Thai Ridgeback vs Hawaiian Poi Dog - Breed Comparison

Hawaiian Poi Dog is originated from Indonesia but Thai Ridgeback is originated from Thailand. Hawaiian Poi Dog may grow 23 cm / 9 inches shorter than Thai Ridgeback. Hawaiian Poi Dog may weigh 19 kg / 41 pounds lesser than Thai Ridgeback. Hawaiian Poi Dog may live 5 years less than Thai Ridgeback. Both Hawaiian Poi Dog and Thai Ridgeback has almost same litter size. Hawaiian Poi Dog requires Low Maintenance. But Thai Ridgeback requires Moderate Maintenance

Basic Information

Group:
Companion dog
Hound dog
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Indonesia
Thailand
Height Male:
36 - 38 cm
14 - 15 inches
56 - 61 cm
22 - 25 inches
Height Female:
34 - 36 cm
13 - 15 inches
51 - 56 cm
20 - 23 inches
Weight Male:
7 - 15 kg
15 - 34 pounds
23 - 34 kg
50 - 75 pounds
Weight Female:
6 - 13 kg
13 - 29 pounds
23 - 32 kg
50 - 71 pounds
Life Span:
5 - 8 Years
10 - 13 Years
Litter Size:
3 - 5
4 - 6
Size:
Small
Medium
Other Names:
Native Hawaiian Dog, and Hawaiian Islanders’ Dog., Poi Dog, Ilio, Hawaiian Dog
Thai Ridgeback Dog • TRD • Mah Thai • Thai Dog • Mah Thai Lung Arn
Colors Available:
any color with white markings, brown mostly
brown, red or blue, black
Coat:
short and fine
short, straight with ridge
Shedding:
Minimal
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Playful, Stubborn
Independent, Intelligent, Loyal, Protective
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Moderate Maintenance
Trainability:
Hard
Moderate
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
No

History

The Hawaiian Poi Dog was a descendent of the dogs brought to the Islands by the Polynesian. These Polynesian dogs were themselves descendants of the kuri dog of New Zealand. These kuri dogs were originally from Indonesia. 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.

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. Meat was not fed to the dogs because it was too scarce. There was no large mammals to hunt and so the breed was never given a standard. The Poi dog seen by European explorers were short legged, pot bellied canines that lived with the hogs in the towns. Because of what they ate, the dogs were not highly intelligent but were stubborn and hard to train. Because the dogs were not suited for much beyond food and a spiritual charm, they became extinct when the traditional religion was no longer practiced and eating dogs was no longer acceptable. The breed pretty much disappeared by the early 20th century. Very few images of the dogs remain except for ancient petroglyphs.

There was an attempt by the Honolulu Zoo in the late 1960’s to redevelop the breed using local dogs to determine a standard. Then the local dogs were bred as close to the standard as possible. In the third generation one dog was born with the traits of a Poi dog. There was not much more success with this and then the Polynesian ship travel between Tahiti and Hawaii was recreated and a dog taken along.

Today’s mixed breed dogs in Hawaii are called Poi dogs but also have the stubbornness, unique appearance and ability to eat anything it is given like the original Poi. The dogs are small, and should not be confused with the original Poi dogs.

thai ridgebackUntil recently the Thai Ridgeback was not known outside of its native land. However, after being recently recognized as a standard breed, the dogs are getting some notice from the western world. They are one of three known ridgeback breeds with the ridge running the opposite direction of the rest of her fur. The other breeds with this characteristic are the better known Rhodesian Ridgeback and the even lesser known Phu Quoc Ridgeback.

The Thai Ridgeback is believed to have originated in eastern Thailand but there is no documentation of their actual history. The breed is thought to be descended from the Funan Ridgeback based on a genetic hypothesis. It is thought that the same Funan Ridgeback is an ancestor od the Phu Quoc Dog. This Funan Ridgeback lived over a century ago. Along with the Rhodesian Ridgeback, all have a common ridgebearing ancestor.

It is still unknown where the original ridge came from but it has been shown that all of the ridgeback dogs have the same genetic mutation and even though the Rhodisian is from Africa, there is not a parallel mutation. The Thai Ridgeback is an active, energetic, tough dog. He is loyal, intelligent, and has great jumping ability.

