Size: Medium
Exercise Requirements: Medium
Grooming Requirements: Medium
Weight: 10-15 Kg (approx.)
Life Span: 15 Years (approx.)

Appearance: The Puli is a medium-sized and square-proportioned working dog, height approximately 37-44cm measured at the withers. The most striking and distinctive feature of this shaggy dog is its corded coat, which covers a rather lithe and athletic little body. The non shedding (non-allergenic to some) coat can reach the ground in 4 to 6 years. Pulis are found in a range of colours: black, rusty black, white, all shades of grey and apricot with or without a black mask. The overall appearance of all variants must be that of a solid colour. Coloured legs or patches of colour on the body are a fault. 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 naturally into cords. Careful grooming during the cording process can make for a neater appearance. Coat types can vary considerably among pedigree lines and between individuals, and there are many acceptable types of cords, from thick to thin and round to flat. Puppies from the same litter can have different coat types too.

History: Not only is the Puli a fascinating breed visually, but it also has an interesting history. Known in Hungary since the Magyar invasion of the 10th century, the Puli has been part of the lives of the Hungarian shepherds for more than a thousand years. They were bred to be their sole companion and workmate during the long days and months of isolation on the grazing lands of the vast Hungarian Plain. It was not until early last century that dog fanciers and zoologists began to study and document the Breed. The first Hungarian Standard (blue print) for the Breed was written in 1915 by Emil Raitsits. The Puli first appeared in the show ring in Budapest in 1923. World War 2 almost brought about the complete decimation of the breed when dogs in Hungary were slaughtered by invading armies. It was only through a controlled breeding programme, assisted by dedicated breeders around the world that ensured the survival of these unique little Hungarians. Today the Puli is well established and popular in many countries, as well as in Hungary where he is now regarded as a national symbol and very much a national treasure. Hence the saying, it is a joy to be “owned by a Puli.”

Temperament: Their intelligence, trainability and overwhelming desire to please allow these hardy little workers to learn new tasks rapidly. This makes them “par excellence” for any dog sports, including obedience and agility training, as well as herding livestock. They are sensibly energetic and today’s Puli love walks and stimulating games, as well as sitting on the couch with their modern day shepherd. They are a “smarty” and make great companion and activities dog. The Puli is an affectionate, intelligent and home loving companion. He is sensibly suspicious and extremely loyal to their owners and therefore make an excellent watchdog. Some Pulis have a “dominant” nature and like to be “top dog”! They must learn early to be accepting of other dogs and pets. As with all dogs, positive socialisation with people and other dogs is vital from a young age to ensure you Puli grows up to have a well-rounded character. Pulis, because of their natural intelligence, can be stubborn if left to 'rule the roost' - they respond well training and will benefit from some basic obedience work.
The Puli seldom barks without cause and will always appear to be going somewhere in a hurry. These dogs are happiest when romping and playing, especially if their owner or a companion dog joins in the fun. Pulis will adapt to a variety of living conditions whether in an apartment, suburbia or on a farm. Without a sizable yard, they can achieve a good workout with a jog, a game or obedience classes. They are suited to most climates and are content to be outside in temperate or cool climates. The Puli’s unusually thick, corded coat helps it withstand extremes of weather, however they generally do not like being out in the rain or left in hot sun without shade. They should not be left outside without shelter or overworked in hot or incliment weather. Some of them are fond of water and can swim very well. But not all have this tendency and should be always supervised around water. The importance of sound temperament cannot be over emphasized. Well developed inner qualities, such as courage, intelligence, independence and determination, animate this little dynamo!

Care / Grooming: Puli puppies are born with a short wavy coat which is soft. As the puppy develops, the coat becomes progressively thicker. At 8 weeks pups look like a ball of fluff. From 6 months to 2 years, the soft cords become more pronounced, dense and harsher, and the mats of undercoat may require some splitting. The most intensive mat-splitting period for most Pulis is between 9 to 18 months. Some Puli coats just drop into cords, others will require more work. Each coat is as unique as their character. After this, the coat settles down and requires a regular maintenance routine including bathing and drying, the main grooming aides are your fingers. A fully corded adult coat reaches the ground at about 5 years, which may take quite some time to dry naturally. The use of a blow dryer helps to dry the coat faster. A Puli not destined for a show career can have the cords kept shorter at any length for easier maintenance. Lots of the grooming can be done at home, however if taking your Puli to a professional groomer make sure they are familiar with how to care for the coat.

