About the Alaskan Malamute

An inherited disease of the nerves to the legs and larynx that appears in young dogs, usually between three and nineteen months: weakness and a wobbly gait that can progress to paralysis of all four legs, often with a changed bark or noisy breathing and muscle wasting. It is recessive, so carrier parents look entirely healthy.

An inherited loss of the cone cells of the retina that appears at eight to twelve weeks: affected dogs see poorly in bright light but keep normal vision in dim light, so it never causes complete blindness. It is recessive, and the deletion test does not catch every case — Alaskan Malamutes in Australia with day blindness have been found without it.