The Puli Dog Breed

Pulis are a medium to small Hungarian breed that is generally used for guarding herds and livestock. It is usually known for its long and corded coat with tight curls that are very similar to dreadlocks. Because of that, Pulis are very resistant to water. There is another dog breed with a similar look but with a much bigger size, and it is called Komondor.

The Puli is usually colored black and has a solid figure. There are however some other colors for this dog, namely gray, cream, white, and so on. White Pulis often have blue eyes and they are called "Roxies". Female Pulis weigh about 23 to 25 pounds, whereas male Pulis can weigh slightly more than that. Some Puli dogs differ in their coat, which can be thinner or thicker, flat or round, depending on its undercoat’s texture and the way the undercoat and the coat are balanced together.

A controlled matting process has their special kind of coat as a result. Thus, it is desirable for the Puli to have their coat under the shape of cords and because of that they must be groomed in order for their coat to form some thinner types of ropes. This dog requires a lot of care for keeping his coat clean, attractive and neat in general. As the dog grows older, the coat may grow as long as reaching the ground. For an easy maintenance, it’s recommended to trim their coat short quite regularly. Since this breed has almost no shedding, if the dog is healthy, its coat will grow again pretty soon after being trimmed.

As far as their general behavior is concerned, Pulis are lively, very intelligent animals. In spite of their rather bulky look and of the thickness of their coat, Pulis can be very agile, fast and they are able to change directions very rapidly. They are obedient enough to be trained for athletic dog competitions. They are very loyal and affectionate towards their owners.

This breed is very obedient and agile. Pulis are sensitive, fun, courageous but sometimes they can be quite tough or headstrong. As it has been previously mentioned, they are loyal to their owners and often distrustful of strangers. Highly active, they keep their puppy-like playful behavior throughout their whole life. They require a lot of space in order to stay fit and happy, and because of that they prefer the outdoors. Although they are trainable and they can be kept inside, they are not suitable for city life, as they can make unhappy indoor pets. If they spend too much time in an enclosed space, they can become restless, hyperactive and develop some other undesired personality features, or on the contrary, they may become extremely lazy and aloof.

When used for work, Pulis are very obedient and task-oriented. They can be very good police dogs. When used as livestock guardians, they are extremely protective of flock, herds and territory they were assigned to watch over. Although they are relatively small, they are fearless and can indeed scare the "enemies" away. Nonetheless, they very seldom inflict injuries.

They are also excellent for guarding human families. Even when they are old, they can still be very joyful, friendly and playful. Because they view their family as their flock, they keep distance from strangers until they can make sure that they are not threats. It’s not a good idea to tease or annoy them, as they may attack without any warning sign. Because they are very independent and headstrong, they only obey strong-willed people.

There are many dog competitions that Pulis can participate in, such as obedience, dog agility trails, tracking, rally obedience, fly-ball, tracking, etc. And those Pulis who exhibit some basic herding instincts can also be trained to go for herding trial competitions. At any rate, Puli breed is highly regarded because of its being energetic and determined, a consequence of their herd guarding history. Even if they have been raised as family dogs, all Pulis have shepherd instincts and they naturally know how to watch over a flock or a herd of livestock. This may happen even without any training. Because they are so independent and strong-willed, it’s highly recommended to start training them at a very early age.