Rafeiro do Alentejo vs Puli - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

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.

Known also as the Portuguese Mastiff, the Rafeiro do Alentejo comes from Portugal and has always been used as guardian for livestock. Their numbers declined quite a bit when there was no longer a need for this kind of job.Today it is essentially a companion dog.

The official standard of the Rafeiro do Alentejo was established in 1953. The dog is is recognized as a breed by the Portuguese Caniculture Club as well as the Federation Cynologique Interationale.

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.

The Alentejo is a large dog standing at between 64 and 75cm in height and weighing 45 to 60kg. He is a powerful dog with a deep chest, dark eyes, floppy ears. His coat is short to medium length, thick and straight. The color of the coat is a mix of fawn, a wolf grey, white, cream and black.

Temperament:

This is a serious dog with a calm demeanour about him. It doesn’t matter how calm he is though, as every dog will require training ad socialization if you want to enjoy having an obedient, well mannered dog around you. This is particularly important with a large, independent, self-confident, territorial dog like this.

He isn’t an aggressive dog but he is protective, wanting to guard and look out for his human family. They are dogs that get on well with children and other pets in the home, being wary of strangers.

They’re not recommended for life in small properties in the city as he requires a large garden at least.

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 Rafeiro do Alentejo is a quiet dog, but intelligent and strong-willed. Training and socialization will make him easy to get on with.

He will become an excellent companion, and can come indoors because he is well mannered and considerate. He was bred to be a guard dog, and the responsibilities he had taking care of livestock has been transferred to looking out for- and protecting his human family.

He makes a wonderful pet and companion, even with children and other pets, more so when brought up correctly by loving, firm, consistent dog owners.

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 Rafeiro do Alentejo is a generally healthy dog breed, and with good care can get to 11, 12 or 13 years of age.

Of course with a large dog like this, it is always a good idea to be aware of canine hip dysplasia, particularly because this is a large dog with a deep chest.

This makes him also vulnerable to bloat, a condition where the stomach swells with gas and which can be life threatening. Other things to watch for are ear infections and parasites.

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.

Grooming:

Make your grooming time with this serious, calm canine friend of yours a special bonding time. His coat simply requires a brush twice a week to keep it healthy and shiny.

While bushing him, run your hands over him to make sure there aren’t any unusual lumps. Check inside the floppy ears to make sure they’re not red which could be the start of a painful ear infection.

Look a his nails and trim them if they’ve become too long. Check inside his mouth and make sure there aren’t any black, rotten teeth as this can seriously impact the health of your pet.

Exercise:

Options for exercise will include long walks and a chance to run off his leash. In the back yard it will be to his benefit to throw balls for him to fetch. You can even bring him indoors and play some calm games with him. He should have exercise every single day.

Diet:

Good food is needed for good health. It is always convenient to make use of the commercially manufactured dog foods there are on the market.

You don’t want to feed this to your dog day after day so provide your pet with some tasty home-made food too. Dogs want simplicity and consistency with their diets so they don’t battle with upset stomachs and an unnecessary trip to the vet.

Some home-cooked food twice a week and added to the dry kibble can keep him healthy and happy. Boiled chicken, sweet potatoes, brown rice or pasta, carrots and spinach will be perfect for him. Chop the food up finely and add it into the dry kibble once or twice a week.

Some people even cook it in bulk, refrigerate it and warm up small portions to add to the kibble. Raw meat added in occasionally can also be a good treat. Make sure your pet is never without a constant supply of fresh, cool water.