Health: Pulis are a hardy herding breed and have very few major health problems. Nevertheless, reputable breeders will screen for hip dysplasia and eye abnormalities. It is best to talk to a reputable breeder, Dogs NSW or an experienced vet to know the right kinds of questions you should ask when it comes to health and/or hereditary diseases when purchasing any puppy.

By S. E. Szeremy

The following is Copyright © 2000-2001 S. E. Szeremy and Puli Club of America. All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reprinted without written consent of the author or the Puli Club of America.  

To understand a breed, it helps to know where it came from and about the circumstances and people who shaped it.

For many years, accepted wisdom - according to various books on the breed - had it that the Puli may have dated back some 5500 years to the Sumerians, later migrating with the Avars (thought to be proto-Magyarok) as they crossed through the higher altitudes of India and Asia; But there is also a growing school of thought that the Puli was a dog associated with a people called the Cuman, a turkic speaking people who originated in Western China near Tibet. Fleeing the Mongols, the Cuman began migrating from Asia in 900 A.D. and brought with them a little dog that was possibly a relative to the Puli today. Those who judge non-sporting breeds might have already noticed a remarkable resemblence between the Puli and the Tibetan terrier. It is possible that they share a similar root stock with the little herding dog that migrated with the Cumans.

Though the Puli's overall structure is similar to the Tibetan terrier, the Puli's corded coat developed as a result of environment. Looks and performance could not be divided: Having migrated through areas of intense weather, the dog now worked on the open plains of the Hungarian Puszta, and developed a corded coat which not only protected against the brutal winter frost, but also against summer heat. This corded coat, while an efficient insulator, best served the Puli by not restricting his very elastic movement - critical to the Puli's success as a sheepdog.

The Cuman settled in Hungary in the mid 13th century. They were granted refuge by the Hungarian king, but when the Cuman King was killed by Hungarian soldiers who were afraid that the Cumans were Mongol spies, the Cumans fled south. This southern journey by the Cumans gives rise to speculation about the origin of a dog now found in this area: the corded Bergamasco, which in appearance is somewhere between a Puli and a Komondor. The Cumans were later recalled by the Hungarian monarchy in 1246 and settled in central Hungary where they intermarried with the Magyars.

Hungarians are survivors - they've had to be in light of the frequency with which Hungary was invaded. Each invasion brought destruction and wreaked havoc with both man and animal. The Turkish invasion during the 1500's saw Hungarian breeds of cattle, sheep and sheepdogs stolen and herded south toward Turkey. Later, during the occupation by the Austrians, everything Hungarian in origin was forbidden. These up-and-down periods resulted in treasures being lost along with documentation that might have helped later generations more thoroughly research the heritage of the Hungarian people and that of the Puli.

The 1800's, were good to the Puli. The Hungarian shepherd paid attention to proportions, size and color of a good herding Puli, having learned from the horsemen of the puszta what structural aspects of conformation resulted in dogs of endurance and speed.

The late 1800's gave us the first more or less technical description of the Puli that was referred to in a book written in 1924 by Dr. Raitsits. This 19th century passage referred to the Puli's size and it read: "The Puli used around sheep is always lower than the highest point of the shepherd's boots."

The Shepherds protected their dogs the best way they knew how: They showed discretion in protecting a bitch in season, they took time to arrange for the best matings and sometimes spent days riding to distant parts of the country to breed a Puli bitch to the best male. And why not? In those days, the price of a GOOD Puli was just about equal to the earnings of a shepherd for a full year.

The Puli was expected to learn to herd sheep by watching older, experienced Pulis working - and while the Hungarian shepherd was proud of his reliable, hard working helper, he thought nothing of getting rid of the dog if he failed to live up to the job at hand. It was this almost ruthless culling that has enabled the breed to retain, to this day, the quick intelligence, speed, and turn-on-a-dime agility for which the Puli is noted - those qualities which make the Puli "more than just a dog" to the Hungarian shepherd.

