The Pumi may be rare and relatively unheard of, however their close relatives are the Hungarian Puli and the erroneously named Tibetan Terrier (actually another small nimble herding/watchdog breed). The Pumi’s ancestors were herding dogs brought by the Magyar peoples, migrating from the Ural-Altay region between China and the Caspian Sea, to the Carpathian Basin around 800AD. At this time breeding was done based on working ability more than appearance, however the Pumi was further refined to the dog we know today, by the addition of the Pomeranian Schafspudel (Sheep Poodle) and the now extinct Hutespitz (herding spitz).
The Pumi’s job was complex, and the title ‘herding dog’ really doesn’t cover it sufficiently. Pumi’s had to drive livestock (goats, cattle, sheep) in the tight confines of narrow lanes and small strips of land. They had to prevent their livestock from straying across unfenced boundaries, get close to stock, move between their legs to get ahead of the flock in a tight space, and of course alert to danger, and generally act as a watchdog. These challenges were also often completed by the dog without a human handler close by, so they had to make decisions by themselves, and often very quickly.
The modern Pumi is still an agile, brave, quick thinking and independent dog that adores their owner but really needs to work. Despite their long history of working with humans, they remain fairly rare in the UK, only being awarded breed classes by the UK Kennel Club in 2020.