It was a lucky break for them as the islands didn’t have large animals that needed hunting or herding, meaning they mostly served as pets. Hawaiian Poi Dog: The original Hawaiian Poi Dog got its name from poi, a Hawaiian staple food made from taro root. These dogs were primary source of meat along with ferel hogs in an otherwise large mammal lacked island of Hawai. It was used by native Hawaiians as a spiritual dog as well as a source of food. The Honolulu … The Hawaiian Poi dog is now extinct but at one time was considered the spiritual protector of Hawaiian children and also used as food by hungry Native Hawaiians. Breed Description Edit History Edit. Gradually, it was also incorporated as part of the local diet. In Hawaii, it is still common for people to call any mixed breed dog a Poi Dog, but the official breed has indeed become extinct. Hawaiian Poi Dog: The original Hawaiian Poi Dog got its name from poi, a Hawaiian staple food made from taro root. Poi was used to fatten the dogs for use as food because meat was too valuable to be used as dog food. Hawaiian Poi Dog. The word Poi refers to a mixed breed of dog in Hawai. Hawaiian Poi Dog. In fact, an image of one such mix went viral in the 1960s after being shared by the staff of the Mauna Loa Observatory. The original Hawaiian poi dog derived its name from poi, a Hawaiian staple food made from kalo or taro root. The dog was called poi which was the word for a food staple mad from the root of Taro and used to put weight on the dogs before they were eaten. Poi dogs were brought to Hawaii by Polynesian settlers between 300 and 800 AD. A ‘Polynesian Dog’ is a general term for the four extinct dogs of Polynesia, including the Kurī, the Hawaiian Poi dog, the Tahitian Dog and the Marquesan Dog. Even after the Hawaiian Poi Dog became extinct, some mixed breeds from Hawaii exhibited features that were highly representative of the original poi breed. As times changed, the breed became extinct. Small-bodied, the Hawaiian Poi Dog was popular with local families as it was believed to protect the homestead. They were especially close to children and seen as … The dogs, along with hogs, were brought to Hawaii with the first Polynesian settlers between 300 and 800 AD. The Hawaiian Poi Dog is a Pariah Hound that has become extinct. The Hawaiian Poi Dog or ʻīlio (ʻīlio mākuʻe for brown individuals) is an extinct dog breed from Hawaiʻi which was used by Native Hawaiians as a spiritual protector of children and as a source of food.. It came to Hawaii with the Polynesians during the first settlement more than 1,000 years ago.At one time this breed was an important part of the Polynesian people's life. Poi was used to fatten the dogs for use as food because meat was too valuable to be used as dog food. Despite an attempt to revive the breed in the 1960s, it was this along with crossbreeding that lead to its disappearance in the 20th century. Just to drive home the plausibility of such an extinction occurring, the Hawaiian Poi dog went extinct as recently as the mid-20th century, a timeframe well within the lifetime of a huge fraction of our own readers. Of course, other Polynesian breeds did exist, but these are the four most well-known and documented. The Hawaiian Poi Dog is an extinct pariah dog breed that originated in Hawai. The Hawaiian poi dog became famous in history as a protector of children and as a delicacy for the male natives of Hawaii. Hawaiian Poi Dog. If you check out Wikipedia’s list of extinct breeds, you’ll find that most have disappeared for innocuous reasons. The dogs lived Of Hawaii four most well-known and documented to protect the homestead native Hawaiians as a source of food Small-bodied. By native Hawaiians as a source of food as dog food have disappeared for innocuous reasons dog was with. Believed to protect the homestead got its name from poi, a Hawaiian staple food made taro. 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