Sarplaninac vs Puli - Breed Comparison | MyDogBreeds

Hailing from Macedonia, the beautiful Sarplaninac dog was developed as a guardian of livestock and is large enough to fight off large predators like bears and wolves.

Nobody is too sure of the breeds exact origins, though it is thought that its ancestors came to the Balkan Peninsula with people migrating from ancient Asia.

This huge dog is one of the oldest native breeds from ancient Molosser breeds. The dog was recognized in 1939, and in 1954 it became known as the Yugoslav Shepherd Dog. Later the name changed and the dog was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1995.

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.

The Sarplaninac is a large, strong, fluffy dog standing at between 54 and 62cm in height and weighing between 30 and 45kg.

The coat of the dog is dense, coarse and of medium length. Colors are different shades of grey, white, tan and black. The head is large, the ears are fairly short but are floppy and covered with short hair. The dog is deep chested and the tail is long, often held high and covered with thick, feathery hair.

Temperament:

Protective, reliable, reserved, stubborn and gentle, this intelligent dog is fairly serious, and while he makes a devoted family pet, he is cool and wary of strangers.

Excellent training and socialization makes him well mannered, balanced and obedient around different people. He will tolerate children but won’t take easily to other pets in the house, capable of becoming aggressive with them.

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.

These dogs are protective, but they’re not vicious. When properly raised they are wonderful family pets.

True, it’s a large, strong willed dog that isn’t a good choice for the first-time dog owner. They are good with children, but only children who have been taught how to treat animals with care and patience.

This dog is a powerful guardian type of dog, imposing in size, but it’s all about upbringing, and if you bring him up well then he can make a tremendous pet and companion.

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.

The Sarplaninac dog is a robust dog but he can suffer from health issues such as hip dysplasia, obesity, bloat, ear infections and skin allergies.

Obesity:

When your dog gazes up at you with such love in his eyes, don’t be tempted to pop some chocolate into his mouth or let him finish off your ice-cream. Treats like this can damage your pet’s health and give him heat intolerance, breathing difficulties, hypertension, liver disease and diabetes.

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.

Every dog needs care from puppyhood through to old age.

Šarplaninacs are looked upon as medium maintenance dogs. The coat is long and thick and requires a firm bristle brush to get their hair brushed.These dogs are moderate shedders so a brush twice a week will do the trick to keep the hair free of loose hair and matting.

Because these dogs have floppy ears, they will need to be checked and cleaned. Floppy eared dogs battle with moisture and wax build-up that increases the likelihood of ear infections.

Check the eyes that they are clear and free of discharge. Eyes with a lot of discharge can be indicative of health problems.

Check for any unusual lumps as cancer often starts with a new lump.

Provide your pet with a nice warm, dry place to sleep.

Keep his vaccines up to date to prevent deadly canine diseases.

Have him or her spayed or neutered if you don’t want puppies. These are regular procedures for a vet and offers health benefits for the dog. Neutering a male improves his character and keeps him from roaming. These dogs are capable of having 3 – 8 puppies.

The Sarplaninac requires decent food if he is to remain healthy. Dog’s stomachs can become upset if they eat all kinds of sweet and spicy human foods.

Commercially manufactured dog food is a good backup food to have because of its convenience. Try to include some home-made food. Simply add into one big pot chicken, brown rice or pasta and spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots. This food can all be chopped up and added in to the dry kibble twice a week. Give this to your pet twice a week and see how his tails wags when he smells it.

Also try to add in some raw meat to his food occasionally.

Ensure there is always a bowl of fresh, cool water within his reach.

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.