Cross Breeds - alaskan malamute problems?

alaskan malamute problems?

i have a dog that sheds a lot of hair and my dad lets him in sometimes for the night when its minus 10 or lower. first of all i think that the hair that sheds from him flies around the house after where we breathe and gets into our lungs which is not good and can cause lung or breathing problems. second of all he is a malamute and has a dog house outside with hay inside to keep warm. as a alaskan malamute i have read that they can survive in the cold and even sleep on snow with very low temperatures. my dad disagrees and says oh poor little doggy is so cold and lets him in for the night. this is really bothering me what should i do?

Public Comments

Guess what, you breath in a ton of your own hair as well.
Get a brush and groom the dog to remove the loose hairs. Animals and humans always used to live together for warmth, for centuries. Your dog almost certainly can survive the cold but it is your father's house, so if he wants the dog in and you do not like it, you leave.
Oh you are kidding me. We all live with fur and it doesn't get in our lungs, gimme a break! I used to work in a freakin groom shop and in the back bathing/drying area the hair was *EVERYWHERE*. I can breath just fine thanks. lol. Even the Intuit bring their dogs in when it gets really cold. Besides, this is a pack animal and they want to be with you, why should he have sleep outside alone?
You need to calm down. In order for you to suck in enough hair to have your lungs damaged you'd almost have to have it shoved down your throat into your lungs. Do you know how much of your own dead skin you breathe in a year? Pretty much an entire body's worth. You're both right. These dogs do fine in cold weather, if they're used to it. Your dog is not and needs to be brought in. If he were an althletic sled dog year round I'd say leave him out. Even then those dogs are brought in in extreme weather temps. And I doubt he is. Get a vaccuum and use a swiffer. It's called having a dog, deal with it.
Yes, I suppose he would live in -10 weather, but, I agree with your Dad. Your dog will live longer not having to deal with extreme weather conditions. Malamutes are going to shed, there is nothing you can do about it. Maybe you could confine him in a room with no carpet. Besides isn't he part of your family? Have a heart will you?
Well, if the hair flying around and getting into our lungs is true, a lot of people would be dead . Where did you hear this ridiculous idea? I applaud your dog for bringing your dog in when the temperatures get below freezing. If more people would do that, there would be less dogs freezing to death. If you don't like the arrangements, then stay in your room with the door closed and don't let the dog in your room.
Breathing in a lot of hair could be bad for you, but it certainly doesn't cause lung cancer. Even without dog hair, you breathe in tons of dust, skin cells, and all sorts of things. malamutes are bred to endure very cold temperatures, but if he was my dog, I'd let him in, because he's part of the family and deserves to be treated like one. There are several different types of brushes you can get, especially made for malamute hair. Wikipedia or google dog brushes and groom your dog every day for just a few minutes, which should help the shedding drastically.
Malamutes are actually engineered to live in the cold, but it doesn't mean if you have another choice you should do that. Think about this... Even if you were covered from head to foot in hair, would you like sleeping outside in 10 degree weather in HAY? Or would you prefer sleeping inside on a warm blanket in a warm home? I think we both know the answer. If having the doginsidee bothers you because of the hair, then being near the dog should bother you as well. I suggest you find a new home for your dog if you don't want to interact with him. In any case, good luck with your dog and decision.
Nobody ever died of dog hair inhalation. Don't worry about it. Dog hair does not cause lung problems. People that are allergic to dogs are allergic to the dander, not the hair. Your concerns are unfounded. If the hair bothers you, groom your dog. He should be receiving a thorough grooming (down to the skin) once a week anyway to keep his coat in proper condition, especially when living outside. And yes, a healthy Malamute with a good coat can survive outside. However, Malamutes are a people-oriented dog and would vastly prefer to be inside with their owners. And even though he would probably be fine outside, he's more comfortable indoors in really nasty weather. Why does he live outside anyway? Why have a pet when he's stuck in a kennel or out in the backyard instead of interacting with the family? It's not a very nice life for a dog to live outside with little interaction outside of feeding with no job to do and nobody to play with. It sounds like you resent your dog. Why?
Well, if it's your dad's house and dog, and your dad has a soft spot for his pooch that you obviously don't have, there is nothing that you can do but get use to it. I have a malamute also and she sheds most in the summer than winter, we also keep her in the house and only groom her once every two weeks. And no one over here has been diagnosed with lung cancer, or any other issues from breathing in dog hair, because its not that much hair. They do shed a lot but, not that much. I'm pretty sure you shed more than she does. Anyway you can buy a rake comb. It's shaped like a little rake and it gets the hair. Malamutes have two coats and it it the under coat that sheds so make sure that whatever comb you use it is long enough to reach her skin.
No matter what breed the dog is it doesn't deserve to be forgotten in the backyard. Your dad is doing the right thing by bringing him in when it's cold...even with a breed built for the cold doesn't necessarily make him have the quality of coat he would need for the extreme temps. The hair can easily be controlled by vacuuming and consistent grooming and regular brushing. It will not cause lung problems...Honestly.
Yes Malamutes can survive very cold weather however they have to be adapted to it and if you have been letting him in for some time now then he is used to it and will get cold easier than if he had never been let in. but yes he can survive the cold however the best thing to do to solve this is brush him out daily if you don't want to do that then brush at least a couple times a week. I raise huskies and they don't shed that bad but I brush them.