The Puli is a small-medium sized Hungarian herding dog known for its long, corded coat resembling dreadlocks. Pulis are intelligent, active, and loyal companions that can make great family pets for the right owner. However, their strong working drive and energetic nature mean Pulis require extensive daily exercise and mental stimulation. Like all dogs, Pulis need proper socialization and consistent training from an early age. But are Pulis truly easy to train compared to other breeds? Here we’ll explore the key factors that impact Puli trainability.
Puli Temperament
The typical Puli temperament is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to trainability. On the plus side, Pulis are incredibly smart, attentive, and eager to please their owners. Their innate herding instincts give them an intense focus and desire to work. Pulis catch on quickly to new tasks and enjoy having a job to do. However, their spirited nature and tendency towards independence can also make them more difficult to train compared to more biddable breeds.
Pulis have a strong-willed streak common among intelligent herd dogs. They are quick to bore with repetitive tasks and may choose to ignore commands that don’t sufficiently challenge or interest them. Pulis benefit from positive reinforcement training that provides enough mental stimulation. Force-based methods do not work well with this breed. Pulis are sensitive and will shut down if treated harshly. Building a bond of trust and making training fun for your Puli are key to overcoming their stubborn side.
Socialization & Environment
Early socialization is essential for any Puli. Pulis that aren’t adequately exposed to a wide variety of people, animals, places, and situations as puppies risk becoming timid or reactive later in life. Proper socialization helps build your Puli’s confidence, improves trainability, and prevents problem behaviors rooted in fear. Sign your Puli up for puppy kindergarten as soon as they are fully vaccinated. Continue exposing them to new experiences and people throughout their first two years of life.
Raising your Puli puppy in a stimulating environment also boosts their trainability. Pulis flourish when they have plenty of opportunities to exercise their bodies and minds. Providing puzzle toys, sniffing games, obedience lessons, and other engaging activities in addition to daily exercise will help prevent boredom and frustration that can impede training. Make sure your Puli gets adequate physical and mental workout before training sessions. A calm, fulfilled Puli will be more focused and cooperative.
Training Approach
The techniques you employ when training your Puli have a major influence over their response and progress. Always use force-free, positive methods that motivate your Puli to cooperate and reinforce desired behaviors. Avoid punishment, which can damage your bond with your Puli and cause them to become distrustful or fearful. You’ll make faster headway with a treat or praise than a scolding or correction.
Keep training sessions short, varied, and fun to maintain your Puli’s interest and enthusiasm. Break down commands into small steps your Puli can master before chaining the steps together and adding a verbal cue. Use hand targeting, luring, shaping, capturing, and marking desirable behaviors with clickers or verbal markers like “good!” Practice obedience skills like loose leash walking, recalls, and manners often in different locations. Integrate training into your Puli’s daily life instead of limiting lessons to dull repetitions in the backyard. Make it clear that obeying you leads to great things for your Puli!
Find the Right Motivation
Discovering what truly motivates your individual Puli is hugely helpful for training. While most Pulis have a moderate to high food drive, others may respond better to toys or praise as rewards. Play around with different incentives and pay attention to your Puli’s response. Does their whole rear end wiggle when you wave a toy? Do they voraciously gobble treats? Get excited and focused when you use an enthusiastic voice? Let your Puli tell you what they find most rewarding.
You’ll also need to determine what drives your Puli exhibits. Herding breeds can have strong prey drives, retrieving drives, play drives or a combination. Catering to your Puli’s specific drives can give them an outlet and be used to your advantage during training sessions. For example, incorporating a retrieving game or asking your Puli to round up their toys can fulfill their natural instincts while teaching focus and impulse control.
Manage Energy Level
The Puli’s considerable energy and athleticism can make training more of a challenge. It’s hard for them to concentrate and control their impulses when they have pent up physical and mental energy. A Puli that doesn’t get adequate exercise is more likely to be restless, distractible and willful during training. Make sure your Puli receives at least 60-90 minutes of vigorous daily activity. Teaching them games like fetch and frisbee engages their body and brain. Consider a dog sport like agility, flyball or herding to channel their energy productively.
A tired Puli will be calmer and more attentive during training sessions. Schedule longer or more complex training after they have had a chance to exert themselves. Keep sessions brief when your Puli is energetic. Asking for their full concentration for long periods right after being confined in the house all day is a recipe for frustration and failure. Structure training sessions and socialization to set your spirited Puli up for success.
Start Training Early
Early training and socialization lays the groundwork for a well-adjusted, obedient Puli. Puli puppies have a prime window between 8 weeks and 16 weeks old for socialization. Sign up for puppy classes, expose them carefully to new things, and use reward based methods to teach good manners and basic cues like sit, stay, and come. Keep training sessions under five minutes for young puppies to prevent cognitive overload.
Continue socialization and training consistently as your Puli matures. Pulis can test boundaries at adolescence, so maintain rules and reward structure during this phase. Practice obedience skills in many scenarios. Don’t let your Puli get away with ignoring commands they know or they’ll start to blow you off whenever it suits them. Remain patient and upbeat during the teenage phase and you’ll get through it with a solidly trained adult Puli.
