Hovawart vs Hawaiian Poi Dog - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Hawaiian Poi Dog is originated from Indonesia but Hovawart is originated from Germany. Hawaiian Poi Dog may grow 32 cm / 12 inches shorter than Hovawart. Hawaiian Poi Dog may weigh 36 kg / 79 pounds lesser than Hovawart. Hawaiian Poi Dog may live 6 years less than Hovawart. Hawaiian Poi Dog may have less litter size than Hovawart. Both Hawaiian Poi Dog and Hovawart requires Low Maintenance.

Basic Information

Group:
Companion dog
Working dog
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Indonesia
Germany
Height Male:
36 - 38 cm
14 - 15 inches
58 - 70 cm
22 - 28 inches
Height Female:
34 - 36 cm
13 - 15 inches
51 - 68 cm
20 - 27 inches
Weight Male:
7 - 15 kg
15 - 34 pounds
25 - 51 kg
55 - 113 pounds
Weight Female:
6 - 13 kg
13 - 29 pounds
22 - 49 kg
48 - 109 pounds
Life Span:
5 - 8 Years
10 - 14 Years
Litter Size:
3 - 5
6 - 8
Size:
Small
Large
Other Names:
Native Hawaiian Dog, and Hawaiian Islanders’ Dog., Poi Dog, Ilio, Hawaiian Dog
Hovie
Colors Available:
any color with white markings, brown mostly
gold and black, gold, blonde
Coat:
short and fine
long dense
Shedding:
Minimal
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Playful, Stubborn
Affectionate, Alert, Courageous, Independent, Intelligent, Loyal, Protective, Territorial
Grooming:
Low Maintenance
Low 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.

hovawartThe Hovawart, is a German Black Forest breed developed as a guard dog for large estates in the medieval era. They first appeared in history in the early 13th century as heroes who saved the German son of a castle lord, despite being injured themselves. The boy they saved grew up to be a German legend. He wrote the oldest German code of law that remained from medieval times. In it he names the Hovawarts as a dog that if you are responsible for hurting, stealing or killing it, you must pay for it or replace it. No other dog had this protection.

In the late fifteenth century Hovawarts were featured in Heinrich Mynsinger’s “The Five Noble Breeds”. This guard dog breed was esteemed on a level with the hunting dogs – their health a question of life or death for their owner. In the 1500’s the popularity of the breed began to fade. The GSD or German Shepard Dog began to replace the Hovawarts as the preferred guard dog.

By the early 20th century the breed had almost disappeared but were saved by breed enthusiasts in the early 1900’s. Zoologist Kurt Konig was prominent in this effort and went looking in the Black Forest area for dogs working on farms. Using the dogs, he found on these farms, Konig began a breeding program crossing the them with Newfoundland’s, Kuvazoks, Leonbergers, GSD, an African hunting dogs and Bernese Mountain Dogs.

By 1922 the first litter of these pups was entered officially into the German Breeding Registry. In 1937 the Hovawart was recognized by the German Kennel Club. However, many members of the breed died in World War II as they were used widely by the military and not many were left by 1945. Once again breed enthusiasts came to the rescue forming a Coburg Hovawart club. This club still exists and in 1964, for the second time, the breed was recognized by the German Kennel Club. Other countries also began to take notice of this working breed.

The Hovawart has many skills in addition hunting and guarding. The Hovawart does not work for people, he works with them as he is a very independent thinker. He is also good at search and rescue and tracking. An owner of this breed must be stronger, smarter, more alert, intentional and consistent than his Hovawart. These are not dogs for the faint of heart or first-timers.

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.

hovawart puppy - descriptionThe Hovawart is a proud and majestic dog and his looks match his character. He looks a bit like the Golden Retriever with a powerful and broad forehead. His skull and muzzle are the same length and his nose is black. His oval eyes are a medium to dark brown and his ears are high set and triangular.

Their chests are strong, broad and deep. The breed has strong legs straight in front with round, strong and compact feet. They are heavy boned with dense, long coats that lie flat and have a slight wave to them. The coat can be black and gold, blond or black.

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.

1.Children friendliness yes, they are good with children.

Special talents

hovawart dog - characteristicsThey have a great sense of smell and a well-balanced personality.

Adaptability

They are not indoor dogs and should have a yard to run in. They do not tolerate hot weather well. They do great out in the country.

Learning ability

They are intelligent independent thinkers. They lengths well with positive reinforcement.

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.

hovawart puppies - health problemsThough their isolation protected them from genetic health issues for centuries, once they were being rejuvenated and mixed with other breeds some common issues began to show up. These include:

  • Underactive thyroid
  • Hip Dysplasia – can cause arthritis or lameness
  • Osteochondritis – causes joint pain in shoulders mostly
  • Liver Shunts

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.

Feeding the puppy

hovawart dogs - caringFeed breed specific high quality dry food for puppies. Feed 1-2 cups in 3-4 meals per day

Feeding the adult

Again Feed breed specific high quality dry food for adults. Feed 2-3 cups per day in 1-2 meals per day.

Points for Good Health

Points for Good Health – Stamina

Games and Exercises

The Hovawart needs plenty of exercise. Remember this is a mountain farm dog used to working all the time. Walk or jog with them daily. They can excel at field trials, obedience, search and rescue, agility, flyball, therapy dog, and service dog.

Comparison with other breeds

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