Info Needed Please... (Anchorage, Nome, Chase: house, camp, live)

[MommaF8]

Hey Y'all! I haven't posted much since we've arrived here in Anchorage, but hope to catch up soon.
In the mean time, I have a few questions to ask you experts.
I don't drive...haven't in 26 years. ((Poor eyesight / lack of depth perception))
That's never been a problem, I've either walked, biked or taken a bus.
The problem is now that we're up here in "bear & moose" country...EVEN ON BASE...I'm a bit hesitant to go "walking" very far. ((MIND you, the kids & I are used to 3 - 6 miles a day...in the summer months back in Spokane, we even did 12 a few times!)) I can't imagine being cooped up due to fear of bear / moose attacks. Not just to me personally, but my kids!
My question to y'all is...once we get into our house (17 days...YEAH!!!) & I get my dog back (Aussie), would another, more aggressive (guardian) dog like say a Great Pryenees be a good idea? I doubt my Aussie would do much besides run like heck (like the rest of us) away from a bear or moose, & so I'm wondering what y'all think / recommend. I gotta tell you, I never DREAMED I'd EVER be afraid to go outside...I normally spend as much time as possible outside...and while we have gone outside, walked a couple of miles, I was terrified the entire way of spotting a moose (been there, done that on base already, but from INSIDE a car!) there or back.
Ok, I'm ready...let me hear from you long time Alaskans! What would YOU do?
Thanks & God bless!

[Rance]

I'd take those walks without fear. Moose are big enough and easy to spot this time of year. Just steer clear if you come across one along your path. Turn around and walk back if you have to.
Come spring you'll want to double your caution. They have calves in May and will become quite aggressive if you happen between a cow and her calve. In the spring you may seriously consider carrying bear spray...but being out there on base I don't forsee much chance of coming across a bear unless your back in the woods along the gravel roads or trails. Keep your eyes open. I don't recommend wearing earbuds listening to music unless your in a more urban area. Doesn't hurt to make a little noise if you do get into more remote wooded areas...which with kids...shouldn't be a problem!
Be bear aware...but don't lock yourself up in the house in fear of meeting one. Chances are slight to none...but it can and does happen.

[DreamChasers8]

We have seen bears and moose here at our home and around and that use to make me pretty nervous. But we don't go to the river (behind our house) with out the dogs (Giant Alaskan Malamutes). They run free up ahead and serve as a great warning or heaven forbid would give us enough time to get back home. The shotgun makes me feel a little better too when we go fishing back there as well. Best of Luck!

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by DreamChasers8

We have seen bears and moose here at our home and around and that use to make me pretty nervous. But we don't go to the river (behind our house) with out the dogs (Giant Alaskan Malamutes). They run free up ahead and serve as a great warning or heaven forbid would give us enough time to get back home. The shotgun makes me feel a little better too when we go fishing back there as well. Best of Luck!

Generally speaking, walking in the woods with a loose dog is a bad idea.

A moose will react to a loose dog as if it were a wolf, and a healthy moose can fight off a wolf if it doesn't run far and can fight in a clear area. Hence upon spotting your loose dog the most likely thing for a moose in the willows to do is come out and stand right in the trail you are walking on. Moose are not in a good mood when they think a wolf is about to attack, so finding you in the trail might not be a happy circumstance.

On the other hand, it can get a lot worse! Most dogs (sled dog breeds in particular) don't exactly feature themselves fighting off bears. If you have an Airdale, fully expect it to protect you by raising an alarm and attacking the bear because that is exactly what they were bred to do. But if you have a Malemute it is most likely not going to bark, but rather whimper and come running to you for protection. If the bear is right behind it when they arrive...

Keep your dog on a leash or don't take it for hikes where moose and bears are potentially in the area.

[DreamChasers8]

We only have our dogs loose when on our 20 acres, not on public lands and roads, like alot of people around here do. And actually just the other day we had our female and pups outside playing and a moose was in the woods and she stood in front of us and started barking towards the woods until we told her to be quiet (which she did) but she still acted very concerned so we brought her inside. I'm sure there are lots of stubborn dogs out there and in every breed, but our particular female (not trying to brag but she really is an awesome dog) is very smart, alert, protective and listens very well. When the bears were out here last summer, all the dogs were barking letting us know we had company and were not cowarding at all. We even had to run outside to bring them in for their own safety just in case the bears got too close.

I've never heard of an Airdale but I have heard of the Great Pryenees and that they make good livestock protection dogs...

Just a note regarding Mals cowarding down to bears, if you knew the history of the breed you would know that they were originally bred by the Inuit people particularly the Mahlemiuts, to hunt polar bear and caribou. They also served well as protection from the bears.

Everyone has their own preference, I'm sure asking around here long enough will give you lots of great answers to help you decide what's right for you...again best of luck!

