Puli / Hungarian Puli, Hungarian Water Dog

Breed history:

It is an old breed, brought from Asia by the Huns in the 9th century and which is believed to be the descendent of the Tibetan Terrier. This breed was revitalized at the beginning of the 20th century to be differentiated from the Pumi. Today this breed is known in many countries from Europe and in the USA were it is very appreciated.

Description:

 Its a medium-sized dog, with a thick, brawny and square-shaped body. The head is small, wide rather than long, with a short and straight muzzle with a big, black nose. The ears are V-shaped, drooping and covered by long, thick hair. The tail, pretty long and bushy, iskept low or on the back. The fur is double-layered, with an inner thick and bushy layer and an outer layer that is long, thick, curly, forming fringes (strings). The most frequent color is black or it can have different shades of gray, but there are some white or dirty-white specimens.

Personality:

It is a very fast, lively, rather independent dog. It is playful, jolly, even noisy sometimes, affectionate with the family, tending to get attached to one person. It gets along well with other dogs or pets and it loves children.

Grooming:

These dogs don't shed but their fur can gather cockleburs, dirt, small objects and it must be cleaned, eventually the tangled fringes can be braided to encourage their growth. Baths are recommended only in summer, because it takes a few days for the dog's fur to dry. The fur reaches maturity at 3 years old.

Living conditions:

This dog is very resistant to weather changes, and likes exercise with an active family, in an area with a cooler climate. It needs training, socialization and exercise.

Training:

It is an easy to train breed even from its first year. It likes exercise that puts it to the test. It performs well in agility exercises and flyball.

Usefulness:

It is used as a watchdog for herds, houses and as a companion dog.