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. By nature an affectionate, intelligent and home-loving companion, the Puli is sensibly suspicious and therefore an excellent watchdog.
Shepherding dogs resembling the Puli, the Kuvasz and Komondor, migrated from Central Asia with the Magyar tribes during the 9th century, though it is widely believed that these dogs had served the Magyar long before and may have existed as far back as 2000 BC. The physical characteristics and carriage of the Puli have led to the belief the Tibetan Spaniel may have influenced development of the breed. Interbreeding with dogs from Western Europe during the 16th century produced a dog known as the Pumi, and subsequent pairings between Pumi and Puli led to the original Puli's near extinction by the early 20th century.
Efforts to resurrect the Puli in its native Hungary led to the first breed standard in 1925 with the medium size breed determined to be closest to the classic Puli. The US Department of Agriculture began importing the Puli in 1935 in an effort to improve American herding dogs, and it was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1936.
The Puli is rarely seen as a pet outside of its native Hungary, and is often viewed as an exotic oddity by those unfamiliar with the breed.
