The tasks of the herding breeds were diverse. In addition to
keeping the flock together, they also performed a kind of protective function:
they loudly signaled any strangeness, be it human or animal. Distrust was an
expected behavior from them.
The shepherd did not tolerate his dog making friends with
others, only the master and work existed for his constant companion.
This is why these dogs make a bond extremely quickly and
closely with their owners, but they are usually distrustful of strangers.
Most pumi are sensitive and also temperamental, determined
characters. These characteristics can be traced back to the herding past of the
ancestors. The flock, or herd, consisting of hundreds of individuals, with the
occasional agressive ram required a kind of toughness from the pumi, but in
order to be able to be controled by its owner from a distance, it was also
necessary to have a very sophisticated sensitivity towards him.