Labrador Retriever vs Alaskan Malamute – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Labrador Retriever vs Alaskan Malamute" Compare Labrador Retriever and Alaskan Malamute. Which is better: Labrador Retriever or Alaskan Malamute?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Labrador Retriever	Alaskan Malamute
Origins	England Canada	United States
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Gun Dog	Sled Dogs
Popularity Rank	1	59
Reviews	3	2
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Other Names	Labrador, Lab	Mal, Mally
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1917 as a Sporting breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1935 as a Working breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Retrievers - Flushing Dogs - Water Dogs group, in the Retrievers section.	Recognized by FCI in the Spitz and primitive types group, in the Nordic Sledge Dogs section.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club Canadian Canine Registry	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club
Price	$1000-$2000	$1200-$1500

General Appearance - Labrador Retriever vs Alaskan Malamute

Size	Large	Large
Weight	Male: 60-75 pounds (27-34kg), Female: 55-70 pounds (25-32 kg)	Male: 80 - 95 pounds (36 - 43 kg), Female: 70 - 85 pounds (32 - 38 kg)
Avg. Weight	Male: 67.5 pounds (30.5 kg), Female: 62.5 pounds (28.5 kg)	Male: 80 - 95 pounds (36 - 43 kg), Female: 70 - 85 pounds (32 - 38 kg)
Height	Male: 22-24 inches (56-61cm), Female: 21-23 inches (53-58 cm)	Male: 24 - 26 inches (61 - 66 cm), Female: 22 - 24 inches (56 - 61 cm)
Avg. Height	Male: 23 inches (58.5 cm), Female: 22 inches (55.5 cm)	Male: 24 - 26 inches (61 - 66 cm), Female: 22 - 24 inches (56 - 61 cm)

Hair & Care - Labrador Retriever vs Alaskan Malamute

Coat	Dense Waterproof Hard Short	Dense Rough Thick Weather-resistant
Colors	Yellow Chocolate Black	Red Gray White Black
Grooming	Effortless: The Labrador Retriever requires minimal grooming.	Average: The Alaskan Malamute requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	Labrador Retrievers shed moderately.	Alaskan Malamutes are heavy shedders.

Characteristics - Labrador Retriever vs Alaskan Malamute

Temperament	Affectionate Cheerful Friendly Intelligent Loyal Playful Social Alert Energetic Gentle Loving Going Responsive	Affectionate Dignified Loyal Devoted Friendly Playful
Intelligent Rank	Outstanding: Labrador Retriever is one of the brightest dog breeds.	Average: Alaskan Malamute's has average obedience intelligence.
Trainability	Labrador Retrievers are very easy to train.	Alaskan Malamutes are easy to train.
Playfulness	The Labrador Retriever is a highly playful breed.	The Alaskan Malamute is a playful breed.
Sensitivity Level	Labrador Retrievers don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.
Affection Level	Labrador Retrievers may seem unfriendly sometimes due to their independence.	Alaskan Malamutes are average dogs regarding their affection level.
Social Needs	Labrador Retrievers need a lot of social interaction.	Alaskan Malamutes are a social breed.
Barking	Average: The Labrador Retriever barks occasionally.	Low to Average: The Alaskan Malamute rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Labrador Retrievers are average watchdogs.	Alaskan Malamutes are one of the best watchdogs.
Territorial	Labrador Retrievers are average defenders.	Alaskan Malamutes are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Moderate The Labrador Retriever has an average chance of biting somebody.	Moderate The Alaskan Malamute has an average chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Labrador Retrievers have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	Alaskan Malamutes have an average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Labrador Retrievers have average wanderlust potential.	Alaskan Malamutes have high wanderlust potential, which means that this breed has a strong desire for exploring the world.
Prey Drive	Labrador Retrievers have low to an average impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals.	Alaskan Malamutes have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.
Apartment Friendly	Labrador Retrievers are not recommended for an apartment lifestyle.	Alaskan Malamutes are not apartment-friendly dogs.
Adaptability	Labrador Retrievers adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Alaskan Malamutes adapt to lifestyle changes and different living environments quite okay usually.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Labrador Retrievers tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.	Alaskan Malamutes do best when a family member is at home during the day or if their workplace is dog-friendly so they can take the dog at work.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.

Good With - Labrador Retriever vs Alaskan Malamute

Stranger Friendly	Labrador Retrievers are very stranger friendly dogs.	Alaskan Malamutes are stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Labrador Retrievers are very kid-friendly dogs.	Alaskan Malamutes are kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Labrador Retrievers are cat-friendly dogs.	Alaskan Malamutes are not cat-friendly dogs.
Dog Friendly	Labrador Retrievers are very dog-friendly dogs.	Alaskan Malamutes are very dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Labrador Retriever is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No Alaskan Malamute is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Labrador Retrievers are one of the best breeds for elderly people.	Alaskan Malamutes are usually recommended for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Labrador Retrievers are usually friendly towards other pets.	Alaskan Malamutes do best when they’re the only pet at the family.
Good For First Time Owners	No Labrador Retrievers are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No Alaskan Malamutes are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.	Not really This breed generally not used as a therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Yes Labrador Retriever breed usually likes being on a boat.	Not really Alaskan Malamute breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Labrador Retriever vs Alaskan Malamute

Health Issues	The Labrador Retriever is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	The Alaskan Malamute is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.
Health Problems	Acute Moist Dermatitis Bloat Cataracts Cold Tail Ear Infections Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Hip Dysplasia Myopathy Osteochondrosis Dissecans Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Tricuspid Valve Dysplasia	Cataracts Chondrodysplasia Hemeralopia Hip Dysplasia Hypothyroidism Inherited Polyneuropathy
Life Expectancy	10-12 years	12-15 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Labrador Retrievers are high energy dogs.	Alaskan Malamutes are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Labrador Retrievers need a lot of exercises.	Alaskan Malamutes need quite a lot of exercise.
Sleeping Need	Labrador Retrievers don't need too much sleep.	Alaskan Malamutes don't need too much sleep.
Avg. daily food consumption	Recommended daily amount: 2.5 to 3 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	Recommended daily amount: 4 to 5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	High: The Labrador Retriever breed has a strong tendency to overweight.	Average.
Weather & Climate	Tolerates warm and cold weather.	Prefers cold weather The Alaskan Malamute can adapt well to harsh weather conditions, and also can be a good mountain dog.
Stinkiness	High The Labrador Retriever has a high chance of bad smell.	Low The Alaskan Malamute has a low chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Labrador Retriever is an average drooler.	The Alaskan Malamute is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Labrador Retriever vs Alaskan Malamute

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	5-10 puppies	4-10 puppies
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