Amongst the dozens of considerations to be taken prior to bringing any new pet into your home, one of the first and foremost is, not surprisingly; how will this little lady or fellow fit in with my other pets? This is of pressing importance regardless of whether your prospective new pet be cat, bird, fish or any variety of dog.
Firstly, one should consider the animals already present in the Puli's prospective new home. 1,100 years ago, the Puli was bred for sheep herding work as well as companionship to their human shepherd counterpart, so they've always been a friendly breed, arrogant and controlling, certainly, but friendly nonetheless, so the breed's temperament is nothing to worry about when it comes to introducing a Puli into a new home.
Just to run down a few basic concerns, we'll list a few common problems that may arise depending on what kind of animals the Puli will interact with:
Like with any other breed, a cat prone to fleeing at the sight of a new animal is likely to spark the chase instinct in a Puli. Introducing any dog to a mistrusting cat should always be handled very carefully.
The Puli likes being the center of attention and may become jealous of other animals who receive more attention. It would be unusual for a normal Puli to become violent, but he or she may feel hurt and disenfranchised nonetheless and it may damage the bond that the dog has with its owners.
Regardless of the animals the Puli is being introduced to, an owner should always make sure to adopt from a reputable source, to spend some time with the dog before adoption and to know the dog's history. Neglect or abuse in the early years can make any dog incapable of connecting peacefully with other animals.
The Puli, being a sheepdog, is known to be something of a controlling, bossy breed. For someone with several dogs, there may be some rivalry for alpha dog status. Such conflicts tend to work themselves out, given time, and most dogs will naturally fall into a satisfactory role within the pack.
As with adopting any smaller breed of dog, an owner's larger dogs should be taught to behave properly around the smaller dogs. It's not uncommon for a larger dog to accidentally hurt a smaller dog, not with malicious intent, but simply because he or she doesn't know that their playmate is more fragile.
Other than these concerns, an owner can look forward to their Puli being playful well into the later stages of their lives. Pulik are an unusually outgoing and energetic breed, and it's likely that a Puli will maintain his or her sense of fun throughout their entire life.
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