Hungarian ‘clown of dogs’ wins over foreign countries

An international Pumi meeting is going to take place at Tápiószentmárton, at the Kincsem Race Course from 29th August to 2nd September – reports sokszinuvidek.24.hu. Six countries are going to participate in the meeting.

“The Hungarian breed, now declared to be a hungaricum, is more and more popular abroad, too.

Scandinavian countries now have thousands of them, while Hungary counts about 2500-3000 Pumi dogs.”

– said József Árkosi, president of the Hungarian Pumi Club. He also added that the international meet-up, aimed to promote the vivid, jaunty-looking Hungarian herding dog, will be visited by guests from England, Sweden, the Check Republic as well as from Austria.

The appeal of Pumis

“The breed’s popularity is growing, mostly abroad, which is due to their adaptive and diverse nature.

They happily participate in all sorts of activities, they are very intelligent, active, brave and have a fiery temperament.” – added Árkos.

He also stated that the adaptive nature of Pumis is well illustrated by the fact that they are not only excellent herding dogs that nowadays safely guard our homes but became popular companions to people living in big cities, too. As long as the owners make sure the dogs move enough daily, Pumis can be kept in the smallest of flats.

Photo: www.kutyafajtak.hu

Pumis usually have dark brown eyes and are on the smaller side, weighing around 10 kilos. Their fur – most commonly grey but can be black or white as well – is softer than Pulis’ but still requires regular maintenance. Pumis are very lively, often temperamental. They get excited or annoyed easily which they express by vigorous barking and running around, so they are not the neighbours’ favourite. They learn fast and get around quick, though, so they excel at the various dog sports. Pumis also love attention and being in the centre, so making sure they meet other dogs is a must. On top of everything, they are an incredibly loyal breed.

The origin of Pumis

The breed essentially originates from  17th-18th-century Hungary, thanks to the crossover of the already-present herding dogs and the terrier-like herding and companion dogs, with cute pointy ears, introduced from France and Germany.

For years, small herding dogs were part of a ‘mass’ in Hungary; Pumis, Pulis and Mudis did not get their own name for a long time.

They belonged to the general category of herding dogs and it was only at the beginning of the 20th century that they started to count as three separate breeds.

This Hungarian herding dog is often called the ‘clown of dogs’ and can handle flocks and herds of up to several hundred, entirely on its own.

Photo: www.facebook.com/NemzetköziPumiEgyesület

So, naturally, a herding competition took place on the first day of the international meeting.

Other events taking place include presentations and seminars about the current state of the breed as well as a breed parade, a club exhibition and an agility competition.

For more news, check out this recent story of animals stolen from a Hungarian zoo.

Featured image: www.kutyafajtak.hu

Source: sokszinuvidek.24.hu