Puli vs Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) - Breed Comparison

The Puli’s history is ancient, going back about 2,000 years. It is believed that Sumerians used Puli-type dogs to herd sheep thousands of years ago.

Ancient excavations show signs of Puli dogs. It is believed that Magyar tribesmen brought Pulis to Hungary for their herding abilities. The Puli was registered by the American Kennel Club in 1936, and the Puli Club of America was formed in 1951.

Looking much like a pitch black German Shepherd dog, the Belgian Shepherd is a beautiful looking dog. Their roots go back to the 1800s to Groenendael, Belgium. This is where they were bred by a certain Nicolas Rose in 1910. The Groenendael is one of four different Belgian Sheepdog varieties but the Groenendael is sometimes treated as a distinct breed.

They have always been used for their intelligence, serving for instance in the police force and being message carriers in war situations. Originally, Belgian Shepherds were used to herd livestock. It was in 1911 that the Groenendael was registered in the United States, and not much later the first Belgian Sheepdog Club of America formed. The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1912.

The Puli is a medium sized dog from Hungary standing at between 36 an 45cm in height and weighing 10 to 13kg. He has always been a herding dog and his long,corded coat has been his trademark.

The color of the coat can be black, white or cream but black is the color most seen with the Puli. The dog may well be a low shedder, but the coat is still going to need a lot of maintenance to keep it looking reasonable. It gets longer and longer and will need to be groomed to keep the cords neat and clean.

Temperament:

The Puli is an intelligent dog and it can be trained to respond to some simple commands. If the dog gets enough exercise, he can adapt to life in the country or in the city. As a herding dog he is used to being busy and will need walks, a run off his leash in the park and ball games.

They get on well with children and with other pets and are loyal to their owners and wary of strangers. They are highly active dogs these, and they just love playing games throughout their adult lives.

Because they are dogs which need a lot of exercise and space, they are more suited to life in the countryside as opposed to life on a small property in the city. They also make good faithful family guardians.

Large, Strong and Well Proportioned

With his alert, bright brown eyes, the Groenendael, referred to often as the Belgian Sheepdog, has erect ears with a long, feathered tail. The straight, strong legs are also feathered. He is well proportioned, athletic and strong. He has a dense double coat, and this working dog’s coat is black, but you sometimes find some small white markings around his paws and muzzle. The size of the Groenendael is roughly 60-66cm at the withers with the females sometimes being slightly smaller. The weight of the dog is roughly 25–30 kilograms.

He’s a Social Dog who Craves Companionship

The Groenendael is an active, intelligent breed and training and socializing will be necessary to ensure he knows how to behave around his human family. He is a big, social dog and won’t do well when left alone day after day in the back yard. In fact he may even show signs of separation anxiety if you leave him indefinitely. He makes for an excellent family dog, just loving their companionship and he becomes very protective of them.

An Intelligent, Alert Breed

He is used to making use of his intelligence and therefore he will need mental stimulation as opposed to lying around all day. He gets on well with adults, children and other pets, but he needs to grow up with children and not be put among children when he is already an adult. He is loyal and loving to his human family, forming a deep bond, especially with just one member of the family.

Your Puli is a self-confident, strong willed dog that is intelligent and can learn to be obedient and well mannered. They are also social and playful, and will love to be a family pet, being prepared to provide friendship and loyalty.

Because he has always been a herding dog, he takes his role of guardian and protector of his human family seriously. He makes a splendid pet if you’re ready to tackle the long coat which makes sure he doesn’t fit into the low-maintenance category.

Your Belgian Shepherd is an intelligent, active, loyal companion for you. He is highly intelligent too, and will need the right owner who can meet his energetic needs. He therefore wouldn’t do well with in a small place where the owners are couch potatoes. He is a working dog and will require being kept busy.

Provide him with good food, look after that thick, lustrous coat of his, provide him with a warm, dry place to sleep and plenty of exercise, love and attention and he will turn out to be the wonderful pet that makes him such a popular breed.

