The Alaskan Malamute () is a large breed of domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) originally bred for their strength and endurance to haul heavy freight as a sled dog. They are similar to other arctic, husky, and spitz breeds such as the Greenland Dog, Canadian Eskimo Dog, the Siberian Husky, and the Samoyed. For a brief period during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1896, the Malamute and other sled dogs became extremely valuable to recently landed prospectors and settlers and were frequently crossbred with imported breeds. This was often an attempt to improve the type or to make up for how few true Malamutes were available to purchase.