Temperament
While a few Malamutes are still in use as sled dogs for personal travel, hauling freight, or helping move heavy objects, most Malamutes today are kept as family pets or show dogs. The Malamute is one of the most unaltered of breeds, retaining its original form and function. Their affectionate nature does not make them useful as watch or guard dogs. If a dog owner cannot cope with a dog that will not comply with the owner's every command, a more compliant breed should be selected.
In the Home
Malamutes are, as a general rule, particularly amiable around humans and children, and in some instances friendly with smaller dogs. However, it is still a good rule of thumb to be mindful of your Malamute around smaller animals until you become acquainted with its behavior. Generally speaking, time and experience will show if a dog can be left unwatched with other household pets. In this respect, it is also important to understand that just because your Malamute is comfortable with your other pets, this does not mean it will be comfortable around other animals it encounters.
The majority of Malamutes are also fairly quiet dogs, seldom barking like most other dog breeds. When it does vocalize, more often than not they tend to "talk" by vocalizing a "woo woo" sound (the characteristic vocalizations of Chewbacca in the Star Wars films are based upon a Malamute named Indiana once owned by George Lucas). They may also howl like wolves or coyotes.