Prevent Rehearsal of Bad Behaviors
Pulis are prone to developing nuisance habits like barking, digging, chewing, and chasing if their energy and drive aren’t channeled productively. Allowing your Puli to rehearse inappropriate behaviors makes them more difficult to resolve. Supervise your Puli or confine them when you can’t actively engage with them. Provide plenty of enrichment toys and activities to keep them occupied in your absence.
Interrupt undesirable behaviors like demand barking or digging immediately and redirect your Puli to an acceptable outlet for their energy. For example, toss a ball for them to chase or activate a puzzle feeder instead. Avoid scolding or punitive measures which can worsen these behaviors motivated by stress or inadequate fulfillment of your Puli’s needs. Preventing them from practicing problem habits in the first place is most effective.
Be a Consistent Leader
Pulis appreciate strong leadership and consistency from their owner. Your calm confidence will help them feel secure. Set fair rules and stick to them. Don’t let your Puli talk you into bending commands by begging, whining or staring you down. Reward them for obeying quickly and resolutely. Practice leadership skills like enforcing sit for greetings, down stays for door opening, waiting politely for mealtimes. The more consistent you are, the more respect your Puli will have for your leadership.
Make sure the whole family is on the same page with training expectations to avoid confusion. Use the same verbal cues, reward desirable behavior, and correct unwanted habits. Pulis thrive when the hierarchy is clear and they understand their position in the family pack. Consistent leadership helps reduce anxiety and prevents your clever Puli from learning how to pit family members against each other!
Manage Frustration
Pulis have an independent nature that can make training frustrating at times, both for you and them. Your Puli may resist commands they find boring, test boundaries to see what they can get away with, or be easily distracted by more exciting stimuli. Keep your cool during training sessions. Getting angry or scolding your Puli for blowing you off will only exacerbate their stubborn or reactive tendencies.
If your Puli is refusing to obey a well-known cue, go back a few steps in training and ask for an easier version before working back up. For example, revert to rewarding partial sits and loose leash walking for just a few steps before asking for full sits or longer duration leash manners. This will help rebuild your Puli’s confidence so they don’t shut down. Keep training sessions short, energetic, varied and inclusive of behaviors your Puli finds highly rewarding. End on a positive note to avoid frustration for both parties.
Troubleshoot Common Training Issues
Certain training difficulties pop up commonly with Pulis. Here are some tips for troubleshooting the most prevalent challenges:
Demand Barking: Ignore your Puli’s attention-seeking barking completely. Only reward them with your attention when they are quiet. Teach a quiet command on cue and reinforce with treats anytime they stop barking on request.
Digging: Provide your Puli an approved digging area and teach them a “go dig” cue to redirect them. Keep their nails trimmed short to reduce digging temptation. Supervise in the yard or confine them when you can’t watch them.
Chasing: Teach a solid “leave it” cue starting with low distractions. Always reward disengaging from the chase. Prevent rehearsal by using leashes or long lines in unsecured areas. Consider agility training as a healthy outlet.
Chewing: Puppy-proof your home and provide plenty of chew toys. Use distraction, redirection and taste deterrents for unwanted chewing. Keep a close eye on your Puli and interact with them to prevent boredom.
Jumping Up: Turn away and ignore your Puli when they jump. Lavishly reward four paws on the floor. Ask for a sit before giving attention. Practice with visitors or in exciting locations.
Separation Anxiety: Use counterconditioning to help your Puli learn alone time is positive. Provide enrichment toys when leaving. Start with very short departures and gradually increase duration. Don’t make hellos or goodbyes a big deal.
Consider a Professional Trainer
If your Puli is displaying serious behavior issues, or you are struggling to make headway with training basics, don’t hesitate to consult an accredited trainer. Look for someone using positive methods who has experience with herding breeds. Avoid trainers who rely on physical corrections or implement unnecessarily harsh methods with your sensitive Puli. Some behaviors like dog-reactivity or aggression will need customized professional intervention. An expert can identify the root cause of the issue and provide management and training techniques. Investing in professional help early rather than allowing problems to escalate can vastly improve your chances of getting your Puli back on track behaviorally.
The Importance of Exercise
Providing your Puli with adequate outlets for their energy is arguably the most critical factor for ease of training. A Puli stuck in a yard or home all day without stimulation, exercise or training is practically guaranteed to develop undesirable behaviors. Pulis were developed to spend their days actively herding livestock across pastures and keeping flocks in line. Their exercise needs are higher than the average pet dog.
Plan to provide a minimum of 60-90 minutes of daily activity for your Puli. Activities like hiking, running, swimming, fetch, dog sports, interactive toys and doggy daycare allow them to burn mental and physical energy in a healthy way. An exercised Puli will be far more focused and eager to work during training sessions. The more you fulfill your Puli’s exercise requirements, the more trainable and pleasant they will become. Don’t underestimate the importance of a tired Puli when it comes to training success!
Conclusion
While Puli temperament poses some unique training challenges, they are certainly intelligent dogs capable of learning. Early socialization, motivation, exercise, positive training methods and consistency set you up for the best results. When their considerable needs for activity and mental stimulation are met, Pulis respond readily to training with their attentive nature and eagerness to work. While their occasionally independent thinking necessitates extra patience and creativity from owners, Pulis are well worth the effort for the right active owner. With time, consistency and an understanding of breed traits, you can absolutely train your brilliant Puli to be a well-mannered companion. Just remember, a tired Puli is a happy and cooperative Puli!