Puli

The Puli (POO-lee) is a Hungarian herding dog with a corded coat. He has a lively and impish personality. The Puli originated more than one thousand years ago when tribes from Asia invaded Hungary, bringing their sheepdogs with them. These sheepdogs bred with various French and German herding breeds, and the result was the Puli. Since that time, shepherds have valued the dog's bravery in chasing away wolves or humans who try to grab one of their sheep. They herd animals like pigs and cattle, too. They may even try to herd toddlers with a gentle tug at their diapers.

The Puli's unusual coat has a natural tendency to "cord." At around nine months, the cords begin forming as the soft undercoat wraps around the new straight and longer outer coat. Separating the cords with fingers for about a month gets the cords going correctly. The Puli can be corded or brushed out. It is a rusty black, black, white, or shades of gray.

Excerpts from the Standard

General Appearance: Medium sized, vigorous, alert, and active. With a distinctive coat and light-footed movements.

Size, Proportion, and Substance: Height--males, 17 inches at withers; females, 16 inches.

Fun Facts

The Puli resembles his cousin the Komondor. Both are Hungarian sheepdogs. The Komondor quietly guarded the flock from a distance, while the smaller Puli busily kept the animals where they were supposed to be. Komondorok (plural for Komondor) were white, to stand out in the vast landscape (especially at night). The Puli's black coat helped the shepherd spot him quickly among the white sheep. The plural of Puli is Pulik.

Excerpted from The Complete Dog Book For Kids © 1996, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.