The Mudi is a generally healthy, primitive breed, most closely related to the Puli and Pumi. The breed was established in the 19th century and almost died out during World War Two. They were brought back in the 60’s by dedicated preservation breeders in Hungary.

The Mudi was used as an all around farm dog, and for herding all types of stock, due to it’s courageous disposition. It was also used for vermin control and an alert/guard dog, hence it’s vocal nature. They came in the home at the end of the work day as a beloved family pet.

For these reasons the Mudi is a vocal, high-energy and athletic breed. They are not for everyone, if you do not like barking, you should look elsewhere. While they do not bark incessantly, they were meant to alert to anything new in their environment. They also have a plethora of “Mudi noises” for every occasion, some Mudis are more vocal than others.

Mudis are athletes and would not do well in apartment style living. They need help when young to develop an off-switch, which encourages happy settling at home. However they still need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation.

In training, Mudis do not like repetition as they bore easily and do not care to be told they are wrong, which repetition may lead them to believe. They typically catch on quick and sometimes just need to sleep on a new task, to come back the next day and have it click. Having a planned routine is ideal. They are quirky, yet biddable dogs that typically excel in dog sports. They also tend to be water lovers.

Mudis are Small-Medium in size, making them a perfect travel companion. They are velcro-dogs, preferring their own people to strangers, who they tend to be aloof towards, but should not be fearful of. They do better with plenty of socialization and exposure training young. Some lines are friendlier than others, ours tend to be more on the friendly side. While they are still not Golden Retrievers, they are more willing to say hi and accept pets from strangers, sometimes with an obligatory “woo woo”. Our Mudis also have attended many show and sporting events and are used to being “passed off” to others at events. Early socialization/exposure training is highly encouraged.

It is highly recommended to do your research, meet a few different Mudis and find some experienced Mudi people to chat with before choosing this breed for yourself. They are tons of fun for the right home, but can be very challenging for others.

More on structure, temperament, purpose and appearance can be found in the Breed Standard in the links below (CKC is written off of the FCI breed standard):
CKC: https://www.ckc.ca/CanadianKennelClub/media/Breed-Standards/Group%207/Mudi.pdf
FCI: https://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/238g01-en.pdf
AKC: https://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/Mudi.pdf
UKC: https://www.ukcdogs.com/docs/breeds/mudi.pdf

Resources:
Mudi Association of Canada: http://www.mudi-canada.ca/
Mudi Club of America: https://www.mudi.us/
North American Mudi Alliance: https://www.northamericanmudialliance.com/