Since the Alaskan Malamute is mostly used as a sled dog, it is commonly known as a strong and hardworking dog. And truly, not many people would think that an Alaskan Malamute is an intelligent dog. But if you have an Alaskan Malamute, you will find out sooner or later that it has an almost insatiable need for mental stimulation, and you will probably have a hard time trying to keep it from feeling bored.

The problem with an intelligent breed such as the Alaskan Malamute is that it can easily get bored and may engage in destructive activities to counter its boredom. An active and strong Alaskan Malamute can run wild and ruin things in your home when it is bored. It is a dog that is very reliant on its instincts, and therefore it's natural for it to act first and worry about the consequences of its actions later.

In fact, an Alaskan Malamute may not even worry about the consequences if it doesn't see the point in following your commands or if you don't know how to discipline it. It can easily disobey your orders if there's nothing to be excited about. This is a natural trait of the Alaskan Malamute. If you want to discipline your Alaskan Malamute, you have to be creative when training it. You should make up commands and rules that it will find interesting. Come up with something different from time to time to make the same routines appear new. If you always command your Alaskan Malamute in the same manner, it will get bored and refuse to follow your commands. This is due to the Alaskan Malamute's trait of stubbornness, or what is otherwise known as selective hearing.

An Alaskan Malamute has a keen sense of dog humor and it can be clownish or foolish at times. Unfortunately, this sense of humor may result in some form of embarrassment for its owner. It is so blatant that it will catch your attention immediately. Sometimes, an Alaskan Malamute will do things just to see how you will react. That's how intelligent it can be. An Alaskan Malamute has the ability to manipulate its owner when it wants something. In fact, it can even get inventive just to get what it desires. You'll be surprised to find that things can disappear from your shelves or table tops without any trace of your Alaskan Malamute being involved. It is a crafty dog that has a very subtle way to get things done.

Basically, first-time dog owners are not advised to get an Alaskan Malamute simply because it is a very demanding dog. If you are not an experienced dog owner, it's hard to correct an Alaskan Malamute. Training your Alaskan Malamute can be taxing because its intelligence and stubborn nature will require more effort on your part. It's easy to teach it to do something once or twice but if you want it to do it over and over again, you will have to dig deeper. The intelligent Alaskan Malamute may be a worthy companion but training it requires some level of experience and creativity.