Puli
The Puli is a small to medium sized dog breed. It was brought to Hungary with the Magyars in the late 9th century. They are used as herding and guard dogs.
Female Pulis are about 16.5 inches (420 millimeters) high. Males are 17 inches (430 millimeters).[1] Females weigh 23 to 25 pounds (10 to 11 kilograms). Males weigh a little more.
Behavior
The Puli is an intelligent and active dog. It needs obedience training while still young.[2] If a Puli gets enough exercise it can live in the city, even in an apartment.[2] But Pulis do best when not kept as indoor pets in a small living space.[3] Pulis kept indoors need a lot of exercise to use up their energy, or they can became either shy or overactive. They need to get the kind of exercise they were created for.[4] A Puli without enough exercise can became mischievous and cause trouble.[5] The right kind of exercise includes running, biking, hiking, jogging and field work; not just a walk around the corner. Pulis are best kept in a house with a garden.[6]
The Puli is happiest when it has work to do. Then this dog will show excellent intelligence, strength and ability to work with humans. This satisfies their strong instinct to guard their herd.[7]
As a working dog, the Puli is obedient and focused when doing a task. Some of them are used as police dogs. They are one of the best sheepdogs. Pulis don't need to be taught how to guard the sheep. They naturally protect their territory and flock. Even though they are not big dogs, they will still try to scare away anyone they do not know.
If well trained, they understand even the smallest instructions and obey. They are excellent in obedience trials for dogs. These are also dogs who are sensitive (get their feelings hurt easily). Pulis hate being bullied or made fun of. Because they are so intelligent, they understand that they are being mistreated. If not treated well, they lose their desire to cooperate.
Pulis are not very friendly with people they do not know. With owners and friends, these dogs are funny, lovely and playful. Pulis bark quite a lot.
Fur
The coat of fur on a Puli is corded, like dreadlocks. The puli is a one-colored dog. It is usually black. It can also be white, gray, or cream. All Pulis, even the white ones have black eyes, black noses and black feet. The Puli's coat needs a lot of care to keep its cords clean, neat, and attractive. About 45 minutes of grooming work each week is recommended.[8] When the dog is older the cords can become quite long and heavy. They sometimes are so long that they touch the ground. The cords can be thinner or thicker cords.[9] The thin, nice cords are made by keeping the fur clean and cared for. Thin ropes are made by hand forming thinner ropes.[9] This breed has little to no shedding[10] (see Moult).
Grey Puli
White Puli
Black Puli with badly kept cords
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References
- ↑ "Puli Breed Standard". Archived from the original on 2014-08-10. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sheldon L. Gerstenfeld, ASPCA Complete Guide to Dogs (San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 1999), p. 178
- ↑ Hungarian dog breeds. Dr. Sárkány Pál - Dr.Ócsag Imre. ISBN 963-232-261-4. (in Hungarian)
- ↑ History and How to keep a Puli (in Hungarian)
- ↑ Is Puli the right dog for you?
- ↑ Citydogs (in Hungarian)
- ↑ Liz Palika, The Howell Book of Dogs: The Definitive Reference to 300 Breeds and Varieties (Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing, 2007), p. 16
- ↑ Yamazaki, T.; Kojima, T. (1995). Legacy of the Dog: The Ultimate Illustrated Guide to over 200 Breeds. Chronicle Books. ISBN 0811810690.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Breed standard". Archived from the original on 2014-08-10. Retrieved 2014-08-21.
- ↑ "Go Pets America: Dogs that do not shed - Retrieved September 7, 2008". Archived from the original on September 30, 2018. Retrieved August 21, 2014.