Joints, eyes, and skin problems can cause problems with the Puli dog. Hip dysplasia is a problem with many dogs that can cause pain and also lameness.

Check your pet over with grooming sessions and make sure both the ears and eyes are free of discharge and redness.

The coat is thick and the Puli will require you to watch his skin for bacterial infections which can be caused by a lot of itching and scratching. Other common canine health issues to look out for are cancer and bloat.

The Belgian Groenendael is a healthy, strong breed with no major health problems and with an average lifespan of 12-14 years.

As with every dog breed, there will be some health issues to be aware of. Skin allergies, epilepsy, eye problems and hip- and joint dysplasia are some areas to look out for

Dental disease for instance, is a common problem with pets, and your Belgian Shepherd can have serious problems with their teeth. Tartar build-up on the teeth ca take you down a trail of infections and gum disease. If you don’t want to make use of a special canine toothbrush and toothpaste, your vet will do it for you.

Your Groenendael will also be susceptible to ticks, fleas and bacterial and viral infections. As a puppy of 6 – 8 weeks, vaccinations for parvo, rabies, and distemper will be necessary. You’ll also need to be generally watching your pet’s health and to get him to the vet when he shows signs of being run-down and ill.

Training:

Training and socialization is important for any dog and not just the Puli. Well trained dogs are a joy to have around – they are obedient and well mannered. The Puli is intelligent enough for you to train him yourself or you can have a professional trainer do it for you.

Exercise:

The Puli is an athletic dog but you don’t want to start with any strenuous exercise with a young dog less than a year of age. Take your young dog for walks and give him some ball games. Only start more strenuous exercise later on to spare unnecessary pressure on the joints which could lead to hip dysplasia later on.

Grooming:

Every dog needs to be brushed and groomed to ensure its health. A dog like the Puli will need additional grooming because of the long dreadlocks for a coat. Many Puli owners prefer to have the hair cut short.

The coat of the Puli luckily doesn’t shed much but the coat, if you keep it long, will require a special wide tooth comb. You’ll need to check inside his ears, check that his eyes are bright without any discharge and also trim his nails.

You will have to check inside his mouth too. He can’t tell you if he has a rotten tooth that is painful and causing him to be sick. You need to regularly check his teeth.

Diet:

It is important to know how much to feed your Puli. A healthy diet is so important for good health and a long life. All dogs have different appetites depending on their age, their breed, their size, the season of life they’re in and their activity levels.

It is better to feed your dog twice a day as opposed to one meal a day to avoid life threatening illnesses such as bloat. There are excellent commercially manufactured dog foods, but also bad ones, so you want to make sure that the kibble you choose is a high quality one with lots of vitamins and minerals.

You want to give him some home-made food too, keeping it simple and uncomplicated – the way dogs like it. Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots are a healthy choice for your pet.

Chop it up and add it into the dry kibble a couple of times a week. Some raw meat added in from time to time will contribute to him being healthy. Never leave him without a constant source of fresh, cool water.

The Groenendael has a double coat and because it is also fairly long, his black coat may well be high maintenance and brushing every 2nd day will be necessary to keep the coat unmatted and to also get rid of those loose hairs. In fact, heavy shedding is part of this breed’s life and while heavy shedding happens twice a year, light shedding continues throughout the year. Sometimes is may be necessary to send him to a dog grooming parlour to snip his hair and to wash it.

Other care routines to watch for -

A healthy, quality diet it absolutely imperative. Speak to your vet about the best kind of wet- or dry food suited to an energetic breed like this and appropriate to his age. You need to include raw meat into your pets diet every day now and then to avoid skin problems. Always ensure a bowl of clean, cool water is available, The bowl will need to be washed out every other day.

make sure his ears are cleaned. Once again you have to be careful when prodding in a dog’s ear and your veterinarian will show you how.

keep him well exercised with long walks and ball games.