Puli

Size
Small (under 11kg)
Exercise
20 min/day
Training
Puppy school only
Size of home
House with garden
Time at home
Alone with support
Grooming
Frequent
Barking preference
Low
Personality
Independent + affectionate

1. Photo by Vivien Wight. Submitted by Josetta Gatford

History

The Puli is believed to have travelled with the nomadic Magyar people as they migrated from Central Asia more than 1000 years ago. This shaggy sheepdog was bred to be the sole companion and workmate of Hungarian shepherds during the long days and months of isolation on the grazing lands of the vast Hungarian plain. Today the Puli is well established and popular in many countries, as well as Hungary, where it is now regarded as a national treasure.

Characteristics

The most obvious characteristic of the Puli is its shaggy coat, which resembles dreadlocks known as cords. The Puli is non-shedding and can be a good option for allergy suﬀerers. It is a hardy breed with its loyalty and tenacious spirit among its most appealing qualities. An aﬀectionate, intelligent and home loving dog, the Puli makes an ideal companion. He is also suspicious and therefore an excellent watchdog.

Temperament

Its intelligence, trainability and overwhelming desire to please, enables the Puli to learn new tasks rapidly. This makes the breed a good match for most dog sports, including Obedience and Agility training, as well as Flyball and Herding livestock. It is sensibly energetic and loves walks and stimulating games, as well as sitting on the couch with its modern day shepherd. The Puli can have a dominant nature and likes to be top dog. It must learn early to be accepting of other dogs and pets, and the importance of sound temperament cannot be overemphasised.

Appearance

The most striking and distinctive feature of this shaggy dog is its corded coat. The non-shedding coat can reach the ground in four to six years. The Puli is bred in a range of colours including black, rusty black, white, all shades of grey and apricot with or without a black mask. In Australia the most common colour is black. The correct Puli coat consists of a coarse outer coat and a ﬁne, dense, woolly undercoat. The correct balance of outer and undercoat develops into the properly corded coat. Cord types vary considerably from round cords to ﬂatter ribbon cords.

Health and suitability

The Puli has no major health problems, but reputable breeders will screen for Hip Dysplasia and eye abnormalities. The breed’s lifespan is up to 15 years. Being a working breed, the Puli is an active and intelligent dog. Its favourite activities include outdoor pursuits like long walks, trips to the dog park, and most importantly spending time with its human companion. While it doesn’t necessarily need a big backyard, it does need quality time with its family. The breed is suited to all climates and its unusually thick, corded coat helps it withstand extreme weather. It should not be left outside or overworked in hot weather.

Maintenance

At birth, a Puli puppy has a short, wavy, soft coat. As the puppy coat develops, it becomes progressively thicker. At eight weeks, a Puli pup looks like a ball of ﬂuﬀ. From six months to 12 months, the cords become more pronounced, dense and harsher, and the mats of undercoat may require some splitting. The coat requires a regular maintenance routine including bathing and drying, the main grooming is by hand. A fully corded adult coat may take quite some time to dry naturally.

Words: Royson Valore
Image: Shutterstock.com

In Conclusion

Now you know a little about the Puli you may have think that this is the dog for you. Before you make a decision, please make contact with the breed club or your State controlling body for purebred dogs. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog shows where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the Puli and its needs and whether this breed would suit your lifestyle.

Official breed standard as recognized by Dogs NSW (Last Updated: 19 Dec 2014)

Download PDF

A breed standard is the guideline which describes the ideal characteristics, temperament, and appearance of a breed and ensures that the breed is fit for function with soundness essential. Breeders and judges should at all times be mindful of features which could be detrimental in any way to the health, welfare or soundness of this breed.

General Appearance

Sturdy, muscular, wiry with fine bone. Whole well covered with long (according to age), profuse, corded coat. Long hair overshadows eyes like an umbrella. Viewed from side, trunk and limbs should present square figure.

Characteristics

Herding dog, medium-sized, nimble and extremely intelligent.

Temperament

Lively, wary of strangers but not displaying nervousness or unprovoked aggression.

Physical Standards

Head and Skull	Disregarding hair, head small and fine with slightly domed skull. From the front it appears round, from the side almost elliptical. Muzzle one-third length of head with well defined stop; not snipy but bluntly rounded. Arches of eye socket well defined, nose relatively large and black, eyerims and flews black in all colours.
Eyes	Medium size, dark brown with lively expression.
Ears	Set slightly below level of skull, V-shaped, pendant, of medium size, covered with long hair. Length of ears about half length of head. Ears do not appear noticeable, even when alert.
Mouth	The roof uniformly dark, or variegated with deep pigmented spots on dark base. Flews tight and black. Tongue bright red. Jaws and teeth strong with perfect scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck	Set at an angle of 45 degrees to horizontal; of medium length, tight skinned and muscular. When fully coated, neck appears to merge with body.
Forequarters	Shoulders well laid. Elbows tight. Forelegs straight and muscular, and viewed from any angle, vertical.
Body	Withers slightly higher than level of back which is medium length. Loin is short and broad, belly slightly tucked up. Ribs deep; rib cage broadening from behind elbows and well sprung. Rump short and slightly sloping but this is not obvious because of tightly curled tail.
Hindquarters	Strong and well muscled. Pelvis forming an angle of 90 degrees with thighbone. Well bent stifle. Hocks set fairly low. When viewed from the rear, the legs should be parallel, with feet turning neither in nor out. Wide pelvis desirable, especially in bitches.
Feet	Short, round, tight. Hindfeet slightly longer than forefeet. Nails strong, black or slate-grey. Pads are springy, dark grey in colour.
Tail	Medium length, curled tightly over the rump-loin area; long hair of the tail mixes indistinguishably with similar hair of rump, so that tail does not appear separate.
Gait/Movement	Stride is not far-reaching. Gallop short. Typical movement short-stepping, very quick, in harmony with lively disposition. Movement never heavy, lethargic or lumbering.
Coat	Correct proportion of top and undercoat creates, naturally, the desired cords. Matting and felting to be avoided, and combed coat is as undesirable as a neglected one. Coat generally longest on hindquarters, shortest on head and feet. Some dogs will grow a floor-length coat.
Colour	- Black, with or without intermingling of white hairs- Black with rusty or grey shading- Grey in various shades- Fawn (known as ‘fako’ in its country of origin) preferably with a distinct black mask. All shades of fawn.- Grey or fawn may have an intermingling of black or white hairs with black or grey tips on tail and ears.- White without any yellow markingsThe overall appearance of all variants must be that of a solid colour. A white patch at the forechest not exceeding 5cms (2ins) in diameter and a few white hairs on feet are permissible. Skin well pigmented, black or slate grey. Any colour or marking deviating from the above is undesirable.
Size	Height:Dogs - 40-44 cms (16-17.5 ins)Bitches - 37-41 cms (14.5-16 ins)Weight:Dogs - 13-15 kgs (29-33 lbs)Bitches - 10-13 kgs (22-28.5 lbs)

Faults

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.