Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies were bred to pull sleds in the arctic.   

Modern homes who consider a sled dog as a pet must understand that everything about Malamutes and Siberians stems from this one overwhelming characteristic.  Fussing, railing, or despairing about these characteristics — trying to change them — is like training a retriever to not chase or trying to train a cat to not stalk.  

Malamutes and Siberians are born travelers and can never be trusted 100% off leash. They are often escape artists. They are high-maintenance, time-consuming, and expensive to keep safe and healthy. They can be small animal and livestock killers. They shed profusely twice a year and prefer to be housedogs. They are unpaid and unskilled landscapers. They are noisy and useless as watchdogs. They are inherently stubborn, curious, and energetic — obedience training is usually necessary, always a challenge, & must be approached with a strong sense of the ridiculous. Many people meet a Malamute or a Siberian and decide they want a “pretty sleddog” without knowing just what sort of trouble they are borrowing. Most people who have never lived with one think this is exaggerated.  Until it happens to them.  The movie Snow Dogs has come out recently.  They are just like that – destructive, loud, energetic, rambunctious, obstreperous, willful, and flight risks.  And you must love them because of, not despite, all those things.