Those ears.

If there was a canine “Great Ears Clubs,” the Pumi would take its rightful place next to the Briard and Skye Terrier. Its ears, an integral part of a highly distinctive silhouette, are often described as “muppet-like,” and when the Pumi moves each one quickly and seemingly independent of the other in response to a sound, the effect is utterly enchanting.

For all its adorable charm, however, the Pumi, is not a muppet. This is a serious herding breed whose ancestors (which later became the Puli) moved livestock with the Magyars from the Ural-Altay region to the Carpathian Basin around 800 AD.  Two-way trading of Hungarian Gray Cattle and Merino sheep between Hungary with Germany and France saw doggie dalliances with herding dogs of those countries, namely the Pomeranian Schafspudel and the Hütespitz, and the Pumi resulted after centuries of selection by shepherds for dogs that could work livestock in hilly Western Hungary.

The Pumi is a loose-eyed worker – less of a natural gatherer, and more of a driver, holding and moving sheep with high spirited leaps, determined charges, and barking. Lots and lots of barking. The Pumi’s “loquacious” nature, coupled with quick, turn-on-a-dime movement (and the odd nip, if needed) made for a dog very comfortable with working quite close to stock. It’s said that a Pumi often stopped forward movement of stock by getting ahead of the animals by sprinting between their feet, reaching the front of the sheep, and turning to stop them. We doubt Cookie Monster could do that.

Pumi image found on Pinterest and attributed to “Kingbee 48.” We’d love to give proper credit to this artist and if anyone can provide more information, we’d love to have it!