The delightful appearance and headstrong, intelligent character of the Puli is as much a curse as it is a blessing. Sadly, a lot of owners dive right into adopting a Puli without doing any research on the breed, thanks entirely to their looks and characteristics.
Pulis are on the high-maintenance end of the purebred dog scale, and all too often, adopters bite off much more than they can chew.
That so many Pulis and owners find themselves in dead-end relationships with one another may be thanks largely to the pseudo-truths and outright falsehoods that spread by word of mouth. There is something of an entire myth built around the breed involving how to properly groom and care for them, leading some people to think that the Puli requires little to no effort to properly raise.
One of the most primary concerns is their coat of locks. A Puli needs to be trimmed, groomed and bathed more regularly than most breeds. An individual who does not have the time for this routine might be better off looking for another breed to adopt for the sake of themselves and for the sake of the dog.
One area where the potential Puli owner can put their mind at ease is that the Puli, being such a small breed, doesn't require a whole lot of space for exercise and can be just as happy in a small apartment as in a large house, just so long as he or she gets their fair share of fresh air and sunlight now and then.
Pulis do, however, require quite a lot of human attention. Properly raised, the breed is energetic, loving, intelligent, playful and kind, but also arrogant and incredibly bossy. Some owners say that Pulis can even be manipulative and controlling on occasion if not appeased with regular playtime, petting and exercise. The Puli is a wonderful dog if given a lot of attention, but someone who doesn't have a lot of time might find their relationship with a Puli becoming more antagonistic than friendly before long.
One of the biggest myths about Pulis is that a few fleas and ticks in the coat are no big deal, when nothing could be further from the truth. Fleas and ticks are an almost impossible problem to solve with this breed, thanks to the complex structure of a developed Puli coat. The only sure way to rid an infested Puli of fleas is by shearing off all of his or her hair, possibly ruining years of careful grooming overnight and taking half the dog's life to grow back. Make sure your home is bug free before even considering getting a Puli.
These are probably the most paramount of things to keep in mind when adopting a Puli, but regardless of breed, a potential owner is always advised to spend some time with the dog before adoption. Every dog is an individual and can't be expected to act exactly like every other member of its breed.
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