Titan
5 years old · Biddeford
Ninety pounds of wolf-grey dignity. He lies flat for the entire brush-out like it's the most reasonable thing in the world.
Breed Grooming Guide 5.0 · Southern Maine
Alaskan Malamute Dog Grooming.
An Alaskan malamute carries the heaviest coat of any dog we regularly groom on this coast — a plush, wooly undercoat under a coarse guard coat built for hauling freight through Arctic winters. K-Pup grooms malamutes mobile, with the space, time and equipment a big, heavily coated dog actually needs, right in your driveway instead of a cramped indoor tub.
Every Malamute, Every Coat Blow
Grooming for a working Arctic breed.
Malamutes come in wolf-grey, black, red and pure white, all carrying the same enormous double coat. For breed background, see the AKC Alaskan Malamute breed page.
Coat Blow Season
Twice a year a malamute's undercoat lets go in earnest, and the volume genuinely surprises first-time owners. We use a deshedding shampoo, a full high-velocity dry, and repeated line-brushing passes until the undercoat is actually removed rather than just fluffed up for a day.
Working & Active Malamutes
Dogs that pull, hike or run regularly pick up burrs and matting in the britches and behind the elbows fast. We check those trouble spots every visit and de-mat carefully by hand rather than reaching for a clipper.
Puppy Malamutes
Malamute puppies grow into their coat slowly and can weigh eighty pounds before their first birthday. Early visits focus on calm handling and table manners for a dog that's only going to get bigger and stronger.
Senior Malamutes
Hip and joint issues are common in large, heavy-coated breeds as they age. We groom seniors in shorter stages, support the hindquarters getting on and off the table, and never rush a dog with sore joints.
Built For Heavy Double Coats
Undercoat, joints and a genuinely big dog.
Never, ever shave a malamute
The coat is the dog's entire climate system, insulating against both cold and heat while shielding the skin from sun. Shaving it risks permanent coat damage and offers no real cooling benefit — everything we do keeps that undercoat intact and simply removes what's already dead.
Line-brushing is non-negotiable
With a coat this dense, surface brushing alone misses most of what's matting near the skin. We work in sections, brushing all the way down to skin level behind the ears, at the ruff, and along the tail before any water goes on.
Salt air and a heavy coat
Malamutes that swim or roll at Cape Porpoise or Old Orchard Beach carry sand and salt deep into a coat this thick, which dries the skin out if it isn't rinsed thoroughly. A full rinse and conditioning treatment keeps the coat from turning brittle.
Nails, pads and a strong dog
Malamutes are strong enough that overgrown nails genuinely change gait and stride over time. Nails are trimmed and ground on every visit, and pads are checked and trimmed for traction on ice and hardwood alike.
The Alaskan Malamute Club of America publishes breed health and coat-care guidance worth reading between appointments.
Services
Alaskan Malamute grooming services.
01
Full Undercoat Blow-Out
Deshedding shampoo, thorough high-velocity blow-out, full line-brush to the skin, nails, ears and a finishing coat conditioner.
02
Maintenance Bath & Brush
A between-season wash and brush-out to prevent matting from building up, plus nails and ears.
03
Nail & Pad Care
A shorter visit for nails, pad trimming and an ear check — useful for a big dog between full grooming sessions.
Our Process
How we groom a Alaskan Malamute.
Every alaskan malamute appointment follows the same order, start to finish, in the trailer in your driveway. Typical appointment time: about 1 hr 45 min, one dog at a time.
Full-body line-brush
Every section of this heavy coat brushed to the skin, with particular attention behind the ears, at the ruff and along the britches.
Deshedding bath
A deshedding shampoo and conditioner worked in thoroughly and rinsed until the water runs clear.
Extended high-velocity dry
A long, thorough blow-out given the coat's density, continued until loose undercoat genuinely stops coming out.
De-matting check
Trouble spots behind the elbows and ears checked again and worked out gently by hand with a mat splitter if needed.
Pads, feet and nails
Pads checked and trimmed for traction, nails clipped and ground smooth for a strong, active dog.
Ears and finish
Ears cleaned, a finishing coat conditioner applied, and your malamute handed back settled and comfortable.
This is the full step-by-step process K-Pup Dog Grooming uses for malamutes in southern Maine.
Client Spotlight
Our favorite malamutes.
A few of the malamutes we look forward to seeing on the schedule — regulars from around southern Maine who hop up on the table like they own the trailer.
Nanook
10 months old · Kennebunkport
Already sixty pounds and still growing. We're building good table manners now, before he outweighs the groomer entirely.
Aurora
8 years old · Old Orchard Beach
A red-and-white girl who sheds enough undercoat each blow-out to reupholster a couch. She sleeps through the whole dryer session.
Fun Facts
The best things about malamutes.
We groom a lot of malamutes, and every one of them reminds us why the breed has such a loyal following. Here's what we love about the alaskan malamute.
Named for the Mahlemut people
The breed takes its name from an Inupiat group in Alaska who bred these dogs to haul heavy freight, not to race for speed.
Built for power, not sprinting
Malamutes are the heavy-freight cousins of the husky — bigger bones, more muscle, and a coat dense enough to sleep buried in snow.
One of the AKC's oldest breeds
Malamutes were among the first breeds recognized by the AKC in the 1930s, prized even then for stamina over distance.
Pack-oriented and vocal
Malamutes bond deeply with their household 'pack' and communicate with an entire vocabulary of woos, groans and howls.
A coat that never truly stops shedding
Between the two big seasonal blows, malamutes still shed lightly year-round — which is exactly why the brush is a permanent household fixture.
Related Breeds
Similar coats we groom.
malamutes share brushing, drying, and trimming needs with these breeds — each guide covers coat care, timing, and pricing for mobile grooming in southern Maine.
Services
Services for your Alaskan Malamute.
The visits malamutes book most often, and what each one includes.
Where We Groom Alaskan Malamutes
Alaskan Malamute grooming across southern Maine.
Searching for a malamute groomer near you? Our trailer covers the whole southern Maine coast weekly — pick your town and book. See all our locations →
Kennebunkport Alaskan Malamute GroomingKennebunk Alaskan Malamute GroomingCape Porpoise Alaskan Malamute GroomingGoose Rocks Beach Alaskan Malamute GroomingArundel Alaskan Malamute GroomingBiddeford Alaskan Malamute GroomingSaco Alaskan Malamute GroomingWells Alaskan Malamute GroomingOgunquit Alaskan Malamute GroomingYork Alaskan Malamute GroomingOld Orchard Beach Alaskan Malamute GroomingScarborough Alaskan Malamute Grooming
Alaskan Malamute Grooming FAQ
Questions malamutes owners ask us.
How often should a malamute be groomed?
A full deshedding groom twice a year during coat blow, with a maintenance bath and brush every 6 to 8 weeks between blows, plus regular home brushing in the heaviest shedding weeks.
Can you shave my malamute for summer?
No. The coat protects against heat and sun as much as cold, and shaving carries a real risk of permanent coat damage. A full undercoat blow-out does far more for a hot malamute than a shave ever would.
Is your trailer big enough for a malamute?
Yes — the trailer and table are set up for large, heavy-coated dogs, with the space and time a malamute-sized groom actually requires.
My malamute mats behind the elbows and ears. Can that be fixed without shaving?
Usually, yes, if caught before it's severe. We de-mat carefully by hand with a mat splitter and comb; only mats packed solid against the skin may require a small, localized trim.
Do you groom malamute puppies?
Yes. We start with calm, short introductory visits — bath, dry, nails and ears — to build good table habits before a malamute grows into its full adult size and coat.