Hawaiian Poi Dog

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Origin / History The Hawaiian Poi Dog is an extinct Pariah Hound. Dogs of this breed were brought to Hawaii by the Polynesians more than 1,000 years ago. These dogs were important to Polynesians, and female members of tribes took care of these dogs because they believed that doing so would bring them more protective instincts. Puppies of this breed were even given to infants at birth. In case the child dies, the dog will be killed and buried along with the child's body. If the child happened to live longer than the dog, the teeth of the dog would be pulled out and made into necklaces that the child would wear.

Hawaiian Poi Dogs have been fed only with poi, which is based on the taro root. This was fed to the dogs to fatten them up because these dogs did not just serve as companions, they were also killed and eaten by members of the tribe. The vegetarian diet of these dogs made them inactive and obese. Over the years, the diet of these dogs even changed the shape of their skull, making it flat and large due to lack of chewing. Eventually, dogs of this breed became very lazy. During the early years of the 19th century, other dogs started breeding with Hawaiian Poi Dogs, so the breed was no longer considered pure. A breeding program was begun to reconstruct this breed, but it was pronounced a failure after 12 years. Dogs of this breed also go by the name of "Ilio".

Appearance Hawaiian Poi Dogs were short-coated dogs. Their body was barrel-shaped and low. They had a large belly and short legs. Their head was flat and large, and their teeth meet in a scissors or level bite. They had a thick and short neck with a slight curve. The feet of these dogs are small and compact.

Colours The coat of these dogs come in a wide variety of colours.

Temperament Dogs of this breed were clumsy, but they were also playful and friendly. These dogs were lazy, fat and rarely barked. Due to their vegetarian diet, they were not very smart and were sluggish. They liked to play with the children but often failed to catch the things that children would playfully throw at them. These dogs were often compared to hogs because they acted more like them.

Height and Weight The height of these dogs ranges from 13 to 26 inches, and their weight falls between 25 and 35 pounds.

Common Health Problems Due to their vegetarian diet, Hawaiian Poi Dogs became obese and developed distended bellies. These dogs had slow mentalities and the bones in their heads became enlarged and flat due to lack of chewing.

Living Conditions These dogs lived with the tribes. They slept with children, but they were also killed and eaten as a delicacy.

Exercise Requirements Although these dogs needed daily exercise, they weren't provided with it and their diet only made them lazier and more obese. The only exercise these dogs got was when they played with the children of the tribe. These instances were far from enough to keep the dogs fit and healthy.

Training Requirements Not much is known regarding the training of Hawaiian Poi Dogs. There are theories, though, that these dogs didn't receive much training. They were brought up only to be fattened and killed later on. Often, the kids of the tribe were the ones who would sleep beside these dogs and play with them.

Life Expectancy The life span of these dogs is unknown because they were usually eaten before they died a natural death.

Grooming Not much is known regarding the grooming needed by these dogs probably because very little grooming was needed or extended to them.

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