The early 1900's began a period of organized breeding in Hungary. Natural sciences began to give a lead in breeding Hungarian sheep dogs, but it was Dr. Emil Raitsits, a professor at the Hungarian University of Veterinary Medicine, who began a program to reconstitute the Puli, fearing it would become extinct from fast modernization of agriculture.

He enlisted the help of Adolf Lendl, the director of the Budapest Zoo, and together, they allocated small funds to remodel a part of the zoo for an experimental breeding program and exhibit. The program expanded, acquired a kennel name (Allatkert) and furnished the foundation stock for many Hungarian kennels.

In an effort to popularize the breed, the standard was somewhat looser than today: sixty years ago, the Hungarian stud book recorded standards for the following classes: the Police Puli (19" plus), the Working or medium Puli (19.7 - 15.7"), the small Puli (15.7 - 11.8") and the dwarf, miniature or Toy Puli (11" and under). A point system rewarded the medium and small Pulis with maximum available points for size impression, since it was these sizes which reflected the ancient requirements of Hungarian shepherds. In time it became apparent that the breed was not going to become popular enough anytime soon to warrant such a large number of varieties.

By this point, the Puli had become popularized to where it became a point of pride for a Hungarian to own a Puli, Komondor, or any other Hungarian breed, and interest in the breed had expanded to the United States.

As part of an experiment, the U.S. Department of Agriculture imported four purebred Pulis in 1935 in Beltsville, Maryland when trying to help American agriculturists concerned with the problem of herding dogs that sometimes killed the very animals they had been entrusted to protect. The Pulis were bred among themselves and crossed with the GSD, the Chow Chow and perhaps with two turkish sheepdogs which were quartered there at the time. Where "dogs" such as other herding breeds, scored in the range of 12 to 14 on the tests given by researchers there, Pulik scored, on the average, between 75 and 85. Tests were inconclusive and never published, and when WWII broke out, the Pulis were auctioned off to professional breeders and it is thought that it is from these four dogs and their progeny that the beginning of recorded history of the Puli in the United States begins.

In Hungary, WWII proved devastating to the breed. Food was scarce, medicine and insecticides unavailable and kennels had to give up priceless breeding stock. Many Puli owners had to place their dogs with non-doggie friends and Pulis left behind were killed by bombs or shot by Germans or Russians seeking to silence the protective and barking Pulik. Thousands of Pulik were lost and had the breed not reached heights of popularity prior to the war, the breed could very easily have been wiped out during this period of conflict.

By 1955, the Puli breed population had grown and in 1959, the Hungarian Puli club decided to create a Puli standard that would not have to be adjusted with constant changes in popularity. The toy and police sized Pulik were eliminated and remaining sizes were included within one category. By the 1960s, the breed reached pre-war numbers.

The last 40 years have seen the AKC acceptance of Hungarian pedigrees, new recognized bloodlines, two updated standards, and importation of the breed from other countries where refugees and migrants settled years ago. In the last ten years, the breed has become very global indeed, and close ties have been formed between Puli breeders in Great Britain, Australia, Germany, Belgium and, of course, Hungary. Importation of breeding stock and the availability of frozen semen has expanded the gene pool in all countries for the betterment of the breed.

History: Another Point of View

The Puli is the ancient sheepdog of Hungary, introduced by the migration of the Magyars from Central Asia over 1000 years ago. Records show Pulik working the plains of the Puszta as early as the 9th century. Some believe the Puli existed as a working sheepdog for thousands of years prior to this, perhaps as early as 4500 B.C.

Nomadic shepherds of the Hungarian plains valued their herding dogs, paying as much as a year's salary for a Puli. They were ruthless in maintaining working qualities and would eliminate any dogs that didn't show these qualities immediately. To survive, the Puli had to be physically sound and mentally capable, agile and willing to work. The Puli's coat protected the dog while living outdoors without amenities. He was typically sheared in the spring with the sheep, allowing the coat ample time to regrow before winter. The Puli was used both as a drover as the shepherd moved the flock over many many miles up into the plains, and as a herder for large herds of sheep (often several hundred). The shepherd would work in tandem with the Komondor, the guardian of the flock, particularly at night. The Puli was also used as a general farm dog, herding cattle and protecting the farm.

