I am not a Mal owner, but I do own Sibes and have a long term family friend that owned a Mal for many years until the dog passed of old age.
I can tell you that from comparing notes, the biggest difference between the Mal and a Sibe is the size. Mals can get upwards of 100 pounds where as the AKC has a limit set on Sibes which disqualifies any male dog from being over 60 pounds.
I will also tell you that these two breeds of dogs do not listen at all when distracted. They are notorious for roaming and are escape artists and as such, should NEVER be off leash in an open area. And since they are on the average VERY intellegent, they learn what you want the first time and then spend 6 months trying to figure out how to get out of doing what you requested. This means that they will get themselves into trouble when allowed.
I have taught my dogs the word "cookie" and every time I say that word they know I have a treat. Let me tell you, this has been a life save on occasion when my dog escaped and I saw it happen as this will tend to bring them back. But it only worked once! Once the dog returned and learned that they were caught, they think twice about it. Funny, but they know when they are completely loose and when they are roaming 5 acres of fenced yard. They come every time I call on the 5 acres!
They are a very active breed. They love attention but are not clingy. In other words, they want attention when they want it. Laughs. But, they HATE being alone and can easily become very destructive. Having another dog with them helps.
As part of their instincts for survival in the artic, and since they are more closely related to wolves than other domestic breeds, they have been known to hunt anything smaller than themselves and their triangle shaped ears amplify sound much more than most breeds. As such, be careful when around smaller animals as they can think of them as pray. They can be taught to not hunt smaller animals, but you should NEVER trust them to not do so, especially if the animal flees from them. I trust my Sibe with the adult minis, but NOT with the foals. My Sibes all learned how to hunt birds without one bit of help from me, and they dig for mice regularly. They just can't seem to help themselves. Please keep that in mind as it iseems to be one of the stronger instincts that they have. You can curtail this trait, but you should know that it is a potential issue. My Sibe has lived with cats inside, but outside he chases the strange cats that are not part of his "pack" and I have watched the old boy catch birds right out of the air this summer and he is considered older for his breed. These breeds only live on the average of 10 to 12 years, and my boy is 9.
They love to be outside during the winter. The colder the better in their minds, but they don't really like rain as they get their undercoats wet and their instict is to not have that happen as a wet dog in the artic winter is a dead dog. In the summer, they love to be indoors with the air conditioner on. In the summer. make sure to have a large water tub or wading pool for them to play in. My dog uses the 15 gallon tub to walk through, and because it is metal will lay against it to help keep cool.
PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT clip an artic breed dog in the summer unless it is medically necessary. The same undercoat that protects them from the cold insulates them from the heat. Artic breeds that are body clipped tend to suffer heat stroke easier. My Sibe is outside in a kennel during the times I am not home. He is fine with the temps being 110F (low humidity) and will play in his water as needed. And typical of artic breeds, he only gets the legs wet. In 30 years of owning Sibes, I have only known 1 that liked to swim.
They also shed that undercoat 2 times a year, spring and fall. The spring shedding will produce lots of hair. Think of a plastic grocery bag full each day during the shedding process in the spring. Other than brushing them once a day during this time, they are low maintance as far as brushing requirements.
If you love your landscape, this breed is most likely not for you. These dogs LOVE to dig as denning is a huge part of their instincts. They will dig holes and lay in them and have been known to let snow blow over the top of them as that aids in protecting them from harsh winter elements. I can tell you that my Sibe has a hole that has the foundation of my home exposed. I fill in that 4 foot deep hole and he clears it out even quicker! So make sure that you do not let them outside to play in a fenced yard without constant supervision so you can catch them before they dig out of your fenced yard.
As another note, my kennel is a large one that has a cement floor, a roof, and the chain link wired to the frame at EVERY point where it meets the frame. If they learn as a puppy that they can't escape, it is easier to keep them in. Of course my Sibe is not alone in the kennel so he has constant companionship which definately helps to keep him from trying to destroy the kennel.
These dogs are very strong. I am not a small gal since I am 6 foot 3 inches tall and weigh over 200 pounds. Let me tell you, my Sibe at 9 months old pulled me across the ground one day when I fell while walking him. Be prepared for that strength. Typically, my Sibes will not walk nicely on a plain collar or a choke collar. I find that alternatives to the choke collar work better, but make sure that you get the proper training on their use. Used properly, most of these powerhouse dogs are much happier on their walks as their is no constant tug of war.
I am so glad that you are researching this breed well. Like all huskies, they are most definately not for all people and people do need to understand what they could be battling. An example of this is my husband. He has been a dog owner all of his life, but has never owned a husky type of breed until he married me 20 years ago. At times he still has a hard time with understanding the Sibe and remembering that listening is not their most famous trait. He is much better now and has grown to love the breed, but on rare occasions I have to remind him that these dogs are very independent thinkers.
I know that I sound so negative about these breeds, but let me tell you, I have talked many interested people out of having one of these types of dogs as they didn't know how independent (like a cat) they can be and how "creative" they are when left on their own by themselves. If the right person can deal and understand all of these traits, then they are, in my opinion, the greatest dogs on earth!
In the right hands with a good disiplined home that is very consistant in that disipline, they are the most wonderful dogs. They are very loyal to their "pack" and are low odor unless they are dirty and even though they shed twice a year, I find that it is easier to deal with their hair than short haired dogs as their coat is smooth and the hair doesn't tend to work into fabrics as easily unlike most short haired breeds. They are not yappy by nature and would rather talk to you (yodle like) than bark. They are not overly aggressive towards humans, but I have heard rumors that Mals are more aggressive than Sibes and as such, greater care should be advised. Still, when compared to the guard dog breeds, they are not overly protective. They tend to be clean dogs, meaning that they don't like to mess all over the kennel and they try to keep their waste off of them. I notice that the huskies will purposely avoid stepping in their waste. I found that I can easily yard break my Sibes and they only go in the corner where I think it is ok. On the other hand, my hubby's Pit goes everywhere in the yard and doesn't care if he steps in his waste! It is a trait that my hubby has found special in the huskies! Laughs!
Please continue to look for those reputable breeders. Talk to the rescues for these breeds as most often they care more about the home than the money and they are the ones more willing to share the bad that they have seen as they deal with the tough dogs that people have misunderstood and will know how to best correct the undesirable traits. Most reputable breeders will be more than willing to share all the bad traits with you and also will have all the checks done for health issues like cateracts and hip dysplasia which are common in the huskey breeds.
I hope that this is of some help to you. I know opinions are conflicting at times, but if you know the worst, most likely your future puppy will not be anything close to that as you will know how to raise them to be a much better dog from the start.
PS... Crate training has been my best friend. Up until 9 years ago I never used it, but now that I did with my husky, I will never go back to not using it. I don't lock my dog in overnight and haven't since he was fully house broke, but he sure does love his "den" and for the short hour or so that I may need him locked up, it has been a life saver. For example, when the Avon rep visits me! And when my dog threw his hip out and was so extremely painful to move, I was able to safely carry the whole crate into the office with help from the staff and none of us got hurt from him trying to protect himself from the pain. That one time proved to me the value as I have never seen my dog in so much pain that he yipped and accidently grazed my arm with his open mouth. (He did not try to bite. He swung his head around towards his hip and because I was lifting him into the truck he grazed my arm with his teeth. But I was afraid he may try to nip at a stranger.)