indoors. The pavement test is simple: press the back of your hand to the ground for seven seconds, and if it is too hot for your hand it is too hot for paws.

Never shave a double coat to "cool the dog down". It removes the insulating layer that also blocks heat and can leave the skin exposed to sunburn. Regular brushing to clear dead undercoat is the right approach.

Exercise in warm weather

Alaskan Malamutes have high energy, which is the trap in summer. They will keep going past the point that is safe, so it is on you to cut sessions short, choose shaded routes, and swap a run for sniffing and brain games on hot days.

Personality and summer walks

Like a Husky but larger, louder, and even more stubborn. Built for endurance, not obedience.

Affectionate dogs want to stay close to their owner even in the heat, following them from room to room rather than settling alone on the coolest floor available. A playful dog can be coaxed into another round of fetch even while overheating, since the drive to keep playing does not come with a built-in instinct to stop and rest. A stubborn dog can refuse to come in from a sunny garden or cut a walk short, even once it is visibly struggling with the heat.

Heat, training and behaviour

Teaching a dog to settle in the shade

Alaskan Malamutes take more consistent work to teach a settle command, so on hot days it often falls to the owner to physically manage where the dog rests rather than relying on a cue alone.

Barking and restlessness in a heatwave

Alaskan Malamutes rarely bark much, so discomfort in hot weather is more likely to show as excessive panting or reluctance to move than as noise.

Family and other pets in a heatwave

Alaskan Malamutes generally do well around children, though hot weather adds a job for parents: making sure excitable play with kids in the garden does not run on longer than the dog can safely handle. A cat in the same household should have its own cool retreat well away from this breed, heat or no heat.

Cost and ageing in hot weather

Alaskan Malamutes typically live 10 to 14 years, and older dogs of any breed regulate heat less efficiently than a fit adult, so senior alaskan malamutes need shorter, cooler outings and closer watching during a heatwave. Insurance for a Alaskan Malamute in the UK typically costs about £40 to £85 a month, and heatstroke is exactly the kind of sudden, serious vet visit that cover exists for. A Alaskan Malamute puppy, usually priced around £800 to £2000, overheats more easily than an adult dog as well, since puppies have less developed temperature regulation and tire without always showing it.