Collection of all the general dog breed info about Pumi so you can get to know the breed more.
The Pumi Coat
Pumi’s are renown for their distinctive coat. It is double layered; comprising of 50% soft hair (undercoat) and 50% harsher hair (topcoat), with all hairs being the same length.
Visibly, it appears corkscrew-curled. It can also come in a range of colors, from varying shades of grey, white, fawn or even black.
Interestingly, Pumi puppies will start greying at the age of around 6-8 weeks, and over time the coat slowly lightens until it reaches a shade similar to the parental dogs.
While it is considered easy to care for, the coat must be properly maintained in order for this dog to possess their characteristic appearance and that of the breed standard.
In this way, a Pumi should never appear to be fluffed or even blown dry.
As such, a properly cared for and groomed Pumi, should have medium long, curled hair that forms tufts all over the body.
In order to achieve this, owners must look to comb the coat every three to six weeks. This is in order to prevent matting.
Beyond this, the coat does need regular and thorough wetting down, which should then be let to dry naturally, to ensure it is able to effectively and properly curl.
Pumi’s do need their coat trimmed and stripped every couple of months to give it a tidy, keep it hygienic and ensure that it is comfortable for the dog.
Whether or not you do this yourself as the owner, or hire a professional is going to come down to your circumstances and preference, but more owners seek the advice and assistance of a professional – especially at first.
While this breed’s coat does not become corded naturally, it does require human intervention to not only keep it under control, but to ensure it does not tangle or matt excessively.
Tips For Maintaining And Grooming The Pumi Coat
The quintessential Pumi coat is elegant, thick, curly, and neither too long nor too short. Its a coat that possesses attractive “locks of hair.”
The coat can be well kept by regular grooming which involves gentle combing, wetting and air drying. Its advised never to blow-dry the coat as this will take away their signature curly locks of hair.
By all means, if you did want to use a hairdryer, you can but you will need to do so on a low setting. Never brush at the same time.
To better understand how your Pumi’s coat should look, consider taking your dog swimming for several days in a row. Every time, let them dry naturally. This will give their coat the characteristic Pumi look.
Your dog must have their coat stripped or trimmed every few months to keep it looking at it’s best.
The coat of a strong-bodied Pumi should always be kept shorter than a light-bodied Pumi; they can have longer hair and it will benefit them in turn.
The coat should be rounded with no visible sharp edges. The forechest and the buttocks should be trimmed short to maintain the square-appearance.
When trimming, pay attention to the skull, and the cheeks should not be more prominent than the muzzle – the cheeks should be short.
The profile of the head must be kept straight; the hair on the ears should be rounded.
Hairs should be pulled out of the ear canal, these dogs hate the sensation, but it is better for ear health.
Trim the hair on the legs; when the tail curls, you should be able to see through the curl.
The legs don’t require frequent trimming but make sure that the legs look straight and that the hairs on the feet are rounded. Don’t forget to cut the nails.
The order of grooming for this dog entails:
Begin by combing out your Pumi’s fur until they are fluffy. Shorten their hair by plucking out the longer hairs; you can pull out the long hairs with just your fingers.
The hairs will come out easily, and you won’t hurt your dog.
Use the stripping comb to pull out much of your Pumi’s hair.
After plucking the hairs, bathe your Pumi, you can also wet him down using a spray bottle.
When you are finished, you can gently pat them down with a towel and allow them to finish off drying on their own – this lets the curly hair curl back up again.
If you use shampoo, this softens the coat for up to two weeks. However, the firmness does come back.
Once your Pumi is dry, take the scissors to trim the body, neck, head, buttocks, legs, and forecast.
Find a diagram to work from online, like on the AKC site.
Consider the grooming tools required for your Pumi:
Are Pumis Hypoallergenic?
Pumi dogs are considered hypoallergenic, and they are tend to be better for people who suffer with dog allergies.
However, I must emphasize here that no dog is truly, 100% hypoallergenic. Instead, the term is used loosely to describe any low-shedding dog. This is why:
All dogs do shed to some degree, along with releasing dander (allergens and proteins that are contained in skin cells, saliva and urine) and are what people with allergies react to.
It is is in low shedding dogs that dander is released minimally, and thus those with allergies do not seem to react so badly, if at all.
When it comes to the Pumi, they are actually as close to hypoallergenic as you can get with a dog. Their hair sheds little, if at all.
To help reduce and minimize allergens further, it is recommended that a Pumi is groomed and combed more frequently. Consider that when doing so hair and dander will be released – so save this for a time when an allergy suffer is not going to be around!
FAQ
Does Pumi shed?
Do Pumi dogs bark a lot?
- Miniature Schnauzer.
- Peruvian Inca Orchid.
- Poodle.
- Portuguese Water Dog.
- Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
- Spanish Water Dog.
- Standard Schnauzer.
- Xoloitzcuintli.
Is a Pumi a good family dog?