Standard
 

Origin: Hungary
FCI standard N° 56
Classification FCI: Group 1, Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs (except Swiss Cattle Dogs).


Brief historical summary:
the Pumi came into being during the 17th to the 18th centrury in Hungary by crossbreeding the primitive Puli with imported German and French dogs of Terrier type with prick ears. It has been recognised as an independent breed at the beginning of the 20th century.

General appearance:
the Pumi is a cheerful, medium sized herding dog of Terrier type. His Terrier character is most obvious in his head. The foreface is elongated and the upper third of the otherwise prick ears is bending forward. The conformation is square. Because of his constant alertness, his neck carriage is higher than normal. The wavy coat of medium length forms curls. The Pumi can have various colours but must always be of one solid colour.

Important proportions:
- The body lenght is equal to the height at the withers.
- The dept of the brisket is slightly less than half of the height at the withers.
- The lenght of the muzzle is slightly less than half of the total lenght of the head.
- The lenght of the neck is equal to the lenght of the head and is 45% of the height at the withers.

Behaviour/ temperament:
this rather lively herding dog has a restless temperament. Extremely bold, a little suspicious towards strangers. As a result of his sensible behaviour, his liveliness and his expressiveness, he attracts attention always and everywhere. The Pumi is rather noisy. His whole appearance embodies thirst for action and because of his restlessness and activity, all parts of his body are constantly on the move. He is always active and ready for duty. A shy or phlegmatic behaviour are untypical of the breed.

Head:
relatively long and narrow. The shape of the head is characterised by the elongated muzzle.

Cranial region:
- Skull: The top of the head is relatively broad and domed. The long forehead is only slightly domed and flat seen from the side. The superciliary ridges are moderately developed.
- Stop: Barely perceptible, the forehead running an almost straight line between the eyebrows towards the bridge of the nose.

Facial region:
- Nose: Narrow bluntly cut-off. Always black in all coat colours.
- Muzzle: The bridge of the nose is straight. The elongated facial region tapers towards the nose but is never pointed.
- Lips: Tight-fitting to the teeth, dark pigmented.
- Jaws/Teeth: Strong jaws. The strong, well developed teeth are white. Regular, complete scissor bite according to the dentition formula.
- Cheeks: Well muscled.

Eyes:

set moderately wide apart, slightly oblique. Medium sized, oval, dark brown slit-eyes. The expression is lively and intelligent. The eye-lids are tight and close-fitting to the eyeballs and well pigmented.

Ears:
the upright ears are set on high, the upper third of the ears bending forward. The medium sized, even ears show a reverse V-shape. They show alert reactions to all stimulations.

Neck:
of medium length, little arched, well muscled, forming an angle of 50 to 55 degrees to the horizontal. The skin at the throat is tight, dry, without folds.
 

Body:
well developed muscles, dry, exceptionally taut and tough. The breed is particularly lean and of harmonious appearance.
- Topline: Straight.
- Withers: Pronounced, long, sloping towards rear.
- Back: Short, straight and taut.
- Loins: Short, firmly coupled, straight.
- Croup: Short, slightly sloping, of medium breadth.
- Chest: The forechest is straight, not broad, rather deep. Ribs slightly arched, rather flat. The brisket is deep, long and reaches to the elbows.
- Belly: Tight, tucked up towards rear.

Limbs:
the front legs, placed under the forechest, support the body like pillars. They are vertical, parallel and not too wide apart. The hindlegs are very strong. Seen from the side, they are somewhat extended beyond the rear. Seen from behind, the legs are parallel, straight, standing neither too narrow nor too wide apart.

Feet:
rounded cat feet with well knit toes. The pads are springy. Nails strong, black or slate grey.

Tail:
the high set tail forms a wide circle above the croup. The hair on the underside of the tail is 7 to 12 cm long, wiry standing apart, with little undercoat. A natural stumpy tail or tail docking are not permitted.

Gait/movement:
quite lively and spirited. Stride short, energetic, dynamic and hormonious.The posture is bold and proud. The trot is light-footed and harmonious; the dog puts his hind feet exactly into the foot prints of the forefeet.

Skin:
without folds, strongly pigmented. The areas of bare skin are black or slate grey.

Coat:
the wavy, curly coat forms tufts and is never smooth or corded. The coat has an average length of 4 to 7 cm, growing to smaller or larger tufts ; it is elastic, shaggy and dense. It consists of a strong, but not coarse, topcoat and a soft undercoat. The dense, wiry protective hairs of medium length on the ears grow upwards.  The eyes and the foreface are free of long hair. The desired coat preparation is achieved by hand trimming. Smaller corrections, done with scissors on head and legs, are possible. Preparing the entire coat with scissors is not desirable.

Colour:
grey in various shades (normally, the colour at birth is black, turning grey with time), black, fawn (fakó) Primary colours: red, yellow, cream (a trace of black or grey and a distinct mask are desirable). A white mark on the chest less than 3 cm in diameter and/or a white line on the toes are not faulty. White. The coat colour must always be intense and solid.
 

Size and weight:
height: dogs 41 to 47 cm (ideal 43 to 45 cm); bitches 38 to 44 cm (ideal 40 to 42 cm). weight: dogs 10 to 15 kg (ideal 12 to 13 kg); bitches 8 to 13 kg (ideal 10 to 11 kg).

NB:
male animals must have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.