Sales Policy
Our Focus on Health
Our dogs are athletes—performance and soundness are a priority here. Parents are cleared for breed relevant conditions including OFA hips and the multiple DNA panel which includes (AMPN polyneuropathy, PCD primary ciliary dyskinesia, DM degenerative myelopathy, Factor VII deficiency (bleeding disorders), eyes (cone degeneration, day blindness, achromotopsia ) through Embark. We suggest working with a holistic veterinarian to set up the best treatment plan for your puppy.
Deposits
Puppies are sold by reservation with deposits. Deposits will be refunded if we don’t have the type of puppy you requested—male or female. Please note that we do not take deposits for specific colors, markings, or coat type as we don’t know what will arrive, nor which pups will be available for pet homes until our evaluations are completed at 8 weeks. Also keep in mind that markings and colors may change with age. Our puppies typically are grays, reds, sable, and less often seal or black & whites. As experienced, well-established breeders, our goal is first and foremost--finding the best homes for our pups. With 30 plus years experience, we know that prospective buyers who prioritize facial markings and color over temperament, are simply not the right owners for our dogs.
Selecting your Alaskan Malamute puppy
Once our evaluations are completed at 7-8 weeks, a few puppies are set aside for show homes; others are available as family companions. Occasionally we will keep 2-3 pups longer until we make our final pick. Some of these ‘semi’ finalists will then be listed on our web site as available at 12-20 weeks.
After evaluations are completed, we will discuss which pups we feel are most suitable based on their energy levels & temperament, your lifestyle, family members, experience with the breed as well as any special circumstances we need to take into consideration. We’ve helped clients select the right pup for families with young children, co-resident elderly parents, homes with a multitude of cats, turtles, parrots and even free-roaming indoor rabbits!
We realize everyone is anxious, but try to suspend your worries and let the process work! Our intuition and instincts about the pups (and their future people) are based on round-the-clock observations of the litter from birth and over 30 years of sharing our lives with Alaskan Malamutes. We understand your concerns and want to reassure you that we take placements very seriously. We want our Alaskan Malamute puppies to find the right homes, and we want our clients to be happy with their decision to become part of the Snowlion family.
A few things to keep in mind!
COLOR
Like most mushers we don’t pay attention to color—it has no bearing on show quality or performance. Pups that are beige at 8 weeks will be dark gray at 1 year when the guard coat comes in. Markings may fade. Selecting the right puppy for your family, has less to do with appearance and more with the overall personality & energy level of the pup—will he or she be a good fit for you?
SIZE
Our dogs are purebred Alaskan Malamutes bred to the AKC standard. We do not breed “giants.” As a sledding & show kennel we want athletic dogs who exhibit the classic Alaskan Malamute breed type in the ring & on the trail. In good (lean) condition most of our AKC champions & sled dogs will weigh between 75-85 lbs. In pet homes these dogs may weight 20-30 lbs more due to lifestyle differences. While there is a natural variation in size in the purebred Alaskan Malamute, there should be nothing extreme.
Is this the right breed for you?
Malamutes are a wonderful breed, but they are not suitable for everyone. As breeders, our priority is ensuring that our puppies are placed in permanent homes with informed & caring owners who understand that all puppies (and adult Malamutes) will need ongoing training & socialization. Yes, puppies need to go to school! A private lesson with a trainer is not a substitute for attending puppy socialization & basic manners/obedience classes.
Malamute puppies should begin training classes at 10 weeks (no later than 12 weeks). This is not a one-time event. You will need to keep training your puppy during its first year ( at least 2 six-week classes are recommended) and you should attend a refresher course the following year if you want a well-behaved companion. The dog you end up with is a reflection of the amount of time you’ve invested in training, socializing, exercising, (and loving) your Alaskan Malamutes.
Those first few months in the new home are critical to the puppy’s well-being & successful adaptation as a family companion. We are here to offer advice & answer your questions. As “dog people", we take a dog-centered view in understanding canine behavior. If you would like to stay a tiny step ahead of your future Malamute, take a look at Patricia McConnell’s “The Other End of the Leash.”
If you would like information about our puppies, please use our contact form. Please note we live off the grid and when training or racing we have intermittent wifi reception, so it may be awhile before we can return messages (and sometimes they mysteriously disappear). Thank you for taking the time to read this. We look forward to helping you in your search for the right puppy. (Please note that we reserve the right to cancel a sale and refund a deposit, if we feel a puppy and home are not a good match. Our priority is the well-being of our puppies.)
Warm regards,