Snow "Chopper" Alaskan Malamute Gaithersburg, MD

Born February 2014, Snow "Chopper" arrived with his sister, Miley the Wooly, who has been adopted. He could possibly live with a large female dog who is confident and is not afraid of excitability, which can be too much with some dogs.

Chopper has learned 'down', 'wait', 'upstairs', and 'off' with his foster. When he's completely responsive, he obeys both 'sit' and 'down' easily without treats. He learned that 'off' means get off the bed, which he usually was willing to do and he always got to get back on the bed afterwards. This rewards good behavior and makes him feel so happy. Chopper likes to lie next to his foster on the bed in the morning and evening when he is calm. He is good about letting his foster move him around on the bed until both are comfortable. Chopper enjoys laying his head next or on your chest for 15-20 minutes, then he moves to the end of the bed to watch television or chew on a treat.

Chopper likes to carry a tennis ball or rawhide chew around. He also likes playing fetch tennis balls in the yard, coming back and dropping them at your feet or letting you take it from his mouth. He also prefers to eat with his foster sitting right next to him. While Chopper prefers to be with you instead of his crate; however, he is ok to stay in his crate with the help of a stuffed Kong and rawhide to keep him entertained. When you get home, he gets excited & wants to greet you & with much happiness wants to get out of the crate, now. He can by hyperactive and act like an eight-week-old puppy with no impulse control in an 105-pound body when he gets worked up, but the rest of the time he's docile but occasionally stubborn if he doesn't want to do something.

It is best not to immediately give any new dog free roam of the house until they have had time to settle and explore a little bit at a time with you at their side learning what is acceptable. So supervised exploration is recommended to avoid potential chewing or eating something he is not supposed to. We think that he will probably be happy being loose, but its best to err on the side of caution and go slowly. A new environment can be overwhelming or stressful until he understands the rules of the house. He responds to "leave it" so that helps.

Chopper would do well in a home with daily exercise and training. Your typical malamute, he enjoys humans and gets super excited when he sees SQUIRRELS! He is really good during bath time and enjoys getting dried off. He doesn't roll in dirt and doesn't like the rain or mud, so that's a plus! He generally likes to stay clean.

**No small pets of any kind.** If you are looking for an affection & active companion, Chopper is for you.

If you are interested in adopting or fostering this dog, please contact CHAAMP at CHAAMPapplication@gmail.com for an application. You may also complete an application on line thru our web site, www.chaamp.org. PLEASE NOTE: CHAAMP accepts applications ONLY from Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington DC. The information on your application will help CHAAMP determine which of our dogs is a good match for you and your family, based upon your lifestyle, other pets, etc. A home visit is required prior to all adoptions. Many of our dogs are fostered in private homes and cannot be visited until you have been approved for adoption. THERE IS AN ADOPTION FEE OF $250 per dog. He or she is healthy, spayed or neutered, up to date on all shots, and heartworm negative. CHAAMP IS NOT A SHELTER. We are volunteers over a 7-state area dedicated to helping Malamutes in our rescue area. You can read more about Malamutes and about CHAAMP by visiting www.chaamp.org