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The Hawaiian Poi Dog is an extinct breed of pariah dog from Hawaii which was used as a protector of children and source of food by the native tribes. Hawaiian Poi Dog is also a term used in Hawaii to describe mixed breed dogs.
The Hawaiian Poi Dog is an extinct breed. They were short coated, with a coat that came in a variety of colors. The body was low and barrel shaped with a destined belly and short legs. The head was large and flat due to the lack of chewing from their vegetarian diets.
Appearance: The Hawaiian Poi Dog was a stocky,
short-legged, smooth-coated dog which came in a variety of
coat colors. It was usually 14 in. tall at the withers and
overweight from being fed a strict diet of poi, a pasty
substance made from ground taro root. This vegetarian diet
also caused their skulls to flatten and their teeth and jaws
to become weak.
Temperament: The Hawaiian Poi Dog was a slow, lazy
dog that did not bark often. It never reverted to a feral
state, and was unsuitable for hunting. They were said to be fat and lazy and rarely barked. They were fattened up to be eaten by the tribe in which they lived. Fed a paste made from ground, baked and fermented taro root, they were sluggish and were not very smart. Hawaiian Poi Dogs liked to play with the children, but were too slow to catch the fruits the children would playfully throw at them. Lots of times they ran with the hogs, which the tribes also ate, and acted more like hogs then dogs.
History: Hawaiian Poi Dogs descended from pariah
dogs brought by Polynesians to Hawaii over 1,000 years ago.
They were used as protectors of children. If the dog died
before the child, its teeth were removed and worn as a
necklace by the child.
If the child died first, the dog was killed and buried with
its young master. It was also used as a food source, and was
treated like the hogs, which shared the same fate. The dogs
were fed poi to fatten them up, which over the years caused
them to gradually become slow, dull, inactive dogs, and caused
their skulls to become large and flat.
By the early 19th century, other dogs had been brought to
the islands and bred with the Poi dog, until there were no
pure strains left. Years later, an attempt was made to
reconstruct the breed at the Honolulu Zoo. After twelve years
of breeding the project was deemed unsuccessful and was
discontinued. Hawaiian Poi Dog is also a term used in Hawaii
to describe mixed breed dogs.
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