AKC MEET THE BREEDS®: Puli

Compact, vigorous and alert, the Puli is a tough-as-nails herding dog, able to perform its duties across any terrain. The Puli coat is wavy or curly and naturally clumps together into wooly "cords," which protects them from harsh weather. Coat colors include black, gray and white. Today, the Puli is often seen in the show ring, as well as in the herding, obedience, agility, tracking and therapy dog arenas.

A Look Back
As the ancient sheepdog of Hungary, the Puli has been herding flocks for Hungarian Shepherds for more than 1,000 years. Puli ancestors were brought into the country by the Magyars and were similar to the Kuvasz and Komondor at the time. The Puli was nearly lost in the 17th century due to interbreeding, but the breed was revived in 1912, leading to the first Puli standard in 1915.

Right Breed for You?
Intelligent and possessing an excellent sense of humor, Pulis retain their "puppy" attitude nearly their entire lives. The breed loves their family and home, and as such, is naturally protective and suspicious of strangers. Although they love the farm, Pulis can thrive in a variety of living situations due to their medium size, but owners must provide daily opportunities for exercise. The corded coat takes time to maintain – thorough drying after bathtime is especially important to prevent mildewed cords.

If you are considering purchasing a Puli puppy, learn more here.

• Herding Group; AKC recognized in 1936.
• Ideal size: 16 to 17 inches tall at the shoulder.
• Sheep herder; driver; watchdog.

© The American Kennel Club, Inc.

Puli Breed Standard

Herding Group

General Appearance
The Puli is a compact, square appearing, well balanced dog of medium size. He is vigorous, alert and active. Striking and highly characteristic is the shaggy coat which, combined with his light-footed, distinctive movement, has fitted him for the strenuous work of herding flocks on the plains of Hungary. Agility, combined with soundness of mind and body, is of prime importance for the proper fulfillment of this centuries-old task.

Size, Proportion, Substance
Ideally, males are 17 inches measured from the withers to the ground;bitches, 16 inches. An inch over or under these measurements is acceptable. The tightly knit body approximates a square measured from withers to ground and point of shoulder to point of buttock. Medium boned.

Head
The head is of medium size in proportion to the body. The almond shaped eyes are deep set, rather large, and dark brown with black or slate gray eye rims. The ears, set on somewhat higher than the level of the eyes, are hanging, of medium size, V-shape, and about half the head length. The skull slightly domed and medium broad. The stop is defined, but not abrupt. The muzzle is strong and straight, a third of the head length, and ends in a nose of good size. The nose is always black. Flews and gums are black or slate gray. Flews are tight. A full complement of teeth, comparatively large, meet in a scissors bite.

Neck, Topline, Body
The neck is strong, muscular, of medium length and free of throatiness. The back is level and strong, of medium length, with croup sloping slightly. The chestis moderately broad and deep--the ribs well sprung. The loin is short, strong and moderately tucked up. The tail is carried over, and blends into the backline.

Forequarters
The shoulders are well laid back. Upper arm and scapula are approximately equal in length and form an angle of 90 degrees. The forelegs are straight, strong and medium boned with strong and flexible pasterns. Dewclaws, if any, may be removed. The round, compact feet--have well arched toes and thick cushioned pads. The Puli stands well up on his pads. The pads and nails are black or slate gray.

Hindquarters
The hindquarters are well developed and muscular with well bent stifles, the rear assembly balancing that of the front. The hocks are perpendicular to the ground and well let down. Dewclaws, if any, may be removed. Feet as in front.

Coat
The dense, weather resistant coat is profuse on all parts of the body. The outer coat is wavy or curly, but never silky. The undercoat is soft, wooly and dense. The coat clumps together easily, and if allowed to develop naturally, will form cords in the adult. The cords are wooly, varying in shape and thickness, either flat or round, depending on the texture of the coat and the balance of undercoat to outer coat. The Puli may be shown either corded or brushed. It is essential that the proper double coat with correct texture always be apparent. With age the coat can become quite long, even reaching to the ground; however, only enough length to properly evaluate quality and texture is considered necessary so as not to penalize the younger or working specimens.

Color
Only the solid colors of rusty black, black, all shades of gray, and white are acceptable; however, on the chest a white spot of not more than 2 inches is permissible. In the black and the gray dogs an intermixture of some gray, black or white hairs is acceptable as long as the overall appearance of a solid color is maintained. The fully pigmented skin has a bluish or gray cast whatever the coat color.

Gait
The Puli is typically a lively, acrobatic dog; light, quick, agile and able to change directions instantly. At a collected, or contained trot the gait is distinctive: quick-stepping and animated, not far reaching, yet in no way mincing or stilted. When at a full trot, the Puli covers ground smoothly and efficiently with good reach and drive, the feet naturally tending to converge toward a median line of travel as speed increases. His distinctive movement is essential to the Puli's herding style.

Temperament
By nature an affectionate, intelligent and home-loving companion, the Puli is sensibly suspicious and therefore an excellent watchdog. Extreme timidity or shyness are serious faults.

Faults
Any deviation from the foregoing should be considered a fault, the seriousness of the fault depending upon the extent of the deviation.

Approved February 12, 1983
Reformatted June 19, 1990