Hawaiian Poi Dog vs Chorkie - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Chorkie is originated from United States but Hawaiian Poi Dog is originated from Indonesia. Chorkie may grow 29 cm / 11 inches shorter than Hawaiian Poi Dog. Chorkie may weigh 6 kg / 13 pounds lesser than Hawaiian Poi Dog. Chorkie may live 4 years more than Hawaiian Poi Dog. Both Chorkie and Hawaiian Poi Dog has same litter size. Both Chorkie and Hawaiian Poi Dog requires Low Maintenance.

Basic Information

Group:
Toy dog
Companion dog
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United States
Indonesia
Height Male:
5 - 9 cm
1 - 4 inches
36 - 38 cm
14 - 15 inches
Height Female:
4 - 8 cm
1 - 4 inches
34 - 36 cm
13 - 15 inches
Weight Male:
6 - 9 kg
13 - 20 pounds
7 - 15 kg
15 - 34 pounds
Weight Female:
5 - 8 kg
11 - 18 pounds
6 - 13 kg
13 - 29 pounds
Life Span:
10 - 12 Years
5 - 8 Years
Litter Size:
3 - 5
3 - 5
Size:
Toy
Small
Other Names:
Chiyorkie • York Chi • Yorkie-Chi • Yorkchi • Yorkiechi • Yorkiehuahua
Native Hawaiian Dog, and Hawaiian Islanders’ Dog., Poi Dog, Ilio, Hawaiian Dog
Colors Available:
brown to black, white to tan, beige to grey.
any color with white markings, brown mostly
Coat:
variable – long/silky or short/smooth
short and fine
Shedding:
Moderate
Minimal
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Courageous, Energetic, Friendly, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing
Affectionate, Playful, Stubborn
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Low Maintenance
Trainability:
Moderate
Hard
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
No
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
No
Yes

History

chorkieThe Chorkie is a very popular little dog but he is not a purebred. The Chorkie was developed by crossing the Yorkshire Terrier with the Chihuahua. Probably the most popular Chorkie ever was the Taco Bell dog in the 1990s. This hybrid is a young breed created in the late 1900’s. These small, toy dogs are great lapdogs. It’s not possible to know the exact heritage of the Chorkies but the initial crossing of the two breeds occurred in the early part of the 20th century.

The Chorkie makes a great indoor pet best suited for the single or elderly person. Not because the Chorkie does not like children but because they are so small they can be easily injured by children. They are continuing to grow in popularity all the time among those who enjoy the new designer dogs.

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.

Description

chorkie puppy - descriptionAs mentioned previously the Chorkie is a mix between the Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie) and the Chihuahua. They Tend to look more like the terrier than the Chi with a small head carried high on a well-proportioned body, with the long silky hair of the Yorkie. Their head carried the shape of the Chihuahua. Like the Chihuahua, they have mostly pointed ears although some Chorkies have droopy ears. The Chorkie coat is silky, long, and can be in a variety of colors. The ears are either fringed like the Yorkie or smooth like the Chihuahua.

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.

Characteristics

chorkie dog - characteristicsRemember that the Chorkie is a cross breed and not a purebred. Its temperament is that of a mixed breed dog which is usually laid back and mellow. The Chorkie might bark a lot as both the Yorkshire and the Chihuahua are known to bark. It can carry the traits of either or both of its parents.

The Chorkie is a great lap dog though he can be stubborn and wear their owner out with all their energy. They are playful and willful and need strong leadership despite their small size. They will bark at anything they find to be suspicious. Despite their size they are highly intelligent and very loyal, affectionate dogs. They love their people and will not like it if you leave them alone very often. They are quite brave to the point of being reckless and can be aggressive toward dogs a lot bigger than they are. Due to their courage and their barking they are great family dogs.

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.

Health Problems

chorkie puppies - health problemsChorkies can have any of the health issues of any toy dog but they are known to be prone to allergies and skin issues. They are susceptible to injury from children or rough play including possible tracheal collapse.

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.

Caring The Pet

Feeding

chorkie dogs - caringThese small dogs have a lot of energy and need to eat a food that is high in quality calories. No empty calories for these guys. Feed them at least twice a day and no more than a fourth of a cup of dry food for the entire day. They can become overweight easily so do not overfeed.

Health issues

Additional health issues might include knee cap dislocation leading to arthritis or lameness and a tendency to develop low blood sugar.

Exercise and games

Again, these are high energy little dogs. They need to be exercised or at least have brisk play inside the house. They excel at competitive games such as barn hunt, agility and obedience.

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.

Comparison with other breeds

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  26. Chorkie vs English Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  27. Chorkie vs German Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  28. Chorkie vs Golden Retriever - Breed Comparison
  29. Chorkie vs Labrador Retriever - Breed Comparison
  30. Chorkie vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Chorkie vs French Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  32. Chorkie vs Beagle - Breed Comparison
  33. Chorkie vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Chorkie vs Poodle - Breed Comparison
  35. Chorkie vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  36. Chorkie vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  37. Chorkie vs English Pointer - Breed Comparison
  38. Chorkie vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  39. Chorkie vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  40. Chorkie vs American Bully - Breed Comparison
  41. Chorkie vs Abruzzenhund - Breed Comparison
  42. Chorkie vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  43. Chorkie vs Afghan Hound - Breed Comparison
  44. Chorkie vs Aidi - Breed Comparison
  45. Chorkie vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Chorkie vs Akbash Dog - Breed Comparison
  47. Chorkie vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  48. Chorkie vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  49. Chorkie vs Askal - Breed Comparison
  50. Chorkie vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison