Grooming The Puli

The type of coat hat the Hungarian Puli requires much attention as do any long coated breeds. The grooming process is not difficult but different as the majority of the time the puli is not groomed with a brush but with your fingers… It needs to be completed regularly or the coat will become matted, depending on the type of cord the puli has. The cord is a natural formation of the entwining of undercoat and topcoat and the formation can start as young as 6 months and can take up to 4 or 5 years for a full length coat to develop. However, between 6 – 18 months is often the most difficult time as this is when the cords are forming and developing.

The coats of puppies from the same litter can vary coat pattern and so is the timing when their coat starts cording. The most difficult time is often from onset of cording, especially where the make up of the cord consists of much fluffy undercoat, as this is prone to matting and can be difficult to separate. Regular grooming sessions are required and the little but often approach is recommended. Depending on the ratio of undercoat to top coat will have an influence on the type of cord the puli will eventually have e.g. pencil (long thin type cords) or ribbon cords (thicker flat cords).  The puli cat can also self cord and this type of coat requires minimal attention. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to determine what type of cart a puli will have at the age of 8 weeks, as the coat at this time is short with a slight wave running through it.

A young puppy can be gently brushed with a soft brush to stimulate the skin. This allows the puppy to get used to being groomed at a young age, making the grooming process easier when the dog gets older. Once the small tuff like bunches of coat are seen close to the skin. The brushing should stop. However, it is a good idea to continue massaging the skin by using fingers and at the same time gently separate any small matt’s. The areas that are prone to matting and need to be watch are:

  • Behind the ears
  • Behind the legs
  • Base of the tail
  • Inside of the ears – should be cleared of hair growth and cleaned
  • Out side the ears – the cords have a tendency to felt quickly. These should be separated carefully as it is very easy to tear the skin
  • The eyes should be checked and cleaned as necessary.

The Corded Coat

A good coat required much attention, although only a minimum amount of time e.g. approx 15 – 20 min a day and regular trimming around the feet, mouth and ears. As the coat matures and the cords are formed, less but constant work is required. As explained earlier, there are various types of cords ranging from small rounded cords (pencil cords), to a wider flatter cord (ribbon cords) and within the same litter there can be different coat variations. There is no right or working type of cord, however it is important that the coat has the same type of cords thought out the dog, with the diameter of the cords varying only slightly in size.

Cords have to be separated down to the skin and then kept separated. Any mats should carefully be pulled apart into a cord like bunch and cord like bunch should be approximately the size of a human finger. Cords should not be made to thin as these will later break of as the cord gets longer and heavier. Bathing the puli regularly during the cording process helps to stabilize the cord during its formation, and spraying regularly with water also helps to develop the cord.

 

The tail should be a beautiful ploom of corded coat. However, without regular attention it can easily grow into one felted matt!!! The tail is the last area where the coat completely cords and the cords can often be more difficult to separate. It may be necessary to use scissors or a matt splitter but only as a last resort. If these items are used, then snip only deep enough into the mat so that you can get a good grip to enable you start tearing by hand; don’t cut all the way through. Careful work will result in a beautiful proud plume of cords.

Ideally the separation of the cords should be done with the fingers, however there may be times when it is necessary to use a matt splitter or scissors. These tools should be used sparingly as the groomer can end up taking out more coat than is desired. Often wearing rubber surgical gloves helps the hands from becoming sore. Once the cording process is completed, managing the corded coat becomes easier and less intensive and monthly grooming in most instances can become the norm.

Grooming the Matted Coat

Grooming the matted coat can be a difficult task as it is not usually possible to break up the outer mats and work towards the inside of the coat. If tearing up the cords by hand proves too difficult, they may be cut with a matt splitter. It is better to start with the loose hair next to the skin, and slice the mats into ribbons. Pulis that have just been through this treatment do not look very attractive at first, but after a few days when the hair has settled, it can be worked by hand to give a natural appearance.

Where such drastic grooming is required, special attention should be paid to the tail. A very heavily matted coat can most easily be dealt with by clipping the whole dog. The new hair will have to be arranged into curls shortly after the plates have been removed to avoid new felting.

Grooming a matted coat should be done while the coat is dry and before a bath as after bathing the mats will become tighter and make grooming more difficult. Grooming the matted coat takes time. I have in the past spent 2 days working on a matted coat, ensuring that the dog has regular breaks between grooming. It can be done however you may need to get advice from a puli breeder or puli groomer specialist.

The Corded Coat

In time the coat will become floor length and to avoid the puli tripping over its own coat some trimming will be required. Ideally the coat should be trimmed back to where approximately ½ – 1 inch from the floor. Trimming should be done while the dog is standing on a table.

Many puli owners do not wish to show their pulis and often keep the cords approximately 2 – 3 inches long through out the dog as they find this a more manageable length to manage especially when drying the coat. Trimming the coat under the belly and down the inside of the back legs is also an option the enable the puli owner managing the coat more easily.

Clipped Off Puli

Some owners like to keep the puli totally clipped off. This should also a considered for the elderly puli that maybe are not able to go through the bathing and grooming process.

The dog will:

  • Dry quicker
  • Gather no underbrush
  • Alleviate the odour problem of male puli. Generally, the coat is clipped off to approximately ½ – 1 inch and some ear feathering are left on.

Cutting down the Coat

  • Pick a top line length (six to eight inches), you will clip all the top layer cords approximately this length. Don’t cut a straight horizontal line, as this will make the dog look longer.
  • Make the cords slightly longer in front, sloping up towards the tuck-up, and then back down over the rear.
  • Make the first cut on the side at the tuck up or loin.
  • To make sure that both sides same even, pull up the short cords on both sides and cut them the same length.
  • After you have established that that line be angle-cutting the top layer of cords, cut the next layer slightly longer.
  • If the dog has a dense coat, the “slightly” longer will be less than if the dog’s coat was thinner or damaged
  • Exact length is by eye, but one-half inch or 2 inches is a good approximation.
  • Keep in mind that a nicely layered coat will look thicker and fuller than one that is all the same length.
  • Proceed layer by layer until you reach the bottom cords.
  • Trim a bottom line similar to the fall of the coat, longer in the front and sorter toward the back layer around the back and be sure to blend the tail in and consider how the dog naturally carries the tail.
  • The front of the dog and the head are most important, many people have their own taste in the length of beards and whiskers. Generally, the coat is cut at approximately nose length for cleanliness. Layering the head is helpful if the dog has blown the top of his head coat, but not the long whiskers.
  • Looking at the dog from the front, plan a gentle upward curve from nose to ears. Layer down from this into the ruff.
  • If you have thin head coat, you can’t layer much but layering makes the coat look thicker.
  • Go round the side of the dog and even trim up from the bottom of the ear toward the shoulder.
  • Frequently people trim the front of the head but do not work on around the side; the result is a triangular shaped head rather than a round one.
  • When finished let the puli exercise so you can see what cords you have missed.

Bathing the Corded Coat

  • Bathing helps to keep the cords and skin clean as well as tighten up the cords. The firmer the cord is the less dust they tend to collect. The coat is required to be bathed regularly and an on average can take up to an hour depending on the length of the coat. Most of this time is taken up in rinsing out the shampoo and conditioner. Ideally the young puli puppy should be trained to stand in a bath.
  • The coat must be toughly soaked
  • Shampoo is added and gently squeezed in (no rubbing as this will cause mats!!!). Gently poor most of the prepared shampoo over the dog holds some back for extra washing around the rear, legs and beard.
  • Squeeze the shampoo into the coat, in a similar way to washing a woollen jumper. If you do not feel comfortable completing the whole coat at once, do it in stages, rear than front, or one side at a time. However, it is easier treating the dog as a whole, taking extra time on the rear, legs, paws and beard. Be careful not to get any shampoo in the eyes or ears.
  • Part the cords to ensure that your wash down to the skin.
  • Once the washing has been completed, rinse, rinse and rinse again until the water runs clear. Before starting the procedure again. Remember what goes in the coat must come our or else within a few days after bathing the dog will start to smell and skin irritation will start causing the dog to scratch and become distressed. More dirt will probably come out of the second time because the water and the shampoo have penetrated the cords.

 

  • A good quality mild shampoo and conditioner should be used for bathing that is suitable for the coat type of the dog.
  • Before lifting the Puli from the bath, squeeze as much water as possible from the coat, then gently towel dry.

Drying can take some time. There are various ways which this can be achieved e.g.

    • Commercial dog dryers
    • Naturally – this can take between 24 – 48 hours
    • Heated dog cabinetsAdapted from the Cordlet 1993 by

Lesley Cook Puli Breeder and Groomer
Tel: 07795435489
Email l.cook73@outlook.com