The Malamutes stance should give the appearance and a proud carriage and a healthy active dog, The eyes should show alertness, with the head being erect . The head should be broad. Ears should be triangular and erect when at attention. The muzzle should be bulky, with a slight diminishing in width from base to nose. The muzzle should not be pointed or too long, but not stubby. The coat should be , thick, coarse and of moderate length . Many Colors are acceptable. The face can be either all white or marked with a bar or mask. There should be a “cap” over the head. The tail should be a plume, well carried over the body, and nicely furred.

The Alaskan Malamute should be heavily boned, strong shoulders, good feet, and a deep chest. Since they were designed as “heavy weight” sled dogs, any characteristic that would preclude an Alaskan Malamute from accomplishing this task is unacceptable. The degree that a malamute deviates from ideal sled dog, is the degree it should be penalized

Size is less critical than the previous characteristics, but everything else being equal optimal size is the deciding factor. Males should be 85 pounds and 25 inches at the shoulder. Females should be 75 pounds and 23 inches at the shoulder.