I'm owned by a malamute and a grew up with a malamute... and I mean it when I say "owned," lol.
First and foremost, no, they don't bark a lot. They howl a lot. If you get a mal, expect that everytime an ambulence or fire truck goes by to hear a long, mornful howl (it's happened to me only twice, thank god. It's actually kind of creepy and make my the hair on the back of my neck stand up). Expect that everytime you ask for your dog to do something (like sit) to get an earful of Woo, Wooooo, Wawoowa. When we used to leave Kimo (RIP) outside while we went to run an errand (which I would never leave a dog outside now) he would sit on the porch and pitifully howl until we got back.
Despite what the "breed IQ" test will tell you, Malamutes (and huskies!) are smart. Very, very smart. You will need to stimulate the mind just as much as the body. If you don't, they'll do it for you and you may not (most likely won't) like the results.
Do you have any suggestions about cleaning, how much time to spend with them. Can they stand to 3-4 hours of absence from home? Also I read that they are harder to train, how hard?
Cleaning, as in bathing? Do it as needed. Like if he/she roles in poo, bathe. If he/she starts to get a hint of doggy odor, bathe. Otherwise, don't worry about. They have a very clean coat and also clean themselves like a cat would. Also, expect to brush, brush, and brush somemore or just deal with the "puppies" growing on the floor (i.e. clumps of hair behind the door, under the couch, along the registers, etc).
Yes, they can handle a 3-4 hour absense. But, I also recommend you crate them for reasons stated above (about them entertaining themselves). A crate will also keep them safe.
Finally, they aren't harder to train. They just don't respond well to "Fear" based training. By that, I mean when you use a physical correction when the dog doesn't comply, they don't take well to it most of the time. It's better to use positive reinforcement while training them and behavioral modification is best done in "doggy language". You might also find that it's harder to get them to comply with the asked behavior. They need a reason to sit, stay, and come... at least more than the age old "because I want you to sit, stay, come." They were bred to have a mind of their own and to be able to function on their own, and it will sometimes work against you. Also, never let one off lead in an unenclosed space. While they might know what "come" means, it does not mean that they will stop chasing that deer and come back to you.
Also, I don't want you to think they are all glamour to care for. During the first year I had Maddi, she made me
very upset more than once. I mistakenly got a Malamute for my first dog, and, except for the fact that I believe if I hadn't bought her from the BYB ( I didn't know any better at the time) she would have ended up in a shelther, I wouldn't have gotten her or a mal at all. I would have gotten a lab or golden! But, the good news is, that Maddi has forced me to get a whole lot better at my training skills. She's forced me to understand dog behavior. For that, I thank her. She also still mouths me a lot. From what I've read, it comes with the territory. She's chased the cats since day one, and I have given up hope that she will ever stop. I really think that they need to be introduced and socialized to cats before 10 weeks. I simply try to contain and control the behavior; doors get shut in certain places so they can get away, at least faster, than she can chase them.
And finally, I just want to give a fair warning. Both Kimo and Maddi got hold of albuterol inhalers. I'm not sure if it's a malamute thing or not when it comes to inhalers, but please, please keep all medications out of reach. Kimo's symptoms clear up after a few hours, but Maddi's didn't and she had to spend the night at an E-vets (it scared the crap out of me and was quite costly). But, what I am trying to say it, they will get into things. Do your best to prevent harm.
And then, there's excercise. There's a thread entiled something like "How do I excercise him?" You should read it; it's very helpful.
I'm not sure if this post is at all helpful... I often feel like I'm rambling, but if you have any questions about Mals, please ask. I'm by no means an expert, but you can say "I've been through the learning curve... several times."
Oh yes, get the book
Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson and read it cover to cover before you get a dog.
On a side note,
A malemute is a different dog from a husky, even though they look similar they are not just larger versions of huskies. I haven't owned one, but I have known a few. They are more territorial, for one thing, and can become very one-person dogs to the point where you have to be careful to keep them socialised so that other folks can be around them.
That's kind of wierd, because most Malamutes aren't like that. They are usually social butterflies with people (one of the many reasons they make poor watch/guard dogs)... as long as they've been socialized during their fear period anyway; the can, however, easily become like that will other dogs so during the adolescent years (pretty much from birth to 3 years old) they need to consistently be socialized with other dogs.