The introduction of French and German sheepherding dogs into Hungary after the 1600s resulted in interbreeding, particularly with the Briard, and the production of two other Hungarian herding breeds, the Pumi and the Mudi. By the late 1800s, the terms Pumi and Puli were used almost interchangeably, although the breeds did maintain several distinct characteristics. The early 1900s saw an effort by breeders to restore and reconstitute the Puli. World War II saw the devastation of the breed in Hungary, with Nazi troopers killing many of the farm dogs during the war.

The first Pulik were imported to the US in the mid-1930's, as part of a USDA project to evaluate sheepherding dogs. The Puli excelled in tests of intelligence. Today most Pulik have adapted well to home or apartment living. They retain the intelligence, ability, and willingness to work that endeared them to the shepherds of long ago, and they retain a strong herding instinct and desire to work. These herding and protective instincts are a dominant factor in its temperament. The Puli is extremely intelligent, a deeply loyal dog, wary of strangers, and often a clown for his masters, bubbling with an energy he can scarcely control at times.

Above material Copyright © 2000-2001 S. E. Szeremy and Puli Club of America. All rights reserved. No portion of this material may be reprinted without written consent of the author or the Puli Club of America.

A breed standard is a blueprint that breeders follow in order to maintain breed type, structure and temperament. At Rustufarion we believe that is not good enough just to breed two animals because they are both representatives of the breed. Before any Puli is used in our breeding program we evaluate each Puli after it has been screened, clearing them of hereditary diseases. Each Puli is assessed for their strengths and any deviations from the breed standard are carefully considered before we perform a breeding.  All of our breedings are based on matching Pulis that compliment each other in order to breed Pulis that are true to the breed standard.

THE AUSTRALIAN PULI BREED STANDARD

Name changed (from 'Hungarian Puli' to 'Puli') in Australia Oct 1995. Kennel Club (London) Standard, Revised 1987.  Adopted in Australia 1st Jan 1998.  Last updated 6 May 2011.

By Royson Valore

The Puli is unique, and it's distinctive corded coat is a hallmark of the breed. Most people unfamiliar with the Puli assume the corded coat is a lot of work.  People are often surprised and disbelieving when I disagree.  However I am a little biased because I do not consider grooming a Puli work.  I enjoy running my hands through the coat and find it very therapeutic. 

Grooming an adult Puli can be done sporadically and often while you are relaxing watching television or having an afternoon cup of tea. I must admit that adolescent coats do require some concentration and can be overwhelming to a newcomer.  I don't think there is a better way to explain how to cord the coat than to be shown by an experienced Puli owner.  This is something I discuss with all prospective Puli owners and demonstrate when people visit our Pulis.

• Puppy coats are very easy to care for and requires minimal grooming.  A puppy coat will begin to develop cords from about 9 months of age. Bathing to keep yoru puppy clean and fresh and the occassional brush is all that is needed.

• An adolescent puppy coat between the age of 9 to 18 months can be high maintenance often requiring weekly grooming for several months until the cords are well formed and become solid. The dog's coat will need to be helped along to form the lovely cords so unique to this breed - this involves gently separating matts into cords using your hands. As the coat grows longer the intensity of the work required will ease. No brush required - all you will need is some conditioning spray to keep the coat looking healthy and your hands, and bathe your Puli when needed.

• An adult coat requires periodical maintenance. This includes keeping the Puli clean, bathing them when required and keeping the cords separated. Bathing and drying an adult coat takes time, as you must allow the best part of a day for the cords to dry (depending of course on the weather - less in the heat of summer, and longer on a cold wet day). The frequency of bathing your Puli will depend on how clean you keep them and if they are to be a house dog. I like to wash my dogs every 4 - 5 weeks, or more frequently when they are being exhibited at dog shows.

Another option available to Puli owners is to keep the coat shorter, whether to grow the cords and keep them trimmed at a few inches long (thus making bathing, grooming and general keeping clean quicker and easier whilst still keeping that distinctive Puli look) or to have them clipped (which generally keeps the coat  soft and curly, requiring periodical brushing and making their appearance much like that of a poodle). 

It is always best to seek the advice of an experienced Puli owner, and of course to meet the dogs and see how they are groomed, before you make any decisions.  Rustufarion Pulis are out 'meeting and greeting' the public at many functions during the year, so if you would like to find out more, please send us an e-mail.