Puli

The history of the Puli is a long and interesting one. This is an ancient Hungarian sheep-herding breed with origins dating back thousands of years. In fact, there are credible signs that a dog similar to the Puli existed 6,000 years ago, in the place that is modern-day Iraq. Around the turn of the century, crews excavating for oil came across the grave of a man, believed to be a shepherd, who was buried with a sheep and a small dog. Among the remains they discovered a long, coarse knot of hair that resembled the fur of the modern Puli.

This same location was once the home of an ancient civilization known as Sumeria. Excavations at a town called Eridu unearthed clay plaques describing Sumerian laws about animals that referred to herding dogs and, in the crypt of an eight-year-old girl, a statuette of a Puli. These artefacts are indicators that this breed was used for sheep-herding thousands of years ago.

Another school of thought is that the breed is descended from a relatively more modern dog, the Tibetan Terrier. Around a thousand years ago, the nomadic Magyar tribes of the eastern Urals in Central Asia arrived in Hungary, mixing with the Turkish people on the way. They brought with them various sheepdogs, which may have included the ancestor of the modern Puli.

In Hungary, they became prized for their excellent herding abilities with large flocks of sheep and their corded coats protecting them from the region’s brutal winters. Many of the shepherds preferred black-coated dogs because they were easier to detect among their white flocks during the day. However, the lighter coloured Puli was also useful, blending in with their charges while guarding the herds and flocks from thieves and wild animals at night.

By the 1800s, the Hungarian shepherds had determined the very best characteristics of their Puli sheepdogs, and they tried to breed specifically to produce high-quality animals, culling those that were not up to scratch. The first description of the Puli was written in the late 1800’s, but by then the need for the sheepdog was diminishing, and its numbers declined significantly.

Fortunately, in 1912 the Puli was saved from extinction by Dr. Emil Raitsits, a professor at the Hungarian University of Veterinary Medicine. He was aided in his efforts to save the breed by the director of the Budapest Zoo, Adolf Lendl. Together they remodelled an exhibit of the zoo and dedicated it to the breeding of the Puli breed. The foundation stock for many Hungarian kennels came from their efforts.

In the 1920’s, the breed’s popularity was on the rise again, increasingly as a companion animal, and owning a Puli, a Komondor, or other native Hungarian breed became a source of pride in Hungary. The first breed standard for the Puli was approved by the Federation Cynologique Internationale (International Kennel Club). At that time the breed came in in range of sizes, but the most popular size was the medium-sized dog as it represented the conventional herding Puli.

In 1935, four pure bred Pulik were imported to the United States to be used in a herd guarding dog experiment undertaken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the American Kennel Club registered the Puli the following year. At the outbreak of World War II, the experiment ceased, and the dogs were sold to professional breeders.

World War II almost destroyed the breed in Hungary. Breeding kennels gave their valuable stock to people in other countries, and many Pulik who were left behind were killed in the conflict. But, once again, this hardy and defiant breed survived, and after the war, the number of Pulik in Hungary grew. In 1959, the Hungarian Puli Club created a Puli breed standard that eliminated the toy and police-sizes and included all the remaining sizes in one category. By the 1960s, the number of Pulik in Hungary had reached pre-war numbers.

Today the Puli is well established in many countries besides Hungary, where it is now regarded as a national treasure. The modern Puli is modestly popular as a show dog or companion animal and continues to be a highly skilful herder.