The Puli
Quick and Nimble,
A Superb Herding Dog
The Puli (plural is Pulik), like the Komondor is another
Hungarian working dog. Historians believe that the nomadic
people called Magyars brought their dogs with them when they
settled in what is now called Hungary, in the late 9th century.
After the decimation of Hungary, in the 16th century, western
Europeans repopulated the areas in the 17th century, bringing
with them their sheepdogs. The Pulik of those days, interbred
with sheepdogs of France and Germany, producing the Pumi.
The names, Pumi and Puli, were synonymous for many years,
which almost resulted in the total loss of the Puli as a distinct
breed. A resurrection of the breed began in the early 1900s.
The first breed standard was written in 1925, and the Pulik of
that time varied greatly in height from very large dogs, used in
police work to small dwarf sizes. The medium size dogs were
most like traditional herding Pulik and were therefore chosen
as the desired size. In 1935, Pulik were imported into the US
for the purpose of improving the herding breeds in America.
War however prevented this effort, but the breed became
known, and the AKC recognized it in 1936.
The Puli has been described as a "mop on springs."
It is full of bouncing energy and curiosity. It is by nature an
affectionate dog, very intelligent, and a home-loving companion,
sensibly suspicious of strangers, and therefore makes a great
watchdog. The Puli's coat is dense, weather resistant and very
profuse on all parts of the body. The outer coat is wavy or curly
and tends to form wooly cords, either flat or round, in the adult.
If allowed to cord, instead of brushed out, these cords need to be
separated regularly and the dog bathed. Drying time can be
as much as a day. Only the solid colors of rusty black,
black, all shades of gray, and white are acceptable.
|
|
The Puli dog
Dog: 17 in. +/- 1 in. (43.2 cm) - withers.
Bitch: 16 in. +/- 1 in. (40.6 cm) - withers.
Watchdog: Excellent.
Protection: Excellent.
Grooming Requirements: A lot.
Other Names: Hungarian Puli or
Hungarian Water Dog.
Life Expectancy: 12 - 16 years. |
|
