Alaskan malamute coat care: managing the double coat
The Alaskan malamute has a thick double coat, built for extreme cold, that demands regular, thorough care. Neglecting its brushing leads to tight mats and a felted undercoat that is hard to recover. Coat quality also depends on diet: a study by Catherine Rees and colleagues, published in 2001 in Veterinary Dermatology, showed that fatty-acid supplementation improves skin and coat condition in dogs (study on Google Scholar). All our grooming guides are gathered in the dog care and grooming section.
Understanding the double coat
The malamute has a coarse, water-repellent guard coat and a woolly, dense undercoat that insulates it. That undercoat is the key: it is what felts if not regularly detangled, and what protects against both heat and cold. So you brush it deeply, not just on the surface.
Regular brushing, stepped up at moulting time
- Year-round: a weekly brushing is enough to maintain the coat and limit mats.
- At the two annual moults: in spring and autumn, the malamute sheds its undercoat in clumps and needs near-daily brushing.
- The right tools: an undercoat rake and a slicker brush, as detailed in our guide on the brush by coat type.
Bathing and hygiene
The malamute is a clean dog that does not need frequent baths: a few a year are enough, with a suitable shampoo and, above all, complete drying of the undercoat, or it will macerate and smell. Product choice is covered in our article on shampoo by coat type.
Never shave a malamute
Contrary to a common belief, shaving a malamute to cool it down in summer is a mistake: the double coat also insulates against heat, and shaving exposes the skin to sunburn and can permanently damage regrowth. You maintain it by brushing, never by shaving, as our guide on shaving a double-coated dog explains.
Frequently asked questions
How often should you brush a malamute?
Once a week in normal times, and almost daily during the two big seasonal moults, when the undercoat sheds massively.
Can you shave a malamute when it is very hot?
No, its double coat also protects against heat; you cool it with shade, water, and access to a cool floor, never by shaving.
How do I manage hair everywhere during the moult?
Daily brushing with an undercoat rake removes most of the dead hair before it falls, which markedly cuts the amount found on floors and furniture. Find all our guides on the dog hub.
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Dogs universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.