Munch Searches for a Malaman.

Munch (on the right) thinks Cliff (on the left) might be her malaman! He looks like he has puny feet, short little legs and a nice smile. They have a date on friday and she is really excited. I am not thrilled that I have to drive her all the way to Dallas to meet this guy, but like all spoiled brats, Munchie gets what Munchie wants.

Wowza! Cliff turned out to be much bigger than I expected. Look at the legs on this boy! He is one fine looking boy but he and Munchie had absolutely no interest in each other. He is up for adoption from Animal Angels in Jacksboro, TX. They are not a breed specific rescue so be sure to check them out no matter what type of dog you might be looking for. Their pets are all listed on Petfinder.com.

I also took Munch to meet Akiak in Dallas. She and Akiak got along great, though she was a bit selfish with the toys. She thinks Akiak will be easy to train as she only had to tell this big guy twice not to put his paws on her back.

Akiak thinks Munch is pretty cute and offers her the toy.

I think Munch really likes this guy!

Munch grabs the toy and makes a run for it! Like most girls she loves to play hard to get.

Akiak means the other side. Unfortunately Akiak never made it to the other side, he was hit by a car and taken into rescue. His vet bills are over $1200.00 and he still needs to have heartworm treatment. He stayed at a vet clinic while he recovered from a fractured hip and is now in a temporary home with a great lady who is trying to help him work through his fears. He is terrified to leave the yard to go for a walk or to ride in the car and he is scared of people, probably as a result of his accident or maybe something to do with how he was treated before being taken into rescue.

Akiak is a beautiful and very sweet malamute, if you would like to donate towards his vet bills click here for details. I think Akiak is the most beautiful dog I have ever seen but with his fear of riding in cars, bringing him to Houston from Dallas is not a good option at this point.

This is Niko he was just taken into rescue from a shelter in Texas City. He needs to be treated for heartworms as well as a few other minor ailments before he can be adopted. I just asked him if he wants to go on a date with Munchie on Sat and he said arrooo. I think that means yes. Munchie will get to meet him before his heartworm treatment. After a dog is treated for heartworms they must remain very still for 6 full weeks. Too much activity and the dead worms can cause a clot in the lungs and kill the dog. So much cheaper and easier to just give them a heartworm prevention pill once a month. Poor Niko, he won't understand why he has to stay in a small cage and is not allowed to go out and run around with the other kids. Maybe Munchie can explain it to him, she had to go through the same thing when she first went into rescue. I just don't think he is going to understand it though. I don't think I could manage to lay in bed and do nothing for 6 weeks when I feel perfectly fine. It must be much harder for an active dog who doesn't understand that he is sick.

Click here for info on adopting Niko.

 

Niko and Munch had their first date at the vet clinic. Not exactly an ideal spot for a date but it went well. They went for a walk first and were very hot when we got back. They played a little, got along okay but didn't seem overly thrilled with each other. I like Niko and he is on the small side like Munch so they are a good size match. Will have to have another meeting after the heartworm treatment to be sure this will work.

Since we had a 6 week wait for Niko we decided to go and meet Dakota who was taken from the Texas City shelter to stay in a foster home. Munch started body slamming and biting this boy right away. Not a single growl this time! Munch has found her true love. She lets this boy take her bones away, eat her food and she even licks his feet. Personally I wish she had picked and older guy. Dakota is only a year old and just a huge puppy who wants to get into everything. Hopefully he will settle down after he has investigated every nook and cranny in the house. Click here to see pics of their first meeting.

Maya and several of the other dogs in the movie Eight Below were adopted from the Malamute and Husky Rescues. As well as being movie stars they now have great homes. There is nothing wrong with the dogs that were thrown away, the problem is with the owners who decided they didn't want to take care of them anymore. From a stray to a star is the story of one malamute adopted and trained for the movie.

The rescues spend a lot of time and money on these dogs so if you want to adopt one remember that it will be a house dog, part of the family. Not something to be left in the backyard alone and forgotten. Some people think Malamutes and Huskies look like scary wolves. Truth is they are usually very very friendly and seldom if ever bark. If you want a watchdog you need to look for another breed. The most you can hope for with a Malamute is that they will lick a burglar to death. These dogs are usually so friendly that they often will become escape artists if left alone and ignored. They need to be with their human pack.

One great advantage of getting an older dog is that you already know what it's good and bad habits are. With a puppy you never know what you are getting. With a rescue dog you can take your time and get to know the dog before you make the final adoption.

Malamutes and sled dogs in general are not the easiest dogs to train and can never be totally trusted off a leash. They are very intelligent but they also think for themselves. When they are out pulling a sled they have to know when to stop. You don't want them to drag you out on to thin ice just because you told them to.

They have a sense of humor and like to play tricks on you, they like to be stubborn and see how much they can get away with. You must show them right from the start who the alpha pack leader is. I decided to teach Dakota right away who the pack leader is. We left the vet and I stepped off the curb to the truck, he sat his butt down on the sidewalk, pulled back on the leash and said he wasn't getting in the truck. I looked at him and said yes you are, so he did. 10 minutes later he had diarrhea in the truck! I had to learn the hard way that sometimes you should listen to their stubborn refusals!

If you have a problem dog you need to watch Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer on the National Geographic Channel. He will teach you how to be the pack leader which will make you and your dog both happier. Cesar Millan grew up on a farm and it is amazing to watch him work with problem animals, even dangerous red zone dogs can be rehabilitated.

Order Dog Whisperer Books & DVD's

Check out DateMyPet.com if you want to set up a play date for your fuzzy friend or even if you are looking for a date yourself. Maybe a double date for you and your pet.