Description

As previously mentioned the Poi dog is somewhat unusual in size and shape due to what they ate. They looked somewhat like the native dogs of Polynesia and New Zealand. They have short legs, long bodies, somewhat obese and a very flat head. He had a short smooth coat, in any color or any pattern. They were however mostly brown and they might or might not have white markings.

thai ridgeback puppy - descriptionThe breed is medium in size and muscular in body. They have a wedge shaped head, a short coat that is smooth and pricked, triangular ears. The ridge on his back is pronounced as the hair grows away from the rest of the coat from the hips to the withers. Puppies can be born with or without the ridge. They are extremely agile. With what is often called a sword tail being carried up, the Ridgeback has wrinkles on his forehead, a black tongue or the tongue has black marks, and almond shaped eyes.

The coat sheds minimally and is dense, while the eyes are usually brown – in blue dogs they can be amber. The color of the coat is fawn, red, black or blue with a black mask on the reds. There are 8 different ridge patterns: Feather, violin, saddleback, needle, arrow, bowling pin, lute, and leaf. The broader the ridge the better the dog is considered for show.

There are two epistatic genes that determine the ridge and its size. The more genes of this type the individual dog has, the broader the ridge will be. There must be a dominant gene for the ridge to appear at all.

Characteristics

Children friendliness

The Hawaiian Poi dog was very friendly and good with children

Special talents

The Poi was considered a good luck charm and a spiritual protector of children

Adaptability

Given what they faced in life, the Poi dog was very adaptable, living anywhere on the islands and eating anything it could find.

Learning ability

Due to their poor diet, the Hawaiian Poi dog was seriously lacking in intelligence and learning ability.

. Children friendliness – Must be well socialized into the family.

2.Special talents – jumping and agility.

3.Adaptability – not good. Needs a high, unclimbable fense.

4.Learning ability – can be stubborn and independent.

Health Problems

Probably due to its diet, the Poi dog had several problems to their health. Their poor diet led to a sluggishness both in movement and intelligence. Its development was hampered by a lack of protein. Malnutrition and serious over inbreeding caused a weakness and poor oral hygiene. Due to this lack of teeth and chewing the bones in the dogs heads became flat. The Poi had breathing issues and overall lethargy.

thai ridgeback puppies - health problemsWith such a mysterious origin, there are not a lot of documented episodes of genetic illness as the breed has been isolated in Thailand and natural selection has driven reproduction. There are only a few issues that they are genetically predisposed to. These include:

• Dermoid Sinus – this is a genetic skin condition known as pilonidal sinus as well. This is a defect in the neural tube and the sinus might be removed. If the sinus is wrapped around the spinal cord and cannot be removed it can be tied off.

  • Hip dysplasia – can cause lameness and/or arthritis.

• Bloat – can be terminal if not treated as soon as possible. Bloat is a distension of the stomach and intestines which can twist and tangle, killing the dog almost immediately without veterinary attention.

Caring The Pet

Feeding the puppy

With meat being rare in Hawaii, none was available for the dogs. They were fed Poi – from the Taro plant roots. Puppies were fed 2-3 times a day.

Feeding the adult

The adult dog was fed once or twice a day the same as Poi puppies were fed.

Points for Good Health

The Hawaiian Poi dog basically has not good health points.

Games and Exercises

The Poi dog did not need and did not get much exercise, leading to its demise.

thai ridgeback dogs - caring1. Feeding the Puppy - Don’t over feed the puppy as they are inclined to become obese. Feed a high quality protein rich puppy for medium breeds. Feed in 3-4 smaller meals per day. As he grows be aware of bloat possibilities.

2. Feeding the adult dog - The risk of bloat is even greater in the adult and so is the risk of obesity. Don’t feed large meals and don’t feed before or after strenuous exercise. Feed in 2 smaller meals per day.

3.Points for Good Health - Agile and muscular.

4. Games and Exercises – Energetic and needs serious exercise. She loves to swim, retrieve, hike, hunt, and catch frisbees. Likes search and rescue and guard dog work.

Comparison with other breeds

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  30. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
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  35. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
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  37. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison