Pumi, the New Dog Breed

Written and verified by the lawyer Francisco María García

Last update: 18 November, 2023

Recently, the American Kennel Club announced a new breed of dog—number 190—to the world. It’s official now: there is a new kind of dog on this planet and it’s called the Pumi.

The Pumi breed comes from Hungary and was presented at the American Kennel Club in 2014. However, it was only recently that its existence was officially recognized. The new dog “on the block” has a friendly and athletic look. They can be excellent companions for those who like to go for walks or exercise with their pets.

The traits of the Pumi

• Athletic and friendly look. They’re the kind of dog that we all want in our homes to play with, exercise with, and spoil.
• Grey. All grey shades are accepted in official dog shows. Grey Pumis are born black, but their coat starts to lighten after approximately 6 to 8 weeks. The final shade can be predicted by the dog’s parents. It’s normal to see black, white, and maszkos fakó, which is a mixture of yellow and brown.
• Curly, medium length coat with thick fur. It’s a good idea to comb your Pumi every few weeks and to trim their fur every 2 to 4 months.
• Alert and lively ears. They stand erect with the tips bent downward, with longer fur than the rest of their body.
• Pronounced, large muzzle, occupying almost half of their heads.
• Small, dark, and slightly oval-shaped eyes.
• Lively and energetic.
• Regarding their size, the males are approximately 41 to 47 cm tall and weigh 10 to 15 kg.  The females measure between 38 and 44 cm and weigh from 8 to 13 kg.

The Pumi personality

The Pumi is very protective with their family, but timid with strangers. For this reason, socialization should start at an early age. They’re lively, active, intelligent and like to bark. They are moderately easy to train, especially when you use toys and food.

If you choose this breed to work in the field, you’ll see that  the Pumi is very attentive, alert, tenacious, tireless, brave (with larger or smaller animals), and efficient.

At home and with their family, the Pumi is very happy, loyal, and cautious with strangers. They may get bored easily and have trouble sitting still for a long time. If they’re alone they may get nervous, compulsive, and destructive.

Pumis and health

Generally speaking, these dogs enjoy good health with a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years. However, there are cases of Pumis living up to 19 years.

As this is a “rustic” breed and suited for work in the fields, they don’t have a lot of problems or get sick easily. However, their coat does require attention because they’re prone to allergies. Also, the ears are important because they could get infections.

Among the main ailments of the Pumi are bone problems, like hip dislocations and dysplasia. If you have your Pumi outdoors often, it’s advisable to make sure there are no thorns, insects, or parasites on their fur or paws.

The active Pumi

Originally, Pumis were herding dogs. Today, they perform in dog shows, agility exercises, and dog dancing. They also help hunt wild boar. The Pumi can also be trained as search and rescue dogs.

The Pumi is known in Hungary, Sweden, and Finland. Outside of those countries, they are still relatively unknown. They require a good amount of exercise, walks, and activity. They love to run and play. They can adapt to either rural or urban life as long as they get enough physical activity.

To sum up, this breed is protective of their family and somewhat shy with strangers, but socialization is usually quite easy. The Pumi is lively, intelligent, active, and likes to bark.