Pumi
A Hungarian herding dog with curls and a comic set of ears, one tip usually folded over. It works cattle and sheep by voice, and it is rarely quiet for long.
Photo by Marcus Hansson, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Pumi is a Hungarian herding terrier with a curly harsh coat and distinctive ears that stand with the tips folded forward, giving it a permanently quizzical expression. It works cattle and sheep by voice, driving stock with barking rather than by eye.
It is a newer breed than the Puli, developed from Puli crossed with imported German and French herding dogs, and it is considerably more terrier in temperament.
Temperament
Lively, bold and extremely vocal. Pumik are affectionate with their families and reserved with strangers, and the barking is not incidental, it is the herding method.
They are clever, quick and busy, and they need mental work as much as physical. They are more biddable than most terriers and more intense than most herding dogs. Anyone in close housing should treat the barking as a fact about the breed.
Care and grooming
The curly coat needs combing every few weeks and trimming a few times a year, and it should be left to dry naturally so the curl holds. It sheds very little.
Hip dysplasia, patellar luxation and degenerative myelopathy occur, and DM has a DNA test. Primary lens luxation has also been identified. Twelve to thirteen years.
Living and exercise
An hour and a half a day plus training. They excel at agility, herding and obedience.
They are rare outside Hungary and they suit an active owner who wants a busy clever dog and can live with the voice.
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