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Following is the breed standard for the Puli as approved by the American Kennel Club, with the author’s comments following in italics.

THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB STANDARD FOR THE PULI

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 lightfooted, 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.

It’s quite a surprise, on first handling a Puli, to find under the enormous mature corded coat, a lean, hard, conditioned, fineboned and very wiry little animal. When you observe from the side and visualize the body and limbs minus the neck and head, they should approximate a square.

The quality of a Puli for show purposes is evaluated according to the official breed standard.

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.

As a judge, when seeking breed type, balance and soundness, it can be difficult to make decisions that are understood by all. Size is important; for example, oversize is undesirable as it can lead to coarseness. However, type and balance are also very important. It is difficult for a judge to give an award to an animal that falls within specified size ranges but lacks breed type or balance. The word “type” is frequently used but is far from easy to describe. My own interpretation is that “type” is what makes a breed special and identifiable, apart from others with similarities. If we didn’t have “breed type” then all similar breeds could eventually end up very much alike.

Here’s what quality looks like: Ch. Cordmaker Mississippi Mud was the number-one Puli in the US for four years from 1999 to 2002 and placed among the top Herding Dogs each year. He is shown with handler Linda Pitts.

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.

The head of the Puli is very special. Under no circumstances should judges ignore the call for correct size, proportions and fineness, coupled with the domed skull. The skull-muzzle ratios of two-thirds to one-third is of great importance, for a too lengthy muzzle immediately suggests coarseness. The lack of dome on the skull will also lead to an impression of coarseness. The need for a relatively large nose is understandable in any working animal that needs to produce a turn of speed or enduring gait, when they will require unimpeded inhalation of air quickly into the lungs.

The description of the eyes should apply to all colors, and eye rims should always be well pigmented. In a dog that will be out working at times in intense sunlight, lack of pigment could allow the skin to become burnt.

Correct head viewed from front with hair overshadowing eyes like an umbrella.

Ears noticeable when alert; incorrect.

Correct body.

Body too long; withers level with back.

Correct head and muzzle.

Muzzle too long and snipey.

Dark brown eyes with well-pigmented eye rims are typical in all coat colors, according to the standard.

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 chest is 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.

Neck: There can be no doubt as to the requirement. Perhaps some judges may be influenced into believing that a longer neck is better—some have even gone as far as to praise a “good reachy neck”—but that is quite incorrect. The top of the head, when viewed from the side, is only a little higher than the top arch of the tail, giving a balanced appearance.

Body: This is described very well, and due to the very abundant coat in the mature Puli, the body must be checked carefully by a “hands-on” examination.

Tail: In some youngsters, when excited, the tail may be held a fraction loose. This can also indicate a degree of apprehension when the dogs first enter the show ring. In mature dogs, the tail should be carried firmly.

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.

A real understanding of the dog and his working needs is essential in order to fully appreciate correct forequarter construction. A good shoulder is essential in an animal that must be capable of bursts of strong and agile action. Working animals, dealing with quickwitted and cunning farm animals, must have the strength and ability to turn quickly. Without correct angulation, and the balance of the two main bones that make up the shoulder, clean forward reach and the ability to maintain untiring action are impeded if unbalanced. Most breeds will have a reasonable length and angulation of the bone that goes back from the forechest and up to the withers (scapula). However, a fairly common fault in so many breeds can be shortness or lack of angulation of what is called the “upper arm” (the bone that goes from the forechest back down to the elbow). If there is a lack of angulation in the shoulder, then the animal will be restricted in the length of forward reach it can attain. In turn, this will require a lot of tiny steps to cover a length of ground. An animal with better angulation will not need to take so many steps to cover the same distance, resulting in a less tired dog. Elbows should fit in neatly under the rib cage, and not be loose. This ensures strong and quite straight action when viewed from the front, without too much width between the legs.

Jaws of the Puli are strong, and teeth should meet in a perfect scissors bite as shown.

Feet: This very important part of the dog should be checked carefully, for if the dog is to do a day’s work, it is essential that feet should not be spread or have thin pads.

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.

This compares well to the need for forehand angulation. The standard mentions fairly low-set hocks and the actual joint should be checked for strength to ensure that there is no subluxation (sloping forward, rather like a double joint).

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, woolly 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.

Although all Pulik may look alike to the casual viewer, there is variety in the coat types that are possible. We once had a litter of four, all ending up with different types of cords in maturity. You may have the fine, rounded cord; the thicker and not-so-tight but still rounded cord; the flat “ribbon” type that can be quite hard or perhaps slightly softer and loose in its composition; or the occasional cord that appears to be composed of both felt and a little softer texture, which are usually slower in forming. Whatever type of cord starts to form, it is inadvisable to attempt to change it.

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.

Correct tail.

Incorrect tail; it should not appear separate from rump.

Incorrect tail set; too low.

There are various accepted coat colors in the Puli. Some colors may have black or white hairs intermingled, but the importance is the overall appearance of a solid color.

Not all colors are acceptable in all countries. In the UK, for example, shades of apricot are also accepted. Having seen and judged genetically pure whites, it is quite impressive to observe their solid black pigment on the nose, eye rims, flews, pads and nails, and all with quite a good slate-colored skin. Some that are registered as “white” can in later life be seen to have lost the important pigmentation, and this would be severely penalized by judges in FCI countries. The foregoing remarks also apply to some which have been classed as apricot. Hungary has never altered its pigment requirements.

Recognized in some places is the coloration “Facko.” This is likened to an intermingling of gray and apricot, and will carry good pigmentation. Our original bitch was born and first registered as gray, but before she was old enough to exhibit, she turned apricot and her registration details were altered. As a black-masked apricot with excellent pigment, she became the UK’s first (and only) apricot champion. However, in later life, the growth of gray coat could not be ignored, and we believe that she could have been termed “Facko.” As it was, she produced some very good grays and started off a line that still favors that 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.

All too often there is confusion over interpretation of this section of the standard. The Puli must have the capability for quick and sudden turns when required, and this would be impossible if the dog were to lack shoulder and hind angulation. The movement should have a light spring to it, and that is brought about by what can best be compared to the suspension of a car. If you don’t have good suspension in your car, then every bump or uneven surface over which you travel will result in shock waves traveling upward. In a car, the passengers soon become uncomfortable; in similar fashion, the dog would soon become tired. Moreover, it is likely that in order to get quickly around to the other side of a flock, the Puli will spring up and run over the backs of sheep. This would be a struggle, if not impossible, if the angulations were lacking, thus preventing the agile, light, upward spring.

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.

That they are wary of strangers is indicated by an unwillingness to launch themselves on visitors. We always advise anyone unknown to our dogs that he should start off by ignoring them. In a short time, an inquisitive little Hungarian will approach them, as Pulik are certainly curious.

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