Pumi puppies

About the Pumi

The Pumi is a Hungarian farm dog, developed from the Puli crossed with imported terrier and herding types, and used to drive stock and clear vermin. It is a light, square built dog of 10 to 13.2 kg standing 38 to 47 cm, with a curly coat of mixed soft and harsh hair and high set ears whose tips flop forward. The expression is alert and busy, and so is the dog: bold, noisy at work, intensely attached to its handler and always looking for the next thing to do.

This is a very high energy breed that needs hard exercise and daily thinking work, and it excels at agility, obedience and herding. The coat is combed every three to six weeks then wetted so the curls spring back, and it sheds very little. Pumik bark quickly, which needs managing early in a town. They suit experienced, active owners, with supervision and socialisation around children and other pets. Under exercised, a Pumi turns into a loud and inventive nuisance.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Pumi puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a very high energy breed. The mistake owners make is trying to tire it out physically. Training, scentwork and puzzles will do more than distance ever will. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip and elbow dysplasia, which breeding stock should be x-rayed for
• Patellar luxation, diagnosed by physical examination of the stifle
• Degenerative myelopathy, detectable by DNA test
• Eye disorders, found by an ophthalmologist evaluation of breeding stock

From Pumi breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/pumi/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Pumi puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Pumi.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 10 to 13.2 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other medium breeds

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