[HighlandLady]

I have one Lab who is very good at letting me know something is amiss in the property...she's my 'moose' announcer. She woke me one night barking like mad and I made my way down the stairs in the dark, armed and ready for anything...but for the large bull moose peering into the window munching away nonchalantly on my shrubbery. The other Lab could give a fig what is about in the yard.
I scan the grounds before letting them out...but one day, I missed the bull lying in the back forest. Dogs did as well until a little later when the moose announcer barked at him. The bull just eyed her as if to say "And your point is??" Didn't budge from his resting spot....until the GG decided to practice his cow call and the bull ambled away in absolute disregard.

I've been hiking about in areas without the dogs and managed fine. Just be very aware of your surroundings and make noise. It isn't a bit uncommon to hear a one-sided conversation coming from a person you meet, or a song in the making.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by DreamChasers8

I've never heard of an Airdale

Airdale is a synonym for "stubnorness incarnate". They were bred to run with hounds, to protect the expensive hounds from bears. A really good hound is hard to come by, and losing one to a bear is expensive. It takes a lot time and training to produce a good one, and the percentages are very low. So the last thing you'd want is your prize hound being attacked by a bear. On the other hand, airldales are 99% all the same. You can lose a whole litter to a bear and produce an equally good set of them in a few months. So the idea is that a cheap airdale will attack the bear and keep it from hurting the expensive hound.

Just a note regarding Mals cowarding down to bears, if you knew the history of the breed you would know that they were originally bred by the Inuit people particularly the Mahlemiuts, to hunt polar bear and caribou. They also served well as protection from the bears.

Don't let romantic notions of dogs get in the way of reality! Mals are sleddogs. Everything else is secondary. If you spend a few years training sleddogs it will become very obvious why they have certain characteristics. Chasing bears is not one of them! They don't "hunt" in the same way that a scent hound or a bird dog does. They hunt in the sense that they pull a sled loaded with basic camp gear on it. That means if the dog goes wild and chases off after something... the dog driver is in a world of hurt. Hence dogs that tend to do what they want rather than what the driver wants, don't tend to be in the team next year.

Malemutes as they exist today are not particularly good sleddogs, but they do still have the basic nature that all sleddogs have. They do not make good attack dogs... for bears or anything else.

[DreamChasers8]

I guess we will agree to disagree on this Floyd. Nothing personal but I happen to raise Malamutes and know there characteristics quite well. They make excellent sled dogs...mind you, not for speed and winning an iditirod, but for heavy freighting over long distances...there is no better dog...period. Note huskies are for speed (think the race car of sled dogs) Mals are more like Mack trucks, they will get it there, no matter the load.

I know their history very well as I have studied it for years, read numerous books and more hours than I could count on researching everything I can about this magnificent breed. No romantic notions about them, just a love for a breed I know very well.

Are they the same dogs the Inuit people raised...certainly not as no one has kept those particular breeding practices up to date. As with any breed, their past history is only a small fraction of what makes up their persoanlities and "qualifications" unless that particular breeder has kept up traditional practices. Seeings how I don't live up in the arctic seacoast in a village depending on the dogs for survival then it would be hard for me to keep up their original purposes other than mushing and freighting. And training was/is always imperative.

There is a big difference between attack dogs and protection dogs...Malamutes make wonderful protective dogs!

[Metlakatla]

Generally speaking, walking in the woods with a loose dog is a bad idea.

A moose will react to a loose dog as if it were a wolf, and a healthy moose can fight off a wolf if it doesn't run far and can fight in a clear area. Hence upon spotting your loose dog the most likely thing for a moose in the willows to do is come out and stand right in the trail you are walking on. Moose are not in a good mood when they think a wolf is about to attack, so finding you in the trail might not be a happy circumstance.

I completely agree, but then, it also depends on the dog.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by DreamChasers8

I guess we will agree to disagree on this Floyd. Nothing personal but I happen to raise Malamutes and know there characteristics quite well. They make excellent sled dogs...mind you, not for speed and winning an iditirod, but for heavy freighting over long distances...there is no better dog...period. Note huskies are for speed (think the race car of sled dogs) Mals are more like Mack trucks, they will get it there, no matter the load.

Go train a few hundred dogs to pull a sled, whether it is for speed or for freight, for a trap line, or for just for fun.

Mals are nice dogs. They aren't anything close to being superior sledogs.

I know their history very well as I have studied it for years, read numerous books and more hours than I could count on researching everything I can about this magnificent breed. No romantic notions about them, just a love for a breed I know very well.

Those books are full of romantic notions. Go train a few hundred dog... it will change your mind.

Back in the late '70s when the Iditarod race was new there were a lot of people who'd read everything there was on the topic who were quite positive that Malemutes would be the perfect Iditarod dog. But I don't know if a dog over 80 pounds was ever able to even make it to Nome!

I agree they are wonderful companion dogs. They aren't worth a much for pulling a sled and they aren't worth a nickle for protection.