Puli

The Puli is the corded black herding dog of Hungary — small, springy and famously agile, the working partner to the guarding Komondor.

History

It arrived with the Magyars over a thousand years ago and worked sheep on the Hungarian plains, where the shepherd's pairing was traditional: the Puli moved the flock by day, the Komondor guarded it by night. The dark cords made it visible against the sheep. The breed was rebuilt in the twentieth century after the two wars.

Temperament

The breed is known for being lively, clever and vocal, devoted to its household and suspicious of strangers, with the herding dog's need to be busy.

Care and training

It needs substantial exercise and mental work, and it trains readily when the sessions are interesting. The cords must be separated by hand and take many hours to dry after a bath.

Health

Generally robust and long-lived, with hip dysplasia and hereditary eye conditions among the known tendencies. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one dog; the measured facts are in the panel.