The Pumi is an intelligent herding breed from Hungary. These active little dogs are alert, curious, and always on-the-go. Temperaments vary from dog to dog, with some being super affectionate and others preferring to show their love in a more subtle way. While they will usually bond with everyone in the family, they’ll often pick one person whom they prefer to spend most of their time with. Many are aloof toward strangers until they get to know the person – they prefer to make their own judgements about each individual they meet. It’s important to socialize them while they’re still puppies so their characteristic confidence will be able to emerge.
Pumik (the plural of Pumi) love to learn – which makes them great at obedience training! They also tend to pick up on commands quickly and don’t bore easily. All good things, because this breed definitely needs a regular job. Without this mental/physical outlet, they can be frustrating to live with. Obedience is the basic building block that will allow an owner to then work with the dog in other, more specific tasks such as flyball or herding. This energetic breed will not do well in a home where they aren’t being challenged daily, however they excel in situations where they are worked with regularly! Despite still being on the rarer side of AKC recognized breeds, many Pumik have made a name for themselves by receiving high scores in several dog sports!
The Pumi has a non-shedding curly coat which requires a good combing every 2-3 weeks to pull the dead hair out. They don’t need to be bathed often unless they are being shown (or if they’ve had too much fun in the muddy yard – their terrier background means they love a good digging session). After a bath, no blow drying is required as it will pull the curls out of the coat. Instead, the coat will have to air-dry. The Pumi’s coat is scissored to accentuate the unique shape. The coat is always solid-colored and comes in either black, white, gray, cream or red.
Pumik are an agile breed – often using furniture or the outdoor landscape as their own personal obstacle courses. They love to be in the middle of the action! Very playful, they especially love a good game of frisbee or fetch. Exercise is very important with this breed and they must be given plenty of time daily in which to “wear them out”. Luckily, Pumik do have an “off-switch” when they are done exercising (more so than other herding breeds), but only as long as they are exercised daily. This breed is quite adaptable and is able to live in an apartment or small house… but again, only as long as they receive enough exercise.
The Pumi does have a tendency to bark on a more frequent basis compared to some breeds. He may bark when he feels that someone may be coming onto his property, as he is a territorial breed (making him a great watchdog). He also tends to bark when left alone for long periods of time, so this is not a breed for someone who just wants to throw the dog in the backyard all day. The Pumi must be housed indoors and treated like a member of the family. Despite his terrier-like scrappy personality, he is a sensitive soul that need to feel connected and loved. In return, he will give love and loyalty back 100-fold.
Pumik usually get along great with children, although they may be prone to herding the kids (including nipping at heels or pant legs). Their cheerful nature and constant curiosity make them great play companions for kids who are taught what to do when the dog tries to herd them. They also get along well with cats and other pets, although might try to go after pocket pets such as hamsters. They often live harmoniously with other dogs.
Photo By Taru T Torpström