The Puli has been known for herding sheep and being a companion dog, but another trait that distinguishes the Puli from other breeds is the uniqueness of their coat. Other names you may have heard when people are discussing the Puli are Hungarian Puli and
Hungarian Water Dog. You may have seen the Komondor dog that has the long corded coat. Well, the Puli are a smaller version of the Komondor. His or her corded coat is one feature that everyone notices immediately. The cords are formed around the age of 6 months, needs to be taken care of by the hand of the owner by pulling apart the mats, and knots so the cords form together nicely. As long as the cords are taken care of properly then the dog will be sleek looking when they are older.
The Puli is a wonderful family dog. Small kids should be watched around this dog due to any roughness or teasing the kids may do. If your Puli are raised with the kids from a puppy, then no problems should form in adult hood.
Pulis are alright with strangers. If the Puli feels like the stranger is going to harm their owner or family then they will alert their family by barking. They do not bark that much, however but only when something is not right in their territory.
This is a great dog to have around no matter where you live at. The weather can be hot or cold. Pulis adapt to the weather and their surroundings no matter what they might be. Therefore, with this dog you will not have to worry about where you live.
Appearance
Pulis are medium sized dogs that have a sturdy body and a very unique fur coat. Their coat is like dreadlocks. They are very tight curls almost exactly like dreadlocks. When the Puli dog is an adult, their coat can reach all the way down to the ground. Their coat can come in a range of colors such as black, shades of gray, apricot that can have a black mask on the face, and white. For show dogs, some colors are not permitted in some countries.
Their body is fairly muscular with a body shape similar to a square and they are fine boned. When looking at this dog from the side their head is like an egg shape. Now, looking at them from the front at their face you will see a more rounded appearance. Their tail curls tightly over their back. Their ears are a medium size and the pigment on them should be black in color. Their eyes are a dark brown color and are almond shaped.
The height for these dogs ranges between 16 inches to 17½ inches for the males and 14½ inches to 16 inches for the females. The males weight ranges between 25 pounds to 35 pounds and the females range between 20 pounds to 30 pounds. This is the standard height and weight for this breed in the United Kingdom. In the United States, this breed may be slightly larger. Keep in mind that the females are always slightly smaller than the males in both height and weight.
Personality
The Puli is the type of dog that is a family dog at all times. They are very loyal and loving to their family. This breed is also good at training as well. Their intelligence is very high so they are easy to train. The Puli gets along with almost everyone and every household pet you may have. They can be wary of strangers, but they will never bite. The only thing they will do is let you know by barking if they feel that something is not right with a stranger around. The Puli can be good with children as long as it is not small kids that may tease them or be rough with them in any way. Now if you are raising your Puli from puppy hood then you should be fine with them around your kids.
The Puli is a breed that adapts to almost any climate and surrounding. They are good from apartment life to living out on a big farm with lots of land. It does not matter if it is hot weather or cold weather because they can adapt to any climate as well. Pulis can be active indoors so this means they can do fine without a yard to run around in.
Care
The Puli is an active dog. They love to run around outside and some of these dogs can swim, but always make sure to be around them when they are swimming. They really love when their owner or other companion dogs join them in the fun of playing.
Around the age of 6 months the Pulis coat starts to form its cords. Therefore, around this time you need to pull apart the mats when formed by hand on a regular base. Any clumps should be torn apart by hand from the tip of the skin. As long as this process is done regularly, it will be easy on you and your dog. The sections of the cords should be no thinner than the width of a pencil.
When it comes to bathing this dog it is very simple. The only part that takes awhile is the drying of the coat. If you dry your dog with a dryer, it can take many hours for it to dry completely and if you let them dry on their own, it can take up to two full days for them to dry.
Make sure to keep their ears cleaned and their nails clipped. If you tend to have allergies to dogs then this can be a good dog for you since they do not shed their coat.
History
The Puli breed came to America from Hungary. This breed was used thousand of years ago as sheep dogs. Magyars brought the Pulis into Hungary crossed the plains. Shepards preferred using these dogs because they were black and you could see them from far away when they were out herding sheep. The larger Hungarian dog the Komondor was mainly used for guarding the flock while the Pulis was used for herding them.
The Puli was bred around the 20th century by Emil Raitsits for being a companion dog for other herding dogs. There was a mention of this breed in the 18th century, but it is not sure of what they might have looked like at that time. The word Puli is said to be a German word for the word Poodle.
During the time of the Second World War, the Puli breed almost died out and was not around anymore. The breed was dropped down to two figures in numbers. A breeding program began breeding the Puli breed, which saved these unique Hungarian dogs from extinction.
Show rings around the world love this breed because they are so well for their herding and agility in the show ring. The American Kennel Club approved this breed in February of 1983.
After thousands of years of people using this dog as a sheep dog and using them to herd sheep this is the main way in which people recognize the dog. They are also known well for being a loving companion dog for people, as well. Not only has herding been their life, but being their owners and other sheep dogs companion has also been another lifetime trait of many Pulis. Always make sure to get to know the Puli puppy before buying one to make sure you will get along well with this breed of animal.