Pampered Crufts contender takes the ruff with the smooth

He’s exercised three times a day, goes swimming once a week and is fed daily supplements to keep his coat glossy and his bones strong. And now he’s qualified for Crufts.

Diane Cooke speaks to his dedicated owner.

ON March 6 Alaskan Malamute Coal he will be looking sleek and well-groomed as he steps out on the green carpet of Crufts to make his TV debut.

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The moment will be a culmination of all the effort made by his owner Rebecca Brown, 27, to ensure he is in tip-top form.

His special food and training swims alone cost Rebecca, who has her own dog-walking business, around £80 a month.

Then there’s insurance and supplements on top of that.

“I spend more on Coal than I do on myself, but he’s worth it,” says Rebecca, of Barrowford.

Alaskan Malamutes are often confused with Siberian Huskies, but they’re thicker-set working dogs that were trained to pull sleds.

An adult male weighs around 39kg and can pull up to 1.5 tons in weight.

They’re very fond of people, which makes them good family pets.

According to the Alaskan Malamute Club of the UK, they are affectionate, friendly and a loyal and devoted companion.

They have a strong, independent temperament and training is essential.

Rebecca said: “He loves everybody, people and dogs, because he’s been meeting other dogs through my business since he was a puppy.

“He’s trained off the lead and is very good on recall.

“He’s very well rounded and is great with children.

“He’s a teenager now and he’s already pushing the boundaries. He tries to jump up and sometimes he’ll push ahead of me to get out of the door or down the stairs first.

“I’m training him not to do that.

“He knows he can come into my room at night for a cuddle, but he’s not allowed on the bed.

“Also, he’s not allowed on the sofa unless I give him permission.

“He has to know his place to avoid problems later on.

“I don’t want him to become a dominant male who will try and boss me about when he’s older.”

Rebecca has learned a lot about dog psychology through her business and taking Coal out with other dogs as a puppy, socialised him and taught him how to toe the line in doggy circles.

But other dog owners and parents are not always convinced of his good nature when they see Coal off the lead.

“Some people get worried and gather their kids up or they ask me if he’s vicious,” Rebecca said.

“He’s the complete opposite, a very friendly boy who does what he’s told.

“I have young nieces and nephews and they lie down with him and he’s fantastic with them.

“Malamutes were bred to protect children.”

Coal has had to lose some weight for the show, but his daily diet consists of Pro-Plan dog food, salmon, sardines, flax seeds, salmon oil, coconut oil, fresh vegetables, half a banana, berries and natural yogurt.

The oils work wonders on his double layered coat and keep his joints supple, which is important for heavy dogs who can be injured due to over exercising.

For the same reason Rebecca takes Coal for a weekly hydrotherapy session to the Rimington Canine Health Centre.

She walks him for half an hour before work, again at lunchtime and after work she cycles and he runs beside her on his lead. The rest of his day is spent sleeping. At weekends he goes for long walkies in the country.

He also has a fun personality and loves to howl when Rebecca arrives home.

“He nudges my hand when it’s dinner time and when I rub his chest, his ears go back and he actually smiles.

“He’s very funny. I take him everywhere with me, to friends’ houses and dog-friendly pubs.

“We come as a package.”

Coal, who was named because he was born on Bonfire night, is Rebecca’s first dog and she’s taken lots of advice from the experts on how to raise him to be the dog she wants.

He was bought from breeders in Darlington and should anything ever happen to her, she has a contract to say they will take responsibility for him.

Rebecca started entering Coal in shows more as a social thing, but when he was placed eight times, she realised she had a special dog on her hands.

She’s only ever watched Crufts on TV, so this is a huge event for her and Coal.

Although Malamutes have qualified for the national competition in the past, they’ve never taken the big gong.

“I’m not expecting to win,” says Rebecca. “I’m just amazed that we’ve got this far and I’m so very proud of him and what he has achieved.

“It’s my birthday on March 6, so we’re going to go along and have a great time.

“It will be a wonderful experience.”