Northernmost

While most Malamutes prefer to live either outdoors in kennel facilities, or indoors as house pets, some dogs have individual needs that must be considered when arranging their housing. Our 7-year-old girl Leia is allergic to house dust mites which means that she can’t spend a lot of time indoors with us without developing an itch and sometimes also hot spots. However, the soft coat she developed after being spayed is not ideal for living permanently outdoors during wet weather and therefore we have come up with an alternative solution; Leia and her buddy Thunder sleep inside our barn, in a clean and dry environment that is free from the house dust mites that thrive in the indoor environment provided by homes, specifically in bedding, carpets and fabrics.

Leia stepping out on a beautiful day in June.

We have built dog houses in the barn to keep them warm in winter and from their indoor quarters they have a doggy door to their large outdoor enclosure and can go in and out as they please. Through this set-up we have managed to almost eliminate Leia’s skin problems. She hasn’t had a hot spot in many months and both Leia and Thunder seem to love their comfy accommodation at the “Malamute Inn”.

A sleepy Thunder early in the morning.

There exist different types of mites, besides the house dust mite there are also different types of “storage mites” that live on poorly stored foods in cupboards, on kitchen floors and are often associated with barns, hay and stored grains. Luckily, Leia is only allergic to the house dust mite, not the storage mite, so for her, living in the barn is the ideal solution. In dogs, atopic dermatitis and eczema are quite often caused by an allergy to mites. You can read more about this problem on these pages:

House Dust Mites and Dogs

Veterinary News about House Dust Mites

Atopic Dermatitis in the Dog

Dr Babette Baddaky – Swedish specialist in canine dermatology

The unusually cool weather of May has been ideal for working our Mals in front of the 4-wheeled wagon. Most of our dogs are still in full winter coats so we aim to avoid the highest temperatures by going on runs early in the mornings and also make sure to take frequent breaks to allow them to cool down properly. During May we have focused on training Tuisku in single lead together with his team buddies Leia and Thunder. You can see more photos from our off-snow runs in our Carting Gallery.

Tuisku, Leia and Thunder – Running equals happiness!