Our present day Pumi (Pumik in plural) is the result of centuries of selection by shepherds. The selection was directed towards performing tasks which were based on the uniqueness of the environment and the livestock in the Carpathian Basin. The Hungarian livestock, such as the Hungarian Grey Cattle and the Racka sheep are very hardy and originally lived off the land in a semi-wild state. Their temperament matched their environment. There were no huge contiguous pastures, but many smaller ones, which were accessible only by narrow roads, through woods, cultivated fields and strip parcels.
General Appearance
The Pumi is a medium-sized alert, intelligent, energetic, and agile Hungarian herding breed, originating in the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries from the ancestral Puli, and used to herd cattle, sheep, and swine. He is characterized by his square outline, curly coat, circular tail, and long head with semi-erect ears, and whimsical expression.
The Pumi originated in Hungary where pastures were small and the livestock were driven to local fields for grazing. He is a versatile stock dog, equally adept at gathering, driving and keeping the stock within boundaries as directed by the shepherd, working very close to the livestock, and using his voice and quick movement to keep the stock under control.
Temperament
Lively, alert, intelligent, bold, and ready for duty, yet reserved with strangers, the Pumi assesses each new situation.
Size
Dogs are from 16 to 18½ inches, bitches from 15 to 17½ inches.
Color
Black, white, or any shades of gray. Shades of fawn from pale cream to red, with some black or gray shading desirable. The grays are born black and fade to various shades of gray. In any of the colors, an intermixture of some gray, black or white hairs is acceptable as long as the overall appearance of a solid color is maintained. A white mark on the chest less than 1 inch at the longest dimension is permissible, as are white toe tips. Skin pigmentation is dark, with the coat colors intense and solid, although there may be lighter or darker shadings on head and legs.
Learn more at the Hungarian Pumi Club of America.
