A Puli cannot easily be assessed by sight in the show ring; you need to feel it. This is the FCI standard’s advice, because the whole body disappears beneath clumps and cords reaching 20 to 30 centimetres on the croup. Underneath stands a square, wiry, medium-sized herding dog.
| FCI | Group 1 (Sheepdogs and Cattledogs), Section 1 Sheepdogs, Standard No. 55, without working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Hungary |
| Height at the withers | Males 39 to 45 cm (ideal 41 to 43 cm), females 36 to 42 cm (ideal 38 to 40 cm) |
| Weight | Males 13 to 15 kg, females 10 to 13 kg |
| Life expectancy | Median 13,3 years in a British analysis of 584.734 dogs, including only 122 Pulis (McMillan et al. 2024) |
| Coat | Coarser outer coat and finer undercoat forming clumps or cords; 20 to 30 cm on loins, croup and thighs, 10 to 12 cm on head and legs |
| Colours according to the standard | Black, black with rusty-red or grey tinges, fawn (fakó) with black mask, grey in any shade, pearl white; white chest patch up to 3 cm permitted |
Into the Carpathian Basin with nomads
The standard describes the Puli as a Hungarian herding breed of Asian origin. Its ancestors probably arrived with the ancient Magyars, nomads living by livestock farming. It has had definitive FCI recognition since 11.08.1954, with pearl white recognised since 2014. Crossing the Puli with imported terriers later produced the Pumi; a third Hungarian herding dog is the Mudi.
A whirlwind with guarding instincts
A lively temperament, exceptional learning ability, fondness for children and an excellent watchdog: the standard needs no more words. Its movement often looks mincing and springy, and some Pulis whirl around on the spot. Because it announces every sound, teach it early that a brief alert is enough.
Mental work, sport and herding
According to the standard, its present form has adapted to dog sports. Agility, obedience, trick training or herding exercises keep it balanced. Daily walks with scent tasks are essential; a life confined to the garden is not enough.
How curls become cords
Puppies have dense, wavy hair. Tufts develop later, becoming substantial clumps. To prevent a single felted mat, regularly separate the growing strands down to the skin with your fingers. A bath takes up half a day, because the cords dry very slowly and smell musty if left damp. The standard rejects both combed-out and neglected coats.
What the figures say
With a median of 13,3 years, Pulis in McMillan and colleagues’ analysis outlived crossbreeds at 12,0 years. However, the figure rests on just 122 dogs with 39 deaths, with a confidence interval of 12,8 to 14,4 years. Among 123 Pulis tested for the SOD1 variant by a US laboratory, 7 carried two copies and 29 carried one (Zeng et al. 2014). This variant is associated with degenerative myelopathy, a spinal-cord disease usually beginning in old age. Ask breeders for the parents’ test results.
A good fit if
you want a clever, cheerful family companion, enjoy training together and see the coat as a hobby rather than a burden. It particularly likes children who can join in.
Consider another breed if
you want a quiet dog for a flat with poor sound insulation, have little time for coat care or want one that needs only a quick rub down after a wet walk.
The breed quiz can show whether a keen-learning, cord-coated herding dog fits your everyday life; our book offers more detail: “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German). If you are expecting a puppy, get the free Puppy Starter Pack. Your Puli, cords and all, looks at home on a magazine cover on canvas or among our dog portraits from your own photo.
Further reading
- Border Collie: when the cleverest dog has no job
- Taking your own dog photos: 10 professional tips for the perfect portrait
- Puppy training: the 5 rules that really work
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 55 Puli (fci.be, German version dated 06.12.2013, valid standard published 29.10.2013); McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024; Zeng R et al., Breed distribution of SOD1 alleles previously associated with canine degenerative myelopathy, Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 2014.
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