Samoyed vs Alaskan Malamute

With a delightful smile ready to greet you at a moment’s notice, it’s no surprise that the Samoyed dog breed’s qualities are rooted in having fun and being the family mood-booster. Looking to make friends? Your Sammy’s good-natured temperament means you’ll end up meeting just about everyone on the block. If you want your Samoyed as a guard dog, you may want to look elsewhere. Sammies are so friendly, they’re likely to give an intruder a tour of your home.

Samoyeds (aka Siberian Samoyeds) are whip-smart and crave all the TLC. Without it, they can become mischievous to get your attention. And don’t even think about leaving them out by themselves for long. Sammies would much rather be in the house with the whole fam instead of being relegated to the outside by their lonesome. They form deep bonds with their human families and have a pack-mentality. Proper socialization is important to keep your pup active, engaged and challenged.

While they’re always up for an adventure, they can also be headstrong and a bit demanding. They won’t be afraid to tell you they need attention with their distinctive whine.

Speaking of communication, Samoyeds are fond of barking or using their teeth to get your attention. This is more common when Sammies are not fully trained, and they’ll nip or tug at you with their teeth in a non-aggressive manner. But there’s an explanation for this behavior: They’re used to grabbing their packmates with their mouths, and with their dense fur, they grip harder, so it’s natural for them to do the same with their people.

Alaskan Malamute dogs thrive on human attention and are happy to welcome a crowd to your house. They don’t play favorites with family members, either—they’re equal-opportunity snugglers. They’re not barkers, but they are chatty—yelps, howls and “woo woos” are all found in their repertoire, so expect them to join in on the conversation.

Goofy dogs with a lovable personality, Mals are also great with kids and babies, although they’ll need to be supervised around small children. They’re big dogs, so they might accidentally knock a child over, and if they nip, they could cause injury. (They do have a strong bite force.)

While Alaskan Malamutes are not aggressive toward people, they can be strong-willed. Plus, this breed has a high prey drive and may not respond well to other dogs if not properly socialized and trained. They also have a penchant for taking off after critters or cats, so think twice about off-leash adventures. For these reasons, it’s best to train your pup from the get-go.

These athletic dogs are always up for outdoor playtime, especially if you give them a job. If you don’t have a sled, this working dog breed is just as willing to pull you on a bike. Or just strap a backpack on your Mal and go hiking.

Savvy problem-solvers, Malamutes are capable of finding new ways to dig under the fence or chew up the furniture unless you keep them challenged. Games of hide-and-seek and teaching them cool tricks are all good ways to exercise their brains. So are dog sports like agility, rally and bikejoring (a sport created to help keep sled dogs in shape in off-winter months).