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Puli

loyal / smart / home-loving
Herding Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

17 inches (male)

16 inches (female)

Weight

25-35 pounds

Life Expectancy

10-15 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    70% 70%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    20% 20%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    100% 100%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    100% 100%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    70% 70%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    20% 20%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    100% 100%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    40% 40%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    80% 80%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    100% 100%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    60% 60%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    100% 100%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Puli is a small but powerful herding breed that is completely coated with thick, naturally occurring cords from head to tail. No other breed can be fooled for them. These nimble and devoted little dynamos were raised to work closely with people and are quick learners.

The first thing that makes a Puli (plural of “Pulik”; pronounced “Poo-lee”) readily recognizable is their dreadlocks. The cords that make up the coat naturally are dense, woolly, and waterproof. Puli coats need to be corded or brushed out carefully. A small but powerful dog, about 16 to 17 inches at the shoulder, may be seen underneath the dreads. Pulik are known as the “acrobat of the dog world” because of their extraordinary dexterity and agility.

What To Expect When Caring For a Puli

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Reputable breeders conduct health tests on their breeding stock to look for issues that can affect almost any breed. Members of the Puli Club of America commit to abide by its rules, which include having breeding stock tested by the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) to ensure that it is free of heritable diseases. The OFA or PennHIP screening for hip dysplasia, the OFA test for patella, the OFA test for degenerative myelopathy (DNA test), and CERF eye testing (to be updated every three years) are among the CHIC tests mandated by the breed's parent organization. The OFA for elbows, heart, thyroid, and the BAER (hearing) test are additional tests that can be run but are not necessary. If you're thinking about purchasing a Puli, inquire with the breeder about whether they perform these tests.  
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Patella Evaluation
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Degenerative Myelopathy DNA Test

Grooming

The Puli's coat can be trimmed, brushed, or kept corded. Only routine bathing, ear cleaning, and toenail grinding are required for a Puli puppy up until the age of 8 to 10 months. Your fingertips will start to feel the coat getting thicker and more matted as the undercoat of the Puli starts to develop. You'll start to notice the coat naturally separating where the hair appears to collect next to the skin. This marks the start of a chord. At this point, you can use your fingers to tear these soft clumps apart from one another. Simply put, cords are 'organized mats' that have been more tightly coiled over time.   In the next six to nine months, this process will be repeated numerous times. Once the coat has distinct cords, all that's left to do is bathe the dog as needed and separate the cords—a nice time to do this is when you're watching TV and need something to occupy your hands—before the dog becomes dirty. The Puli Club of America, the breed's national parent club, has several grooming articles on its website.  

Exercise

The Puli is a high-drive dog that needs both mental and physical exercise. In actuality, this breed's needs for mental and physical activity are equal. Reputable breeders advise consumers to exercise moderately while their dogs are young and the growth plates have not fused or closed. The Puli excels in a variety of dog sports, including herding, obedience, and agility.  

Training

This breed requires constant mental stimulation. Pulik are extremely clever, nimble, and loyal, which allows them to learn rapidly and make them owners' favorites. They demand a firm but fair hand because they don't take being fooled lightly (it's a running joke that you have to be highly intelligent to own a Puli). Prepare yourself since this breed is brazen and won't hesitate to humiliate you in front of others. Pulik are herding dogs, hence many of them do not easily relinquish authority. Although they will comply with orders, they prefer to go their own way. Repetition does not appeal to them. It's crucial to carry out appropriate socializing, especially with pups.

Nutrition

This breed demands ongoing mental challenge. Pulik are the favorites of their owners because they are incredibly intelligent, nimble, and obedient, which helps them to learn quickly. Because they don't take being tricked lightly (it's a common joke that you have to be quite intelligent to own a Puli), they expect a tough but fair hand. Be ready since this breed is brash and won't think twice about humiliating you in front of other people. Since the Pulik are herding dogs, many of them do not readily cede control. They will follow instructions, but they would rather do things on their own. They are not drawn to repetition. Proper socialization is essential, especially with puppies.

History

Pulik are believed to have been brought to Europe by the Magyars, the same Asian nomads who brought the Vizsla to the West, roughly a thousand years ago. The corded coat of the sheep Pulik herded kept them warm throughout the harsh winters on the Hungarian plains. The breed’s tendency to herd animals is very strong today. With a little tug on the diaper, Pulik will attempt to herd anything, even birds, other dogs, and young children.